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335 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
340 @setchapternewpage odd
347 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
349 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
355 @top The Gnus Newsreader
359 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
360 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
361 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
364 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
365 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.11.
376 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
377 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
379 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
380 being accused of plagiarism:
382 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
383 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
384 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
385 can even read news with it!
387 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
388 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
389 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
390 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
391 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
394 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
395 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.11.
397 @heading Other related manuals
399 @item Message manual: Composing messages
400 @item Emacs-MIME: Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
401 @item Sieve: Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
402 @item PGG: @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
403 @item SASL: @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
409 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
410 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
411 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
412 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
413 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
414 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
415 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
416 * Various:: General purpose settings.
417 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
418 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
419 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation.
420 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
421 * Key Index:: Key Index.
423 Other related manuals
425 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
426 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
427 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
428 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
429 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
432 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
436 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
437 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
438 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
439 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
440 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
441 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
442 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
443 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
444 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
445 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
446 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
450 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
451 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
452 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
456 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
457 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
458 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
459 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
460 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
461 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
462 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
463 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
464 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
465 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
466 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
467 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
468 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
469 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
470 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
471 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
472 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
473 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
477 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
478 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
479 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
483 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
484 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
485 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
486 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
487 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
491 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
492 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
493 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
494 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
495 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
499 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
500 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
501 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
502 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
503 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
504 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
505 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
506 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
507 * Threading:: How threads are made.
508 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
509 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
510 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
511 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
512 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
513 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
514 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
515 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
516 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
517 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
518 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
519 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
520 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
521 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
522 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
523 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
524 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
525 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
526 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
527 or reselecting the current group.
528 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
529 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
530 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
531 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
533 Summary Buffer Format
535 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
536 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
537 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
538 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
542 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
543 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
545 Reply, Followup and Post
547 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
548 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
549 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
550 * Canceling and Superseding::
554 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
555 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
556 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
557 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
558 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
559 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
563 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
564 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
566 Customizing Threading
568 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
569 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
570 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
571 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
575 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
576 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
577 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
578 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
579 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
580 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
584 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
585 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
586 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
590 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
591 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
592 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
593 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
594 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
595 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
596 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
597 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
598 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
599 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
600 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
602 Alternative Approaches
604 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
605 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
607 Various Summary Stuff
609 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
610 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
611 * Summary Generation Commands::
612 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
616 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
617 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
618 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
619 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
620 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
624 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
625 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
626 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
627 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
628 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
629 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
630 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
631 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
632 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
636 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
637 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
638 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
639 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
640 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
641 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
642 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
643 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
644 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
648 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
649 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
650 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
651 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
652 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
653 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
654 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
658 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
659 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
663 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
664 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
665 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
666 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
670 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
671 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
672 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
673 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
674 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
675 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
676 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
677 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
678 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
679 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
680 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
681 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
682 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
686 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
687 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
688 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
690 Choosing a Mail Back End
692 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
693 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
694 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
695 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
696 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
697 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
698 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
703 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
704 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
705 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
706 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
707 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
708 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
712 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
713 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
714 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
715 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
716 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
717 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
721 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
722 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
723 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
724 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
725 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
729 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
733 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
734 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
735 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
739 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
740 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
744 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
745 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
746 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
750 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
751 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
752 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
754 The Gnus Diary Library
756 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
757 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
758 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
759 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
763 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
764 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
765 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
766 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
767 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
768 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
769 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
770 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
771 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
772 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
773 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
774 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
775 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
776 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
780 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
781 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
782 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
786 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
787 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
788 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
792 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
793 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
794 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
795 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
796 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
797 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
798 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
799 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
800 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
801 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
802 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
803 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
804 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
805 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
806 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
807 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
811 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
812 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
813 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
817 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
818 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
819 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
820 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
821 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
822 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
823 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
824 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
825 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
826 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
827 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
828 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
829 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
830 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
831 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
832 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
833 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
834 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
835 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
836 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
837 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
841 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
842 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
843 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
844 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
845 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
846 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
847 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
848 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
852 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
853 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
854 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were
856 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
857 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
861 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
862 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
863 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
864 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
868 * Spam Package Introduction::
869 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
870 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
871 * Spam and Ham Processors::
872 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
874 * Extending the Spam package::
875 * Spam Statistics Package::
877 Spam Statistics Package
879 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
880 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
881 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
885 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
886 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
887 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
888 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
889 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
890 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
891 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
892 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
893 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
897 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
898 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
899 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
900 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
901 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
902 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
903 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
904 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
905 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
909 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
910 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
911 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
912 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
913 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
914 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
915 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
919 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
920 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
921 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
922 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
926 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
927 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
928 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
929 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
930 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
931 * Group Info:: The group info format.
932 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
933 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
934 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
938 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
939 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
940 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
941 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
942 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
943 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
947 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
948 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
952 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
953 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
959 @chapter Starting Gnus
962 If you haven't used Emacs much before using Gnus, read @ref{Emacs for
967 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
968 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
969 your Emacs. If not, you should customize the variable
970 @code{gnus-select-method} as described in @ref{Finding the News}. For a
971 minimal setup for posting should also customize the variables
972 @code{user-full-name} and @code{user-mail-address}.
974 @findex gnus-other-frame
975 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
976 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
977 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
979 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
980 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
981 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
983 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
984 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
987 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
988 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
989 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
990 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
991 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
992 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
993 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
994 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
995 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
996 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
1000 @node Finding the News
1001 @section Finding the News
1002 @cindex finding news
1004 @vindex gnus-select-method
1006 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
1007 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
1008 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
1009 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
1012 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
1013 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1016 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1019 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1022 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1025 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1026 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1027 server is running Leafnode (which is a simple, standalone private news
1028 server); in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1030 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1032 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1033 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1034 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1035 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1036 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1037 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1038 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1040 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1041 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1042 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1043 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1045 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1046 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1047 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1048 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1049 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1050 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1051 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1052 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1053 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1056 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1058 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1059 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1060 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1061 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1062 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1063 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1065 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1067 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1068 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1069 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1070 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1071 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1072 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1075 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1076 you would typically set this variable to
1079 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1082 Note: the @acronym{NNTP} back end stores marks in marks files
1083 (@pxref{NNTP marks}). This feature makes it easy to share marks between
1084 several Gnus installations, but may slow down things a bit when fetching
1085 new articles. @xref{NNTP marks}, for more information.
1088 @node The First Time
1089 @section The First Time
1090 @cindex first time usage
1092 If no startup files exist (@pxref{Startup Files}), Gnus will try to
1093 determine what groups should be subscribed by default.
1095 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1096 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1097 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1098 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1101 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1102 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1103 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1105 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1106 help you with most common problems.
1108 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1109 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1113 @node The Server is Down
1114 @section The Server is Down
1115 @cindex server errors
1117 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1118 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1119 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1121 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1122 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1123 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1124 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1125 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1126 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1127 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1129 @findex gnus-no-server
1130 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1132 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1133 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1134 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1135 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1136 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1137 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1138 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1142 @section Slave Gnusae
1145 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1146 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1147 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1148 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1150 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1151 @file{.newsrc} file.
1153 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1154 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1155 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1156 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1157 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1158 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1159 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1162 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1163 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1164 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1165 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1166 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1167 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1168 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1169 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1171 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1172 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1174 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1175 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1176 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1177 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1178 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1185 @cindex subscription
1187 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1188 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1189 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1190 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1191 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1192 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1193 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1194 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1195 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1198 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1199 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1200 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1204 @node Checking New Groups
1205 @subsection Checking New Groups
1207 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1208 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1209 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1210 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1211 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1212 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1213 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1214 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1215 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1216 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1218 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1219 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1220 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1221 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1222 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1223 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1224 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1225 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1226 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1227 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1228 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1230 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1231 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1232 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1233 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1234 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1235 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1238 @node Subscription Methods
1239 @subsection Subscription Methods
1241 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1242 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1243 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1245 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1246 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1248 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1252 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1253 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1254 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1255 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1256 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1258 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1259 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1260 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1261 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1263 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1264 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1265 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1267 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1268 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1269 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1270 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1271 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1272 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1273 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1274 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1275 up. Or something like that.
1277 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1278 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1279 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1280 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1281 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1283 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1284 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1285 Kill all new groups.
1287 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1288 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1289 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1290 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1291 topic parameter that looks like
1297 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1300 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1305 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1306 A closely related variable is
1307 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1308 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1309 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1310 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1313 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1314 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1315 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1316 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1319 @node Filtering New Groups
1320 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1322 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1323 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1324 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1327 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1330 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1331 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1332 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1333 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1334 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1335 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1336 subscribing these groups.
1337 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1338 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1340 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1341 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1342 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1343 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1344 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1345 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1346 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1347 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1349 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1350 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1351 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1352 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1353 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1354 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1355 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1356 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1357 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1358 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1361 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1362 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1365 @node Changing Servers
1366 @section Changing Servers
1367 @cindex changing servers
1369 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1370 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1371 very flaky and you want to use another.
1373 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1374 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1378 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1379 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1380 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1381 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1384 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1385 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1386 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1387 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1389 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1390 @findex gnus-change-server
1391 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1392 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1393 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1394 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1395 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1397 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1398 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1399 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1400 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1401 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1403 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1404 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1405 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1406 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1407 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1408 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1410 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1411 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1412 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1413 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1415 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1416 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1417 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1418 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1419 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1420 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1421 cache for all groups).
1425 @section Startup Files
1426 @cindex startup files
1431 Most common Unix news readers use a shared startup file called
1432 @file{.newsrc}. This file contains all the information about what
1433 groups are subscribed, and which articles in these groups have been
1436 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1437 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1438 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1439 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1440 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1441 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1442 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1444 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1445 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1446 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1447 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1448 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1449 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1451 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1452 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1453 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1454 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1455 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1456 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1457 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1458 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1459 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which can be
1460 convenient if you use a different news reader occasionally, and you
1461 want to read a different subset of the available groups with that
1464 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1465 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1466 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1467 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1468 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1469 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1470 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1471 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1472 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1473 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1474 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1475 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1477 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1478 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1479 @vindex version-control
1480 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1481 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1482 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1483 If you want version control for this file, set
1484 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1485 @code{version-control} variable.
1487 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1488 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1489 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1490 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1491 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1492 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1493 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1494 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1495 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1496 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1499 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1500 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1502 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1503 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1506 @vindex gnus-init-file
1507 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1508 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1509 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus-init} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1510 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1511 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1512 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1513 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1514 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1515 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1516 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). If Emacs was invoked with
1517 the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial
1518 Options, ,Initial Options, emacs, The Emacs Manual}), Gnus doesn't read
1519 @code{gnus-init-file}.
1524 @cindex dribble file
1527 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1528 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1529 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1530 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1531 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1534 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1535 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1538 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1539 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1540 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1542 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1543 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1544 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1545 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1546 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1547 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1549 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1550 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1551 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1554 @node The Active File
1555 @section The Active File
1557 @cindex ignored groups
1559 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1560 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1561 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1563 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1564 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1565 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1566 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1567 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1568 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1569 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1572 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1573 @c if you set it to anything else.
1575 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1577 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1578 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1579 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1581 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1582 you actually subscribe to.
1584 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1585 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1586 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1587 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1589 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1590 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1591 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1592 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1593 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1594 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1596 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1597 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1598 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1601 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1602 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1603 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1604 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1605 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1606 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1608 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1609 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1611 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1612 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1614 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1615 secondary select methods.
1618 @node Startup Variables
1619 @section Startup Variables
1623 @item gnus-load-hook
1624 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1625 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1626 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1627 times you start Gnus.
1629 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1630 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1631 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1633 @item gnus-startup-hook
1634 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1635 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1637 @item gnus-started-hook
1638 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1639 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1642 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1643 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1644 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1645 generating the group buffer.
1647 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1648 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1649 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1650 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1651 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1652 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1653 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1654 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1656 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1657 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1658 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1659 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1660 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1661 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1663 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1664 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1665 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1667 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1668 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1669 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1671 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1672 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1673 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1674 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1680 @chapter Group Buffer
1681 @cindex group buffer
1683 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1685 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1686 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1687 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1688 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1689 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1690 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1691 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1692 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1693 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1694 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1695 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1696 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1697 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1698 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1699 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1700 @c human rights at 9...
1703 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1704 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1705 long as Gnus is active.
1709 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1710 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1711 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1712 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1713 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1714 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1715 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1716 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1722 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1723 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1724 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1725 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1726 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1727 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1728 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1729 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1730 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1731 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1732 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1733 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1734 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1735 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1736 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1737 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1738 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
1739 * Searching:: Mail search engines.
1740 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1744 @node Group Buffer Format
1745 @section Group Buffer Format
1748 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1749 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1750 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1753 You can customize the Group Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
1754 customize-apropos RET gnus-group-tool-bar}. This feature is only
1757 The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly depending on the
1758 cursor position. Therefore, moving around in the Group Buffer is
1759 slower. You can disable this via the variable
1760 @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}. Its default value depends on your
1763 @node Group Line Specification
1764 @subsection Group Line Specification
1765 @cindex group buffer format
1767 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1768 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1770 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1773 25: news.announce.newusers
1774 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1779 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1780 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1781 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1782 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1784 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1785 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1786 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1787 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1788 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1789 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1791 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1793 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1794 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1795 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1796 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1797 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1799 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1800 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1801 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1803 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1808 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1811 Whether the group is subscribed.
1814 Level of subscribedness.
1817 Number of unread articles.
1820 Number of dormant articles.
1823 Number of ticked articles.
1826 Number of read articles.
1829 Number of unseen articles.
1832 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1833 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1835 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1836 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1837 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1838 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1839 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1840 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1841 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job.
1843 The nnml backend (@pxref{Mail Spool}) has a feature called ``group
1844 compaction'' which circumvents this deficiency: the idea is to
1845 renumber all articles from 1, removing all gaps between numbers, hence
1846 getting a correct total count. Other backends may support this in the
1847 future. In order to keep your total article count relatively up to
1848 date, you might want to compact your groups (or even directly your
1849 server) from time to time. @xref{Misc Group Stuff}, @xref{Server Commands}.
1852 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1855 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1864 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1865 comment element in the group parameters.
1868 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1869 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1870 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1874 @samp{m} if moderated.
1877 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1883 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1889 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1893 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1896 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1897 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1898 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1899 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1900 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1903 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1905 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1909 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1912 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1916 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1917 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1918 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1919 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1922 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1923 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1924 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1925 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1926 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1927 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1932 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1933 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1934 group, or a bogus native group.
1937 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1938 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1939 @cindex group mode line
1941 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1942 The mode line can be changed by setting
1943 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1944 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1948 The native news server.
1950 The native select method.
1954 @node Group Highlighting
1955 @subsection Group Highlighting
1956 @cindex highlighting
1957 @cindex group highlighting
1959 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1960 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1961 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1962 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1963 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1965 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1969 (cond (window-system
1970 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1971 (defface my-group-face-1
1972 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1973 (defface my-group-face-2
1974 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1975 "Second group face")
1976 (defface my-group-face-3
1977 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1978 (defface my-group-face-4
1979 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1980 (defface my-group-face-5
1981 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1983 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1984 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1985 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1986 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1987 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1988 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1991 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1993 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
2000 The number of unread articles in the group.
2004 Whether the group is a mail group.
2006 The level of the group.
2008 The score of the group.
2010 The number of ticked articles in the group.
2012 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
2013 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
2015 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
2016 topic being inserted.
2019 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
2020 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
2021 functions for snarfing info on the group.
2023 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
2024 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
2025 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
2026 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
2027 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
2030 @node Group Maneuvering
2031 @section Group Maneuvering
2032 @cindex group movement
2034 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2035 expected, hopefully.
2041 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2042 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2043 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2049 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2050 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2051 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2055 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2056 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2060 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2061 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2065 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2066 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2067 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2071 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2072 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2073 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2076 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2082 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2083 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2084 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2089 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2090 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2091 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2095 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2096 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2097 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2100 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2101 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2102 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2103 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2106 @vindex gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit
2107 If @code{gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit} is @code{t}, when a summary is
2108 exited, the point in the group buffer is moved to the next unread group.
2109 Otherwise, the point is set to the group just exited. The default is
2112 @node Selecting a Group
2113 @section Selecting a Group
2114 @cindex group selection
2119 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2120 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2121 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2122 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2123 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2124 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2125 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2126 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2127 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2128 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2130 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2131 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2132 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2134 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2135 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2140 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2141 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2142 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2143 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2144 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2148 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2149 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2150 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2151 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2152 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2153 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2154 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2155 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2156 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2157 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2160 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2161 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2162 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2163 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2164 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2167 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2168 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2169 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2170 doing any processing of its contents
2171 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2172 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2173 manner will have no permanent effects.
2177 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2178 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2179 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2180 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2181 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2182 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2183 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2184 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2185 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2186 most recently will be fetched.
2188 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2189 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2190 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2193 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles
2194 In groups in some news servers, there might be a big gap between a few
2195 very old articles that will never be expired and the recent ones. In
2196 such a case, the server will return the data like @code{(1 . 30000000)}
2197 for the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, for example. Even if there
2198 are actually only the articles 1-10 and 29999900-30000000, Gnus doesn't
2199 know it at first and prepares for getting 30000000 articles. However,
2200 it will consume hundreds megabytes of memories and might make Emacs get
2201 stuck as the case may be. If you use such news servers, set the
2202 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} to a positive number.
2203 The value means that Gnus ignores articles other than this number of the
2204 latest ones in every group. For instance, the value 10000 makes Gnus
2205 get only the articles 29990001-30000000 (if the latest article number is
2206 30000000 in a group). Note that setting this variable to a number might
2207 prevent you from reading very old articles. The default value of the
2208 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} is @code{nil}, which
2209 means Gnus never ignores old articles.
2211 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2212 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2213 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2214 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2215 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2216 Which article this is is controlled by the
2217 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2223 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2226 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2229 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2231 @item unseen-or-unread
2232 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2233 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2237 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2241 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2242 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2244 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2245 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2246 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2247 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2251 @node Subscription Commands
2252 @section Subscription Commands
2253 @cindex subscription
2261 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2262 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2263 Toggle subscription to the current group
2264 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2270 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2271 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2272 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2273 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2279 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2280 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2281 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2287 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2288 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2291 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2292 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2293 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2294 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2295 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2301 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2302 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2306 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2307 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2310 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2311 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2312 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2313 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2314 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2315 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2316 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2317 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2318 @file{.newsrc} file.
2322 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2332 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2333 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2334 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2335 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2336 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2337 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2342 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2343 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2344 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2348 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2349 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2350 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2352 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2353 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2354 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2355 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2356 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2357 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2364 @section Group Levels
2368 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2369 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2370 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2371 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2372 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2374 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2380 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2381 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2382 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2383 prompted for a level.
2386 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2387 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2388 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2389 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2390 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2391 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2392 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2393 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2394 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2395 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2396 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2397 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2398 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2399 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2400 reasons of efficiency.
2402 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2403 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2405 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2406 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2407 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2408 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2409 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2410 groups are hidden, in a way.
2412 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2413 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2414 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2415 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2416 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2417 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2419 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2420 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2421 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2422 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2423 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2424 list of killed groups.)
2426 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2427 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2428 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2430 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2431 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2432 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2433 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2434 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2435 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2436 relevant valid ranges.
2438 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2439 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2440 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2441 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2442 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2443 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2446 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2447 one with the best level.
2449 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2450 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2451 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2454 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2455 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2456 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2457 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2460 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2461 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2462 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2463 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2465 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2466 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2467 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2468 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2469 to 5. The default is 6.
2473 @section Group Score
2478 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2479 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2480 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2483 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2484 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2485 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2486 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2487 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2488 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2489 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2490 least significant part.))
2492 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2493 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2494 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2495 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2496 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2497 action after each summary exit, you can add
2498 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2499 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2500 slow things down somewhat.
2503 @node Marking Groups
2504 @section Marking Groups
2505 @cindex marking groups
2507 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2508 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2509 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2510 bidding on those groups.
2512 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2513 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2514 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2522 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2523 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2529 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2530 Remove the mark from the current group
2531 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2535 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2536 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2540 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2541 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2545 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2546 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2550 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2551 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2552 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2555 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2557 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2558 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2559 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2560 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2561 the command to be executed.
2564 @node Foreign Groups
2565 @section Foreign Groups
2566 @cindex foreign groups
2568 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2569 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2570 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2571 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2574 Changes from the group editing commands are stored in
2575 @file{~/.newsrc.eld} (@code{gnus-startup-file}). An alternative is the
2576 variable @code{gnus-parameters}, @xref{Group Parameters}.
2582 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2583 @cindex making groups
2584 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2585 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2586 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2590 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2591 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2592 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2596 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2597 @cindex renaming groups
2598 Rename the current group to something else
2599 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2600 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2606 @findex gnus-group-customize
2607 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2611 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2612 @cindex renaming groups
2613 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2614 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2618 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2619 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2620 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2624 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2625 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2626 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2630 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2632 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2633 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2638 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2639 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2643 @cindex (ding) archive
2644 @cindex archive group
2645 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2646 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2647 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2648 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2649 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2650 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2651 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2655 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2657 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2658 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2659 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2660 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2664 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2666 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2667 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2668 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2672 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2673 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2675 Make a group based on some file or other
2676 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2677 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2678 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2679 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2680 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2681 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2682 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2683 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2684 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2688 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2689 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2690 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2691 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2695 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2699 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2700 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2701 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2702 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2703 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2704 @xref{Web Searches}.
2706 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2707 to a particular group by using a match string like
2708 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2712 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2713 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2714 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2718 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2719 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2720 This function will delete the current group
2721 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2722 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2723 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2724 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2725 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2729 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2730 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2731 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2735 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2736 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2737 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2740 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2743 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2744 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2745 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2746 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2747 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2748 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2752 The following commands create ephemeral groups. They can be called not
2753 only from the Group buffer, but in any Gnus buffer.
2756 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group
2757 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group
2758 @vindex gnus-gmane-group-download-format
2759 Read an ephemeral group on Gmane.org. The articles are downloaded via
2760 HTTP using the URL specified by @code{gnus-gmane-group-download-format}.
2761 Gnus will prompt you for a group name, the start article number and an
2764 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group-url
2765 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group-url
2766 This command is similar to @code{gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group}, but
2767 the group name and the article number and range are constructed from a
2768 given @acronym{URL}. Supported @acronym{URL} formats include e.g.
2769 @url{http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12300/focus=12399},
2770 @url{http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/},
2771 @url{http://article.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/},
2772 @url{http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/}, and
2773 @url{http://news.gmane.org/group/gmane.foo.bar/thread=12345}.
2775 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group
2776 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group
2777 Read an Emacs bug report in an ephemeral group. Gnus will prompt for a
2778 bug number. The default is the number at point. The @acronym{URL} is
2779 specified in @code{gnus-bug-group-download-format-alist}.
2781 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-debian-bug-group
2782 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-debian-bug-group
2783 Read a Debian bug report in an ephemeral group. Analog to
2784 @code{gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group}.
2787 Some of these command are also useful for article buttons, @xref{Article
2795 '("#\\([0-9]+\\)\\>" 1
2796 (string-match "\\<emacs\\>" (or gnus-newsgroup-name ""))
2797 gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group 1))
2801 @node Group Parameters
2802 @section Group Parameters
2803 @cindex group parameters
2805 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2807 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2808 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2809 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2810 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2811 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2812 Additionally, you can set group parameters via the
2813 @code{gnus-parameters} variable, see below.
2815 Here's an example group parameter list:
2818 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2822 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2823 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2824 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2825 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2827 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2828 is an alist of regexps and values.
2830 The following group parameters can be used:
2835 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2838 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2841 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2842 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2843 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2844 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2845 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2847 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2848 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2849 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2850 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2851 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2852 list address instead.
2854 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2858 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2861 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2864 It is totally ignored
2865 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2866 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2868 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2869 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2870 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2871 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2872 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2874 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2875 @cindex mail list groups
2876 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2877 entering summary buffer.
2879 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2884 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2885 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2886 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2887 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2888 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2889 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2890 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2891 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2894 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2895 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2898 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2899 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2903 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2904 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2905 of whether it has any unread articles.
2907 This parameter cannot be set via @code{gnus-parameters}. See
2908 @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.
2910 @item broken-reply-to
2911 @cindex broken-reply-to
2912 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2913 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2914 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2915 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2916 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2917 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2921 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2922 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2926 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2927 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2928 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2933 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2934 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2935 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2936 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2937 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2938 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2939 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2941 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2942 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2943 doesn't accept articles.
2947 @cindex expiring mail
2948 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2949 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2950 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2952 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2955 @cindex total-expire
2956 @cindex expiring mail
2957 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2958 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2959 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2960 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2963 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2967 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2968 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2969 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2970 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2971 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2972 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2973 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2976 @cindex expiry-target
2977 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2978 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2981 @cindex score file group parameter
2982 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2983 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2984 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2987 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2988 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2989 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2990 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2993 @cindex admin-address
2994 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2995 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2996 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2997 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
3001 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
3002 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
3006 Display all articles, both read and unread.
3009 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
3010 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
3013 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
3017 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
3019 Here are some examples:
3023 Display only unread articles.
3026 Display everything except expirable articles.
3028 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
3029 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
3033 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
3034 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
3035 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
3036 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
3037 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
3041 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
3042 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
3043 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
3047 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
3048 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
3049 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
3053 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
3054 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
3055 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
3057 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
3059 @item ignored-charsets
3060 @cindex ignored-charset
3061 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
3062 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
3063 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
3065 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
3068 @cindex posting-style
3069 You can store additional posting style information for this group
3070 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
3071 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
3072 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
3073 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
3075 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
3076 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
3077 like this in the group parameters:
3082 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
3083 (signature "Funky Signature"))
3086 If you're using topics to organize your group buffer
3087 (@pxref{Group Topics}), note that posting styles can also be set in
3088 the topics parameters. Posting styles in topic parameters apply to all
3089 groups in this topic. More precisely, the posting-style settings for a
3090 group result from the hierarchical merging of all posting-style
3091 entries in the parameters of this group and all the topics it belongs
3097 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
3098 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
3102 If it is set, and the setting of @code{mail-sources} includes a
3103 @code{group} mail source (@pxref{Mail Sources}), the value is a
3104 mail source for this group.
3108 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
3109 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
3110 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
3111 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
3112 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
3116 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
3117 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
3118 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
3119 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
3121 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
3122 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
3123 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
3124 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
3127 if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
3128 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3132 To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
3133 like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
3134 When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
3135 like the following is generated:
3138 if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
3139 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3143 See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
3144 interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
3146 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3147 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3149 @item (agent parameters)
3150 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
3151 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3152 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3153 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3154 minimize the configuration effort.
3156 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3157 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3158 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3159 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3160 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3161 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3162 @code{eval}ed there.
3164 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
3165 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3166 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3167 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3168 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3169 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3170 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3171 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3174 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3177 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3178 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3179 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3182 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3185 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3186 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3187 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3188 into the group parameters for the group.
3190 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3191 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3192 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group.
3193 @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the (meaningless) result of the
3196 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3197 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3198 following is added to a group parameter
3201 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3202 '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3205 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3210 @vindex gnus-parameters
3211 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3212 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect (For this
3213 case see @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.).
3217 (setq gnus-parameters
3219 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3220 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3221 (gnus-summary-line-format
3222 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3226 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3230 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3234 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3237 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3238 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3240 @vindex gnus-parameters-case-fold-search
3241 By default, whether comparing the group name and one of those regexps
3242 specified in @code{gnus-parameters} is done in a case-sensitive manner
3243 or a case-insensitive manner depends on the value of
3244 @code{case-fold-search} at the time when the comparison is done. The
3245 value of @code{case-fold-search} is typically @code{t}; it means, for
3246 example, the element @code{("INBOX\\.FOO" (total-expire . t))} might be
3247 applied to both the @samp{INBOX.FOO} group and the @samp{INBOX.foo}
3248 group. If you want to make those regexps always case-sensitive, set the
3249 value of the @code{gnus-parameters-case-fold-search} variable to
3250 @code{nil}. Otherwise, set it to @code{t} if you want to compare them
3251 always in a case-insensitive manner.
3253 You can define different sorting to different groups via
3254 @code{gnus-parameters}. Here is an example to sort an @acronym{NNTP}
3255 group by reverse date to see the latest news at the top and an
3256 @acronym{RSS} group by subject. In this example, the first group is the
3257 Debian daily news group @code{gmane.linux.debian.user.news} from
3258 news.gmane.org. The @acronym{RSS} group corresponds to the Debian
3259 weekly news RSS feed
3260 @url{http://packages.debian.org/unstable/newpkg_main.en.rdf},
3266 '(("nntp.*gmane\\.debian\\.user\\.news"
3267 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3268 (gnus-article-sort-functions '((not gnus-article-sort-by-date)))
3269 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3270 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
3272 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3273 (gnus-article-sort-functions 'gnus-article-sort-by-subject)
3274 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3275 (gnus-use-scoring t)
3276 (gnus-score-find-score-files-function 'gnus-score-find-single)
3277 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%d %I%(%[ %s %]%)\n"))))
3281 @node Listing Groups
3282 @section Listing Groups
3283 @cindex group listing
3285 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3293 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3294 List all groups that have unread articles
3295 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3296 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3297 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3298 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3305 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3306 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3307 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3308 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3309 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3310 unsubscribed groups).
3314 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3315 List all unread groups on a specific level
3316 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3317 with no unread articles.
3321 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3322 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3323 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3324 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3329 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3330 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3334 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3335 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3336 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3340 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3341 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3345 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3346 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3347 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3348 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3349 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3350 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3351 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3352 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3356 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3357 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3358 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3362 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3363 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3364 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3368 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3369 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3373 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3374 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3378 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3379 List groups limited within the current selection
3380 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3384 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3385 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3389 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3390 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3394 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3395 @cindex visible group parameter
3396 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3397 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3398 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3399 get the same effect.
3401 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3402 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3403 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3404 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3405 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3408 @node Sorting Groups
3409 @section Sorting Groups
3410 @cindex sorting groups
3412 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3413 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3414 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3415 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3416 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3417 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3422 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3423 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3424 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3426 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3427 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3428 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3430 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3431 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3432 Sort by group level.
3434 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3435 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3436 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3438 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3439 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3440 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3441 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3443 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3444 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3445 Sort by number of unread articles.
3447 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3448 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3449 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3451 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3452 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3453 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3458 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3459 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3463 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3464 some sorting criteria:
3468 @kindex G S a (Group)
3469 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3470 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3471 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3474 @kindex G S u (Group)
3475 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3476 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3477 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3480 @kindex G S l (Group)
3481 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3482 Sort the group buffer by group level
3483 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3486 @kindex G S v (Group)
3487 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3488 Sort the group buffer by group score
3489 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3492 @kindex G S r (Group)
3493 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3494 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3495 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3498 @kindex G S m (Group)
3499 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3500 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3501 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3504 @kindex G S n (Group)
3505 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3506 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3507 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3511 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3512 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3514 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3515 commands will sort in reverse order.
3517 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3521 @kindex G P a (Group)
3522 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3523 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3524 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3527 @kindex G P u (Group)
3528 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3529 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3530 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3533 @kindex G P l (Group)
3534 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3535 Sort the groups by group level
3536 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3539 @kindex G P v (Group)
3540 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3541 Sort the groups by group score
3542 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3545 @kindex G P r (Group)
3546 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3547 Sort the groups by group rank
3548 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3551 @kindex G P m (Group)
3552 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3553 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3554 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3557 @kindex G P n (Group)
3558 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3559 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3560 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3563 @kindex G P s (Group)
3564 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3565 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3569 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3573 @node Group Maintenance
3574 @section Group Maintenance
3575 @cindex bogus groups
3580 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3581 Find bogus groups and delete them
3582 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3586 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3587 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3588 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3589 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3590 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3594 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3595 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3596 @cindex expiring mail
3597 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3598 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3599 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3600 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3603 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3604 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3605 @cindex expiring mail
3606 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3607 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3612 @node Browse Foreign Server
3613 @section Browse Foreign Server
3614 @cindex foreign servers
3615 @cindex browsing servers
3620 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3621 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3622 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3623 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3626 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3627 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3628 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3629 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3631 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3636 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3637 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3641 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3642 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3645 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3646 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3647 Enter the current group and display the first article
3648 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3651 @kindex RET (Browse)
3652 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3653 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3657 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3658 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3659 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3665 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3666 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3670 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3671 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3675 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3676 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3677 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3682 @section Exiting Gnus
3683 @cindex exiting Gnus
3685 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3690 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3691 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3692 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3693 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3697 @findex gnus-group-exit
3698 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3699 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3703 @findex gnus-group-quit
3704 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3705 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3708 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3709 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3710 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3711 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3712 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3713 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3719 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3720 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3721 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3727 @section Group Topics
3730 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3731 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3732 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3733 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3734 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3735 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3739 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3740 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3751 2: alt.religion.emacs
3754 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3756 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3757 13: comp.sources.unix
3760 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3762 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3763 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3764 is a toggling command.)
3766 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3767 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3768 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3769 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3772 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3773 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3774 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3777 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3781 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3782 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3783 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3784 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3785 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3789 @node Topic Commands
3790 @subsection Topic Commands
3791 @cindex topic commands
3793 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3794 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3795 definitions slightly.
3797 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3798 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3799 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3800 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3801 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3802 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3804 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3811 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3812 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3813 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3817 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3819 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3820 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3821 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3822 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3825 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3826 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3827 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3828 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3832 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3833 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3834 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3835 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3841 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3842 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3843 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3847 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3848 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3849 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3852 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3853 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3854 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3855 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3856 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3858 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3859 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3863 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3864 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3871 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3873 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3874 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3875 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3876 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3877 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3878 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3882 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3888 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3889 Move the current group to some other topic
3890 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3891 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3895 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3896 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3900 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3901 Copy the current group to some other topic
3902 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3903 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3907 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3908 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3909 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3913 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3914 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3915 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3919 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3920 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3921 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3922 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3923 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3924 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3925 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3928 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3929 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3933 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3934 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3935 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3939 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3940 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3941 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3945 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3946 Toggle hiding empty topics
3947 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3951 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3952 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3953 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3954 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3957 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3958 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3959 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3960 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3961 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3964 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3965 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3966 @cindex expiring mail
3967 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3968 expiry process (if any)
3969 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3973 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3974 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3977 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3978 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3979 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3983 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3984 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3985 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3988 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3989 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3990 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3993 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3994 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3995 Go to the previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3999 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
4000 @cindex group parameters
4001 @cindex topic parameters
4003 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
4004 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
4009 @node Topic Variables
4010 @subsection Topic Variables
4011 @cindex topic variables
4013 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
4014 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
4016 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
4017 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
4018 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4031 Number of groups in the topic.
4033 Number of unread articles in the topic.
4035 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
4038 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
4039 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
4040 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
4043 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
4044 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
4046 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
4047 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
4048 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
4052 @subsection Topic Sorting
4053 @cindex topic sorting
4055 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
4061 @kindex T S a (Topic)
4062 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
4063 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
4064 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
4067 @kindex T S u (Topic)
4068 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
4069 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
4070 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
4073 @kindex T S l (Topic)
4074 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
4075 Sort the current topic by group level
4076 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
4079 @kindex T S v (Topic)
4080 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
4081 Sort the current topic by group score
4082 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
4085 @kindex T S r (Topic)
4086 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
4087 Sort the current topic by group rank
4088 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
4091 @kindex T S m (Topic)
4092 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
4093 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
4094 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
4097 @kindex T S e (Topic)
4098 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
4099 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
4100 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
4103 @kindex T S s (Topic)
4104 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
4105 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
4106 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
4107 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
4111 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
4112 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
4116 @node Topic Topology
4117 @subsection Topic Topology
4118 @cindex topic topology
4121 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
4128 2: alt.religion.emacs
4131 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4133 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4134 13: comp.sources.unix
4138 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
4139 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
4140 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
4145 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
4146 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
4150 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
4151 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
4152 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
4153 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
4154 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
4155 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
4157 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
4158 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
4159 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
4162 @node Topic Parameters
4163 @subsection Topic Parameters
4164 @cindex topic parameters
4166 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
4167 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
4168 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
4169 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
4170 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
4172 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
4177 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
4178 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
4179 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
4182 @item subscribe-level
4183 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4184 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4185 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4189 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4190 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4191 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4192 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4199 2: alt.religion.emacs
4203 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4205 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4206 13: comp.sources.unix
4211 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4212 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4213 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4214 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4215 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4216 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4218 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4219 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4220 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4221 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4222 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4224 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4225 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4226 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4227 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4228 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4229 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4230 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4231 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4234 @node Non-ASCII Group Names
4235 @section Accessing groups of non-English names
4236 @cindex non-ascii group names
4238 There are some news servers that provide groups of which the names are
4239 expressed with their native languages in the world. For instance, in a
4240 certain news server there are some newsgroups of which the names are
4241 spelled in Chinese, where people are talking in Chinese. You can, of
4242 course, subscribe to such news groups using Gnus. Currently Gnus
4243 supports non-@acronym{ASCII} group names not only with the @code{nntp}
4244 back end but also with the @code{nnml} back end and the @code{nnrss}
4247 Every such group name is encoded by a certain charset in the server
4248 side (in an @acronym{NNTP} server its administrator determines the
4249 charset, but for groups in the other back ends it is determined by you).
4250 Gnus has to display the decoded ones for you in the group buffer and the
4251 article buffer, and needs to use the encoded ones when communicating
4252 with servers. However, Gnus doesn't know what charset is used for each
4253 non-@acronym{ASCII} group name. The following two variables are just
4254 the ones for telling Gnus what charset should be used for each group:
4257 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4258 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4259 An alist of select methods and charsets. The default value is
4260 @code{nil}. The names of groups in the server specified by that select
4261 method are all supposed to use the corresponding charset. For example:
4264 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4265 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4268 Charsets specified for groups with this variable are preferred to the
4269 ones specified for the same groups with the
4270 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} variable (see below).
4272 A select method can be very long, like:
4276 (nntp-address "news.gmane.org")
4277 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
4278 (nntp-open-connection-function
4279 nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
4280 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
4281 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
4282 ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
4283 (nntp-via-address @dots{}))
4286 In that case, you can truncate it into @code{(nntp "gmane")} in this
4287 variable. That is, it is enough to contain only the back end name and
4290 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4291 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4292 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4293 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
4294 @code{((".*" . utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported,
4295 otherwise the default is @code{nil}. For example:
4298 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4299 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)
4303 Note that this variable is ignored if the match is made with
4304 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist}.
4307 Those two variables are used also to determine the charset for encoding
4308 and decoding non-@acronym{ASCII} group names that are in the back ends
4309 other than @code{nntp}. It means that it is you who determine it. If
4310 you do nothing, the charset used for group names in those back ends will
4311 all be @code{utf-8} because of the last element of
4312 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4314 There is one more important variable for non-@acronym{ASCII} group
4315 names. @emph{XEmacs users must set this}. Emacs users necessarily need
4319 @item nnmail-pathname-coding-system
4320 The value of this variable should be a coding system or @code{nil}
4321 (which is the default). The @code{nnml} back end, the @code{nnrss} back
4322 end, the @acronym{NNTP} marks feature (@pxref{NNTP marks}), the agent,
4323 and the cache use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names in those files and
4324 directories. This variable overrides the value of
4325 @code{file-name-coding-system} which specifies the coding system used
4326 when encoding and decoding those file names and directory names.
4328 In XEmacs (with the @code{mule} feature), @code{file-name-coding-system}
4329 is the only means to specify the coding system used to encode and decode
4330 file names. Therefore, @emph{you, XEmacs users, have to set it} to the
4331 coding system that is suitable to encode and decode non-@acronym{ASCII}
4332 group names. On the other hand, Emacs uses the value of
4333 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} if @code{file-name-coding-system}
4334 is @code{nil}. Normally the value of
4335 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} is initialized according to the
4336 locale, so you will need to do nothing if the value is suitable to
4337 encode and decode non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4339 The value of this variable (or @code{default-file-name-coding-system})
4340 does not necessarily need to be the same value that is determined by
4341 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} and
4342 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4344 If you want to subscribe to the groups spelled in Chinese but
4345 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} is initialized by default to
4346 @code{iso-latin-1} for example, that is the most typical case where you
4347 have to set @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} even if you are an
4348 Emacs user. The @code{utf-8} coding system is a good candidate for it.
4349 Otherwise, you may change the locale in your system so that
4350 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} may be initialized to an
4351 appropriate value, instead of specifying this variable.
4354 Note that when you copy or move articles from a non-@acronym{ASCII}
4355 group to another group, the charset used to encode and decode group
4356 names should be the same in both groups. Otherwise the Newsgroups
4357 header will be displayed incorrectly in the article buffer.
4364 * nnir:: Searching on IMAP, with swish, namazu, etc.
4365 * nnmairix:: Searching maildir, MH or mbox with Mairix.
4370 FIXME: This node is a stub.
4372 FIXME: Add a brief overview of Gnus search capabilities. A brief
4373 comparison of nnir, nnmairix, contrib/gnus-namazu would be nice
4376 FIXME: Explain difference to @ref{Searching for Articles}, add reference
4382 FIXME: As a first step, convert the commentary of @file{nnir} to texi.
4386 @subsection nnmairix
4390 This paragraph describes how to set up mairix and the back end
4391 @code{nnmairix} for indexing and searching your mail from within
4392 Gnus. Additionally, you can create permanent ``smart'' groups which are
4393 bound to mairix searches and are automatically updated.
4396 * About mairix:: About the mairix mail search engine
4397 * nnmairix requirements:: What you will need for using nnmairix
4398 * What nnmairix does:: What does nnmairix actually do?
4399 * Setting up mairix:: Set up your mairix installation
4400 * Configuring nnmairix:: Set up the nnmairix back end
4401 * nnmairix keyboard shortcuts:: List of available keyboard shortcuts
4402 * Propagating marks:: How to propagate marks from nnmairix groups
4403 * nnmairix tips and tricks:: Some tips, tricks and examples
4404 * nnmairix caveats:: Some more stuff you might want to know
4407 @c FIXME: The markup in this section might need improvement.
4408 @c E.g. adding @samp, @var, @file, @command, etc.
4409 @c Cf. (info "(texinfo)Indicating")
4412 @subsubsection About mairix
4414 Mairix is a tool for indexing and searching words in locally stored
4415 mail. It was written by Richard Curnow and is licensed under the
4416 GPL. Mairix comes with most popular GNU/Linux distributions, but it also
4417 runs under Windows (with cygwin), Mac OS X and Solaris. The homepage can
4419 @uref{http://www.rpcurnow.force9.co.uk/mairix/index.html}
4421 Though mairix might not be as flexible as other search tools like
4422 swish++ or namazu, which you can use via the @code{nnir} back end, it
4423 has the prime advantage of being incredibly fast. On current systems, it
4424 can easily search through headers and message bodies of thousands and
4425 thousands of mails in well under a second. Building the database
4426 necessary for searching might take a minute or two, but only has to be
4427 done once fully. Afterwards, the updates are done incrementally and
4428 therefore are really fast, too. Additionally, mairix is very easy to set
4431 For maximum speed though, mairix should be used with mails stored in
4432 @code{Maildir} or @code{MH} format (this includes the @code{nnml} back
4433 end), although it also works with mbox. Mairix presents the search
4434 results by populating a @emph{virtual} maildir/MH folder with symlinks
4435 which point to the ``real'' message files (if mbox is used, copies are
4436 made). Since mairix already presents search results in such a virtual
4437 mail folder, it is very well suited for using it as an external program
4438 for creating @emph{smart} mail folders, which represent certain mail
4439 searches. This is similar to a Kiboze group (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}),
4442 @node nnmairix requirements
4443 @subsubsection nnmairix requirements
4445 Mairix searches local mail---that means, mairix absolutely must have
4446 direct access to your mail folders. If your mail resides on another
4447 server (e.g. an @acronym{IMAP} server) and you happen to have shell
4448 access, @code{nnmairix} supports running mairix remotely, e.g. via ssh.
4450 Additionally, @code{nnmairix} only supports the following Gnus back
4451 ends: @code{nnml}, @code{nnmaildir}, and @code{nnimap}. You must use
4452 one of these back ends for using @code{nnmairix}. Other back ends, like
4453 @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnfolder} or @code{nnmh}, won't work.
4455 If you absolutely must use mbox and still want to use @code{nnmairix},
4456 you can set up a local @acronym{IMAP} server, which you then access via
4457 @code{nnimap}. This is a rather massive setup for accessing some mbox
4458 files, so just change to MH or Maildir already...
4460 @node What nnmairix does
4461 @subsubsection What nnmairix does
4463 The back end @code{nnmairix} enables you to call mairix from within Gnus,
4464 either to query mairix with a search term or to update the
4465 database. While visiting a message in the summary buffer, you can use
4466 several pre-defined shortcuts for calling mairix, e.g. to quickly
4467 search for all mails from the sender of the current message or to
4468 display the whole thread associated with the message, even if the
4469 mails are in different folders.
4471 Additionally, you can create permanent @code{nnmairix} groups which are bound
4472 to certain mairix searches. This way, you can easily create a group
4473 containing mails from a certain sender, with a certain subject line or
4474 even for one specific thread based on the Message-ID. If you check for
4475 new mail in these folders (e.g. by pressing @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g}), they
4476 automatically update themselves by calling mairix.
4478 You might ask why you need @code{nnmairix} at all, since mairix already
4479 creates the group, populates it with links to the mails so that you can
4480 then access it with Gnus, right? Well, this @emph{might} work, but often
4481 does not---at least not without problems. Most probably you will get
4482 strange article counts, and sometimes you might see mails which Gnus
4483 claims have already been canceled and are inaccessible. This is due to
4484 the fact that Gnus isn't really amused when things are happening behind
4485 its back. Another problem can be the mail back end itself, e.g. if you
4486 use mairix with an @acronym{IMAP} server (I had Dovecot complaining
4487 about corrupt index files when mairix changed the contents of the search
4488 group). Using @code{nnmairix} should circumvent these problems.
4490 @code{nnmairix} is not really a mail back end---it's actually more like a
4491 wrapper, sitting between a ``real'' mail back end where mairix stores the
4492 searches and the Gnus front end. You can choose between three different
4493 mail back ends for the mairix folders: @code{nnml}, @code{nnmaildir} or
4494 @code{nnimap}. @code{nnmairix} will call the mairix binary so that the
4495 search results are stored in folders named
4496 @code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>} on this mail back end, but it will
4497 present these folders in the Gnus front end only with @code{<NAME>}. You
4498 can use an existing mail back end where you already store your mail, but
4499 if you're uncomfortable with @code{nnmairix} creating new mail groups
4500 alongside your other mail, you can also create e.g. a new
4501 @code{nnmaildir} server exclusively for mairix. However, a special case
4502 exists if you want to use mairix remotely on an IMAP server with
4503 @code{nnimap}---here the mairix folders and your other mail must be on
4504 the same @code{nnimap} back end.
4506 @node Setting up mairix
4507 @subsubsection Setting up mairix
4509 First: create a backup of your mail folders (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}).
4511 Setting up mairix is easy: simply create a @file{.mairixrc} file with
4512 (at least) the following entries:
4515 # Your Maildir/MH base folder
4519 This is the base folder for your mails. All the following directories
4520 are relative to this base folder. If you want to use @code{nnmairix}
4521 with @code{nnimap}, this base directory has to point to the mail
4522 directory where the @acronym{IMAP} server stores the mail folders!
4525 maildir= ... your maildir folders which should be indexed ...
4526 mh= ... your nnml/mh folders which should be indexed ...
4527 mbox = ... your mbox files which should be indexed ...
4530 Specify all your maildir/nnml folders and mbox files (relative to the
4531 base directory!) you want to index with mairix. See the man-page for
4532 mairixrc for details.
4538 @vindex nnmairix-group-prefix
4539 This should make sure that you don't accidentally index the mairix
4540 search results. You can change the prefix of these folders with the
4541 variable @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
4544 mformat= ... 'maildir' or 'mh' ...
4545 database= ... location of database file ...
4548 The @code{format} setting specifies the output format for the mairix
4549 search folder. Set this to @code{mh} if you want to access search results
4550 with @code{nnml}. Otherwise choose @code{maildir}.
4552 To summarize, here is my shortened @file{.mairixrc} file as an example:
4556 maildir=.personal:.work:.logcheck:.sent
4557 mh=../Mail/nnml/*...
4558 mbox=../mboxmail/mailarchive_year*
4561 database=~/.mairixdatabase
4564 In this case, the base directory is @file{~/Maildir}, where all my Maildir
4565 folders are stored. As you can see, the folders are separated by
4566 colons. If you wonder why every folder begins with a dot: this is
4567 because I use Dovecot as @acronym{IMAP} server, which again uses
4568 @code{Maildir++} folders. For testing nnmairix, I also have some
4569 @code{nnml} mail, which is saved in @file{~/Mail/nnml}. Since this has
4570 to be specified relative to the @code{base} directory, the @code{../Mail}
4571 notation is needed. Note that the line ends in @code{*...}, which means
4572 to recursively scan all files under this directory. Without the three
4573 dots, the wildcard @code{*} will not work recursively. I also have some
4574 old mbox files with archived mail lying around in @file{~/mboxmail}.
4575 The other lines should be obvious.
4577 See the man page for @code{mairixrc} for details and further options,
4578 especially regarding wildcard usage, which may be a little different
4579 than you are used to.
4581 Now simply call @code{mairix} to create the index for the first time.
4582 Note that this may take a few minutes, but every following index will do
4583 the updates incrementally and hence is very fast.
4585 @node Configuring nnmairix
4586 @subsubsection Configuring nnmairix
4588 In group mode, type @kbd{G b c}
4589 (@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). This will ask you for all
4590 necessary information and create a @code{nnmairix} server as a foreign
4591 server. You will have to specify the following:
4596 The @strong{name} of the @code{nnmairix} server---choose whatever you
4600 The @strong{mail back end} where mairix should stores its
4601 searches. Currently @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnimap} and @code{nnml} are
4602 supported. As explained above, for locally stored mails, this can be an
4603 existing mail back end where you store your mails. However, you can also
4604 create e.g. a new @code{nnmaildir} server exclusively for
4605 @code{nnmairix} in your secondary select methods (@pxref{Finding the
4606 News}). If you want to use mairix remotely on an @acronym{IMAP} server,
4607 you have to choose the corresponding @code{nnimap} back end here.
4610 @vindex nnmairix-mairix-search-options
4611 The @strong{command} to call the mairix binary. This will usually just
4612 be @code{mairix}, but you can also choose something like @code{ssh
4613 SERVER mairix} if you want to call mairix remotely, e.g. on your
4614 @acronym{IMAP} server. If you want to add some default options to
4615 mairix, you could do this here, but better use the variable
4616 @code{nnmairix-mairix-search-options} instead.
4619 The name of the @strong{default search group}. This will be the group
4620 where all temporary mairix searches are stored, i.e. all searches which
4621 are not bound to permanent @code{nnmairix} groups. Choose whatever you
4625 If the mail back end is @code{nnimap} or @code{nnmaildir}, you will be
4626 asked if you work with @strong{Maildir++}, i.e. with hidden maildir
4627 folders (=beginning with a dot). For example, you have to answer
4628 @samp{yes} here if you work with the Dovecot @acronym{IMAP}
4629 server. Otherwise, you should answer @samp{no} here.
4633 @node nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
4634 @subsubsection nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
4641 @kindex G b c (Group)
4642 @findex nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group
4643 Creates @code{nnmairix} server and default search group for this server
4644 (@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). You should have done
4645 this by now (@pxref{Configuring nnmairix}).
4648 @kindex G b s (Group)
4649 @findex nnmairix-search
4650 Prompts for query which is then sent to the mairix binary. Search
4651 results are put into the default search group which is automatically
4652 displayed (@code{nnmairix-search}).
4655 @kindex G b m (Group)
4656 @findex nnmairix-widget-search
4657 Allows you to create a mairix search or a permanent group more
4658 comfortably using graphical widgets, similar to a customization
4659 group. Just try it to see how it works (@code{nnmairix-widget-search}).
4662 @kindex G b i (Group)
4663 @findex nnmairix-search-interactive
4664 Another command for creating a mairix query more comfortably, but uses
4665 only the minibuffer (@code{nnmairix-search-interactive}).
4668 @kindex G b g (Group)
4669 @findex nnmairix-create-search-group
4670 Creates a permanent group which is associated with a search query
4671 (@code{nnmairix-create-search-group}). The @code{nnmairix} back end
4672 automatically calls mairix when you update this group with @kbd{g} or
4676 @kindex G b q (Group)
4677 @findex nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group
4678 Changes the search query for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor
4679 (@code{nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group}).
4682 @kindex G b t (Group)
4683 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group
4684 Toggles the 'threads' parameter for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor,
4685 i.e. if you want see the whole threads of the found messages
4686 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group}).
4689 @kindex G b u (Group)
4690 @findex nnmairix-update-database
4691 @vindex nnmairix-mairix-update-options
4692 Calls mairix binary for updating the database
4693 (@code{nnmairix-update-database}). The default parameters are @code{-F}
4694 and @code{-Q} for making this as fast as possible (see variable
4695 @code{nnmairix-mairix-update-options} for defining these default
4699 @kindex G b r (Group)
4700 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group
4701 Keep articles in this @code{nnmairix} group always read or unread, or leave the
4702 marks unchanged (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group}).
4705 @kindex G b d (Group)
4706 @findex nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group
4707 Recreate @code{nnmairix} group on the ``real'' mail back end
4708 (@code{nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group}). You can do this if
4709 you always get wrong article counts with a @code{nnmairix} group.
4712 @kindex G b a (Group)
4713 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group
4714 Toggles the @code{allow-fast} parameters for group under cursor
4715 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group}). The default
4716 behavior of @code{nnmairix} is to do a mairix search every time you
4717 update or enter the group. With the @code{allow-fast} parameter set,
4718 mairix will only be called when you explicitly update the group, but not
4719 upon entering. This makes entering the group faster, but it may also
4720 lead to dangling symlinks if something changed between updating and
4721 entering the group which is not yet in the mairix database.
4724 @kindex G b p (Group)
4725 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group
4726 Toggle marks propagation for this group
4727 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group}). (@pxref{Propagating
4731 @kindex G b o (Group)
4732 @findex nnmairix-propagate-marks
4733 Manually propagate marks (@code{nnmairix-propagate-marks}); needed only when
4734 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} is set to @code{nil}.
4743 @kindex $ m (Summary)
4744 @findex nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article
4745 Allows you to create a mairix query or group based on the current
4746 message using graphical widgets (same as @code{nnmairix-widget-search})
4747 (@code{nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article}).
4750 @kindex $ g (Summary)
4751 @findex nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message
4752 Interactively creates a new search group with query based on the current
4753 message, but uses the minibuffer instead of graphical widgets
4754 (@code{nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message}).
4757 @kindex $ t (Summary)
4758 @findex nnmairix-search-thread-this-article
4759 Searches thread for the current article
4760 (@code{nnmairix-search-thread-this-article}). This is effectively a
4761 shortcut for calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{m:msgid} of the
4762 current article and enabled threads.
4765 @kindex $ f (Summary)
4766 @findex nnmairix-search-from-this-article
4767 Searches all messages from sender of the current article
4768 (@code{nnmairix-search-from-this-article}). This is a shortcut for
4769 calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{f:From}.
4772 @kindex $ o (Summary)
4773 @findex nnmairix-goto-original-article
4774 (Only in @code{nnmairix} groups!) Tries determine the group this article
4775 originally came from and displays the article in this group, so that
4776 e.g. replying to this article the correct posting styles/group
4777 parameters are applied (@code{nnmairix-goto-original-article}). This
4778 function will use the registry if available, but can also parse the
4779 article file name as a fallback method.
4782 @kindex $ u (Summary)
4783 @findex nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article
4784 Remove possibly existing tick mark from original article
4785 (@code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article}). (@pxref{nnmairix
4790 @node Propagating marks
4791 @subsubsection Propagating marks
4793 First of: you really need a patched mairix binary for using the marks
4794 propagation feature efficiently. Otherwise, you would have to update
4795 the mairix database all the time. You can get the patch at
4797 @uref{http://m61s02.vlinux.de/mairix-maildir-patch.tar}
4799 You need the mairix v0.21 source code for this patch; everything else
4800 is explained in the accompanied readme file. If you don't want to use
4801 marks propagation, you don't have to apply these patches, but they also
4802 fix some annoyances regarding changing maildir flags, so it might still
4805 With the patched mairix binary, you can use @code{nnmairix} as an
4806 alternative to mail splitting (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}). For
4807 example, instead of splitting all mails from @samp{david@@foobar.com}
4808 into a group, you can simply create a search group with the query
4809 @samp{f:david@@foobar.com}. This is actually what ``smart folders'' are
4810 all about: simply put everything in one mail folder and dynamically
4811 create searches instead of splitting. This is more flexible, since you
4812 can dynamically change your folders any time you want to. This also
4813 implies that you will usually read your mails in the @code{nnmairix}
4814 groups instead of your ``real'' mail groups.
4816 There is one problem, though: say you got a new mail from
4817 @samp{david@@foobar.com}; it will now show up in two groups, the
4818 ``real'' group (your INBOX, for example) and in the @code{nnmairix}
4819 search group (provided you have updated the mairix database). Now you
4820 enter the @code{nnmairix} group and read the mail. The mail will be
4821 marked as read, but only in the @code{nnmairix} group---in the ``real''
4822 mail group it will be still shown as unread.
4824 You could now catch up the mail group (@pxref{Group Data}), but this is
4825 tedious and error prone, since you may overlook mails you don't have
4826 created @code{nnmairix} groups for. Of course, you could first use
4827 @code{nnmairix-goto-original-article} (@pxref{nnmairix keyboard
4828 shortcuts}) and then read the mail in the original group, but that's
4829 even more cumbersome.
4831 Clearly, the easiest way would be if marks could somehow be
4832 automatically set for the original article. This is exactly what
4833 @emph{marks propagation} is about.
4835 Marks propagation is deactivated by default. You can activate it for a
4836 certain @code{nnmairix} group with
4837 @code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group} (bound to @kbd{G b
4838 p}). This function will warn you if you try to use it with your default
4839 search group; the reason is that the default search group is used for
4840 temporary searches, and it's easy to accidentally propagate marks from
4841 this group. However, you can ignore this warning if you really want to.
4843 With marks propagation enabled, all the marks you set in a @code{nnmairix}
4844 group should now be propagated to the original article. For example,
4845 you can now tick an article (by default with @kbd{!}) and this mark should
4846 magically be set for the original article, too.
4848 A few more remarks which you may or may not want to know:
4850 @vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close
4851 Marks will not be set immediately, but only upon closing a group. This
4852 not only makes marks propagation faster, it also avoids problems with
4853 dangling symlinks when dealing with maildir files (since changing flags
4854 will change the file name). You can also control when to propagate marks
4855 via @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} (see the doc-string for
4858 Obviously, @code{nnmairix} will have to look up the original group for every
4859 article you want to set marks for. If available, @code{nnmairix} will first use
4860 the registry for determining the original group. The registry is very
4861 fast, hence you should really, really enable the registry when using
4862 marks propagation. If you don't have to worry about RAM and disc space,
4863 set @code{gnus-registry-max-entries} to a large enough value; to be on
4864 the safe side, choose roughly the amount of mails you index with mairix.
4866 @vindex nnmairix-only-use-registry
4867 If you don't want to use the registry or the registry hasn't seen the
4868 original article yet, @code{nnmairix} will use an additional mairix
4869 search for determining the file name of the article. This, of course, is
4870 way slower than the registry---if you set hundreds or even thousands of
4871 marks this way, it might take some time. You can avoid this situation by
4872 setting @code{nnmairix-only-use-registry} to t.
4874 Maybe you also want to propagate marks the other way round, i.e. if you
4875 tick an article in a "real" mail group, you'd like to have the same
4876 article in a @code{nnmairix} group ticked, too. For several good
4877 reasons, this can only be done efficiently if you use maildir. To
4878 immediately contradict myself, let me mention that it WON'T work with
4879 @code{nnmaildir}, since @code{nnmaildir} stores the marks externally and
4880 not in the file name. Therefore, propagating marks to @code{nnmairix}
4881 groups will usually only work if you use an IMAP server which uses
4882 maildir as its file format.
4884 @vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups
4885 If you work with this setup, just set
4886 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t} and see what
4887 happens. If you don't like what you see, just set it to @code{nil} again. One
4888 problem might be that you get a wrong number of unread articles; this
4889 usually happens when you delete or expire articles in the original
4890 groups. When this happens, you can recreate the @code{nnmairix} group on the
4891 back end using @kbd{G b d}.
4893 @node nnmairix tips and tricks
4894 @subsubsection nnmairix tips and tricks
4900 @findex nnmairix-update-groups
4901 I put all my important mail groups at group level 1. The mairix groups
4902 have group level 5, so they do not get checked at start up (@pxref{Group
4905 I use the following to check for mails:
4908 (defun my-check-mail-mairix-update (level)
4910 ;; if no prefix given, set level=1
4911 (gnus-group-get-new-news (or level 1))
4912 (nnmairix-update-groups "mairixsearch" t t)
4913 (gnus-group-list-groups))
4915 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map "g" 'my-check-mail-mairix-update)
4918 Instead of @samp{"mairixsearch"} use the name of your @code{nnmairix}
4919 server. See the doc string for @code{nnmairix-update-groups} for
4923 Example: search group for ticked articles
4925 For example, you can create a group for all ticked articles, where the
4926 articles always stay unread:
4928 Hit @kbd{G b g}, enter group name (e.g. @samp{important}), use
4929 @samp{F:f} as query and do not include threads.
4931 Now activate marks propagation for this group by using @kbd{G b p}. Then
4932 activate the always-unread feature by using @kbd{G b r} twice.
4934 So far so good---but how do you remove the tick marks in the @code{nnmairix}
4935 group? There are two options: You may simply use
4936 @code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article} (bound to @kbd{$ u}) to remove
4937 tick marks from the original article. The other possibility is to set
4938 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t}, but see the above
4939 comments about this option. If it works for you, the tick marks should
4940 also exist in the @code{nnmairix} group and you can remove them as usual,
4941 e.g. by marking an article as read.
4943 When you have removed a tick mark from the original article, this
4944 article should vanish from the @code{nnmairix} group after you have updated the
4945 mairix database and updated the group. Fortunately, there is a function
4946 for doing exactly that: @code{nnmairix-update-groups}. See the previous code
4947 snippet and the doc string for details.
4950 Dealing with auto-subscription of mail groups
4952 As described before, all @code{nnmairix} groups are in fact stored on
4953 the mail back end in the form @samp{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can
4954 see them when you enter the back end server in the server buffer. You
4955 should not subscribe these groups! Unfortunately, these groups will
4956 usually get @emph{auto-subscribed} when you use @code{nnmaildir} or
4957 @code{nnml}, i.e. you will suddenly see groups of the form
4958 @samp{zz_mairix*} pop up in your group buffer. If this happens to you,
4959 simply kill these groups with C-k. For avoiding this, turn off
4960 auto-subscription completely by setting the variable
4961 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups} to @code{nil} (@pxref{Filtering New
4962 Groups}), or if you like to keep this feature use the following kludge
4963 for turning it off for all groups beginning with @samp{zz_}:
4966 (setq gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
4967 "^\\(nnml\\|nnfolder\\|nnmbox\\|nnmh\\|nnbabyl\\|nnmaildir\\).*:\\([^z]\\|z$\\|\\z[^z]\\|zz$\\|zz[^_]\\|zz_$\\).*")
4972 @node nnmairix caveats
4973 @subsubsection nnmairix caveats
4977 If you use the Gnus agent (@pxref{Gnus Unplugged}): don't agentize
4978 @code{nnmairix} groups (though I have no idea what happens if you do).
4981 If you use the Gnus registry: don't use the registry with
4982 @code{nnmairix} groups (put them in
4983 @code{gnus-registry-unfollowed-groups}). Be @emph{extra careful} if
4984 you use @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}; mails which are
4985 split into @code{nnmairix} groups are usually gone for good as soon as
4986 you check the group for new mail (yes, it has happened to me...).
4989 Therefore: @emph{Never ever} put ``real'' mails into @code{nnmairix}
4990 groups (you shouldn't be able to, anyway).
4993 mairix does only support us-ascii characters.
4996 @code{nnmairix} uses a rather brute force method to force Gnus to
4997 completely reread the group on the mail back end after mairix was
4998 called---it simply deletes and re-creates the group on the mail
4999 back end. So far, this has worked for me without any problems, and I
5000 don't see how @code{nnmairix} could delete other mail groups than its
5001 own, but anyway: you really should have a backup of your mail
5005 All necessary information is stored in the group parameters
5006 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). This has the advantage that no active file
5007 is needed, but also implies that when you kill a @code{nnmairix} group,
5008 it is gone for good.
5011 @findex nnmairix-purge-old-groups
5012 If you create and kill a lot of @code{nnmairix} groups, the
5013 ``zz_mairix-*'' groups will accumulate on the mail back end server. To
5014 delete old groups which are no longer needed, call
5015 @code{nnmairix-purge-old-groups}. Note that this assumes that you don't
5016 save any ``real'' mail in folders of the form
5017 @code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can change the prefix of
5018 @code{nnmairix} groups by changing the variable
5019 @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
5022 The following only applies if you @emph{don't} use the mentioned patch
5023 for mairix (@pxref{Propagating marks}):
5025 A problem can occur when using @code{nnmairix} with maildir folders and
5026 comes with the fact that maildir stores mail flags like @samp{Seen} or
5027 @samp{Replied} by appending chars @samp{S} and @samp{R} to the message
5028 file name, respectively. This implies that currently you would have to
5029 update the mairix database not only when new mail arrives, but also when
5030 mail flags are changing. The same applies to new mails which are indexed
5031 while they are still in the @samp{new} folder but then get moved to
5032 @samp{cur} when Gnus has seen the mail. If you don't update the database
5033 after this has happened, a mairix query can lead to symlinks pointing to
5034 non-existing files. In Gnus, these messages will usually appear with
5035 ``(none)'' entries in the header and can't be accessed. If this happens
5036 to you, using @kbd{G b u} and updating the group will usually fix this.
5040 @node Misc Group Stuff
5041 @section Misc Group Stuff
5044 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
5045 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
5046 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
5047 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
5048 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
5055 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Group)
5056 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
5057 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
5060 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map (kbd "v j d")
5063 (gnus-group-jump-to-group "nndraft:drafts")))
5066 On keys reserved for users in Emacs and on keybindings in general
5067 @xref{Keymaps, Keymaps, , emacs, The Emacs Editor}.
5071 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
5072 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
5073 @xref{Server Buffer}.
5077 @findex gnus-group-post-news
5078 Start composing a message (a news by default)
5079 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
5080 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5081 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
5082 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
5083 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
5087 @findex gnus-group-mail
5088 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
5089 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
5090 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5091 @xref{Composing Messages}.
5095 @findex gnus-group-news
5096 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
5097 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
5098 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
5100 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5101 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5102 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5103 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5104 for this to work though.
5108 @findex gnus-group-compact-group
5110 Compact the group under point (@code{gnus-group-compact-group}).
5111 Currently implemented only in nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes
5112 gaps between article numbers, hence getting a correct total article
5117 Variables for the group buffer:
5121 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
5122 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
5123 is called after the group buffer has been
5126 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
5127 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
5128 is called after the group buffer is
5129 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
5132 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
5133 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
5134 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
5135 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
5137 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
5138 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
5139 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
5140 whether they are empty or not.
5144 @node Scanning New Messages
5145 @subsection Scanning New Messages
5146 @cindex new messages
5147 @cindex scanning new news
5153 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
5154 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
5155 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
5156 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
5157 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
5158 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
5163 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
5164 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
5165 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
5166 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
5167 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
5168 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
5169 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
5171 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
5172 @cindex activating groups
5174 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
5175 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
5180 @findex gnus-group-restart
5181 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
5182 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
5183 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
5187 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
5188 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
5190 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
5191 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
5195 @node Group Information
5196 @subsection Group Information
5197 @cindex group information
5198 @cindex information on groups
5205 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
5206 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
5209 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
5210 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
5211 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
5212 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
5213 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
5214 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
5215 used for fetching the file.
5217 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
5218 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
5222 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
5223 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
5225 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
5226 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
5229 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
5230 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
5231 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
5235 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
5236 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
5237 @cindex control message
5238 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
5239 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
5240 group if given a prefix argument.
5242 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
5243 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
5244 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
5245 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
5247 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
5248 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
5249 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
5253 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
5255 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
5256 @cindex describing groups
5257 @cindex group description
5258 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
5259 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
5260 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
5264 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
5265 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
5266 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
5273 @findex gnus-version
5274 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
5278 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
5279 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
5282 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
5285 @findex gnus-info-find-node
5286 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
5290 @node Group Timestamp
5291 @subsection Group Timestamp
5293 @cindex group timestamps
5295 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
5296 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
5297 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
5300 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
5303 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
5305 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
5306 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
5309 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5310 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
5313 This will result in lines looking like:
5316 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
5317 0: custom 19961002T012713
5320 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
5321 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
5325 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5326 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
5329 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
5330 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
5334 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5335 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
5336 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
5337 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
5339 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
5345 @subsection File Commands
5346 @cindex file commands
5352 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
5353 @vindex gnus-init-file
5354 @cindex reading init file
5355 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
5356 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
5360 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
5361 @cindex saving .newsrc
5362 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
5363 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
5364 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
5367 @c @kindex Z (Group)
5368 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
5369 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
5374 @node Sieve Commands
5375 @subsection Sieve Commands
5376 @cindex group sieve commands
5378 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
5379 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
5380 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
5381 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
5382 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
5384 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5385 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
5386 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
5387 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
5388 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
5389 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
5390 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
5391 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
5392 regenerate the Sieve script.
5394 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
5395 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
5396 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
5397 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
5398 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
5399 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
5400 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
5401 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
5402 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
5403 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
5406 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
5407 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
5412 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
5418 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
5419 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5420 @cindex generating sieve script
5421 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
5422 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
5426 @findex gnus-sieve-update
5427 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5428 @cindex updating sieve script
5429 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
5430 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
5431 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
5436 @node Summary Buffer
5437 @chapter Summary Buffer
5438 @cindex summary buffer
5440 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
5441 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
5443 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
5444 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
5446 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
5448 You can customize the Summary Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
5449 customize-apropos RET gnus-summary-tool-bar}. This feature is only
5453 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Summary)
5454 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
5455 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
5457 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map (kbd "v -") "LrS") ;; lower subthread
5461 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
5462 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
5463 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
5464 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
5465 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
5466 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
5467 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
5468 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
5469 * Threading:: How threads are made.
5470 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
5471 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
5472 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
5473 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
5474 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
5475 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
5476 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
5477 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
5478 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
5479 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
5480 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
5481 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
5482 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
5483 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
5484 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
5485 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
5486 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
5487 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
5488 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
5489 or reselecting the current group.
5490 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
5491 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
5492 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
5493 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
5497 @node Summary Buffer Format
5498 @section Summary Buffer Format
5499 @cindex summary buffer format
5503 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
5504 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
5505 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
5511 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
5512 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
5513 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
5514 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
5517 @findex mail-extract-address-components
5518 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
5519 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
5520 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
5521 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
5522 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
5523 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
5524 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
5525 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
5526 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
5527 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
5530 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
5531 'mail-extract-address-components)
5534 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
5535 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
5536 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
5537 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
5540 @node Summary Buffer Lines
5541 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
5543 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
5544 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
5545 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
5546 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
5547 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
5549 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
5550 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
5551 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
5552 possible to change this. Just write a new function
5553 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
5554 @xref{Positioning Point}.
5556 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
5558 The following format specification characters and extended format
5559 specification(s) are understood:
5565 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
5566 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
5568 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
5569 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
5570 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
5572 Full @code{From} header.
5574 The name (from the @code{From} header).
5576 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
5579 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
5580 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
5581 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
5582 may be more thorough.
5584 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
5587 Number of lines in the article.
5589 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
5590 in some methods (like nnfolder).
5592 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
5593 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
5595 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
5597 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
5598 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
5611 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
5612 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
5613 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
5614 line-drawing glyphs.
5616 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
5617 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
5618 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
5619 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
5621 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
5622 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
5623 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
5624 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
5626 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
5627 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
5628 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
5629 instead. The default is @samp{}.
5631 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
5632 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
5633 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
5635 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
5636 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
5637 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
5639 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
5640 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
5641 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
5643 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
5644 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
5645 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
5650 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
5651 pushes everything after it off the screen).
5653 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
5654 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
5656 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
5657 for adopted articles.
5659 One space for each thread level.
5661 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
5663 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
5666 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
5667 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
5668 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
5671 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
5673 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
5674 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
5675 default level. If the difference between
5676 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
5677 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
5685 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
5687 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
5693 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
5694 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
5696 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
5697 article has any children.
5703 Desired cursor position (instead of after first colon).
5705 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
5706 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
5708 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
5709 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
5710 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
5711 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
5712 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
5713 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
5716 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
5717 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
5718 There can only be one such area.
5720 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
5721 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
5722 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
5723 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
5724 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
5725 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
5727 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
5728 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
5730 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
5733 @node To From Newsgroups
5734 @subsection To From Newsgroups
5738 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
5739 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
5740 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
5741 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
5742 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
5746 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
5747 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
5748 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
5752 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5753 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
5756 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
5757 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
5760 @findex gnus-extra-header
5761 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
5762 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
5763 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
5766 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
5770 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5771 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
5772 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
5773 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
5774 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
5775 headers are used instead.
5777 To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
5778 has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
5779 @code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
5780 @samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
5781 customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
5782 @code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
5786 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
5787 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
5788 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
5789 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
5790 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
5791 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
5794 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
5795 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
5796 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
5797 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
5799 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
5803 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5805 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
5806 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
5807 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
5808 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5812 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
5815 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
5816 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
5819 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
5820 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
5821 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
5827 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
5828 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
5831 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
5832 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
5834 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
5835 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
5836 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
5837 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
5839 Here are the elements you can play with:
5845 Unprefixed group name.
5847 Current article number.
5849 Current article score.
5853 Number of unread articles in this group.
5855 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
5858 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
5859 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
5860 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
5861 and no unselected ones.
5863 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
5864 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
5866 Subject of the current article.
5868 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
5870 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
5872 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5874 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5876 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
5878 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
5882 @node Summary Highlighting
5883 @subsection Summary Highlighting
5887 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5888 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5889 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
5890 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
5891 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5893 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
5894 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
5895 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
5896 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5898 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
5899 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
5900 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
5901 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
5903 @item gnus-summary-highlight
5904 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
5905 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
5906 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
5907 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
5908 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
5911 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
5912 ((> score default) . bold))
5914 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
5915 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
5919 @node Summary Maneuvering
5920 @section Summary Maneuvering
5921 @cindex summary movement
5923 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
5924 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
5926 None of these commands select articles.
5931 @kindex M-n (Summary)
5932 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
5933 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
5934 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
5935 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
5939 @kindex M-p (Summary)
5940 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
5941 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
5942 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
5943 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
5946 @kindex G g (Summary)
5947 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
5948 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
5949 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
5952 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
5953 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
5954 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
5955 to the group buffer.
5957 Variables related to summary movement:
5961 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
5962 @item gnus-auto-select-next
5963 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
5964 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
5965 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
5966 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
5967 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
5968 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
5969 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
5970 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
5971 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
5972 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
5973 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
5974 @pxref{Group Levels}.
5976 @item gnus-auto-select-same
5977 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
5978 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
5979 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
5980 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
5981 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
5982 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
5984 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
5986 @item gnus-summary-check-current
5987 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
5988 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
5989 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
5990 Instead, they will choose the current article.
5992 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
5993 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
5994 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
5995 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
5996 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
5997 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
5998 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
5999 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
6002 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
6003 the given number of lines from the top.
6008 @node Choosing Articles
6009 @section Choosing Articles
6010 @cindex selecting articles
6013 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
6014 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
6018 @node Choosing Commands
6019 @subsection Choosing Commands
6021 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
6022 and they all select and display an article.
6024 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
6025 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
6029 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
6030 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
6031 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
6032 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
6034 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
6035 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
6036 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
6041 @kindex G n (Summary)
6042 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
6043 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
6044 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
6049 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
6050 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
6051 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
6056 @kindex G N (Summary)
6057 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
6058 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
6063 @kindex G P (Summary)
6064 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
6065 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
6068 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
6069 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
6070 Go to the next article with the same subject
6071 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
6074 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
6075 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
6076 Go to the previous article with the same subject
6077 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
6081 @kindex G f (Summary)
6083 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
6084 Go to the first unread article
6085 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
6089 @kindex G b (Summary)
6091 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
6092 Go to the unread article with the highest score
6093 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
6094 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
6099 @kindex G l (Summary)
6100 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
6101 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
6104 @kindex G o (Summary)
6105 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
6107 @cindex article history
6108 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
6109 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
6110 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
6111 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
6112 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
6113 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
6118 @kindex G j (Summary)
6119 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
6120 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
6121 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
6126 @node Choosing Variables
6127 @subsection Choosing Variables
6129 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
6132 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
6133 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
6134 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
6135 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
6136 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
6137 the server and display it in the article buffer.
6139 @item gnus-select-article-hook
6140 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
6141 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
6142 @code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
6143 you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
6146 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
6147 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
6148 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
6149 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
6150 @findex gnus-unread-mark
6151 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
6152 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
6153 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
6154 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
6155 articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
6156 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
6157 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
6158 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
6159 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
6164 @node Paging the Article
6165 @section Scrolling the Article
6166 @cindex article scrolling
6171 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
6172 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
6173 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
6174 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
6175 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
6177 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
6178 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
6179 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
6180 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
6181 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
6182 what is considered uninteresting with
6183 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
6184 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
6187 @kindex DEL (Summary)
6188 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
6189 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
6192 @kindex RET (Summary)
6193 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
6194 Scroll the current article one line forward
6195 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
6198 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
6199 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
6200 Scroll the current article one line backward
6201 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
6205 @kindex A g (Summary)
6207 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
6208 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
6209 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
6210 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
6211 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
6212 the way it came from the server.
6214 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
6215 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
6216 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
6219 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
6224 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
6229 @kindex A < (Summary)
6230 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
6231 Scroll to the beginning of the article
6232 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
6237 @kindex A > (Summary)
6238 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
6239 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
6243 @kindex A s (Summary)
6245 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
6246 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
6247 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
6251 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
6252 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
6257 @node Reply Followup and Post
6258 @section Reply, Followup and Post
6261 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
6262 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
6263 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
6264 * Canceling and Superseding::
6268 @node Summary Mail Commands
6269 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
6271 @cindex composing mail
6273 Commands for composing a mail message:
6279 @kindex S r (Summary)
6281 @findex gnus-summary-reply
6282 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
6283 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
6284 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
6285 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
6290 @kindex S R (Summary)
6291 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
6292 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
6293 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
6294 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
6295 command uses the process/prefix convention.
6298 @kindex S w (Summary)
6299 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
6300 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
6301 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
6302 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
6303 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
6304 present, that's used instead.
6307 @kindex S W (Summary)
6308 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
6309 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
6310 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
6311 the process/prefix convention.
6314 @kindex S v (Summary)
6315 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
6316 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
6317 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
6318 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
6319 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
6320 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
6323 @kindex S V (Summary)
6324 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
6325 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
6326 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
6327 command uses the process/prefix convention.
6330 @kindex S B r (Summary)
6331 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
6332 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
6333 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
6334 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
6335 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
6336 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
6337 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
6340 @kindex S B R (Summary)
6341 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
6342 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
6343 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
6344 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
6348 @kindex S o m (Summary)
6349 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
6350 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
6351 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
6352 Forward the current article to some other person
6353 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
6354 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
6355 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
6356 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
6357 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
6358 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
6359 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
6360 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
6361 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
6367 @kindex S m (Summary)
6368 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
6369 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
6370 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
6371 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
6372 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
6377 @kindex S i (Summary)
6378 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
6379 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
6380 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
6381 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
6383 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
6384 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
6385 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
6386 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
6387 for this to work though.
6390 @kindex S D b (Summary)
6391 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
6392 @cindex bouncing mail
6393 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
6394 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
6395 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
6396 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
6397 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
6398 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
6399 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
6400 very well fail, though.
6403 @kindex S D r (Summary)
6404 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
6405 Not to be confused with the previous command,
6406 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
6407 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
6408 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
6409 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
6410 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
6411 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
6412 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
6414 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
6415 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
6416 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
6417 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
6418 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
6420 This command understands the process/prefix convention
6421 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6424 @kindex S D e (Summary)
6425 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
6427 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
6428 if it were a new message before resending.
6431 @kindex S O m (Summary)
6432 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
6433 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
6434 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
6435 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6438 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
6439 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
6440 @cindex crossposting
6441 @cindex excessive crossposting
6442 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
6443 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
6445 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
6446 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
6447 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
6448 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
6449 command understands the process/prefix convention
6450 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
6454 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
6455 Manual}, for more information.
6458 @node Summary Post Commands
6459 @subsection Summary Post Commands
6461 @cindex composing news
6463 Commands for posting a news article:
6469 @kindex S p (Summary)
6470 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
6471 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
6472 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
6473 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
6474 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
6479 @kindex S f (Summary)
6480 @findex gnus-summary-followup
6481 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
6482 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
6486 @kindex S F (Summary)
6488 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
6489 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
6490 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
6491 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
6492 process/prefix convention.
6495 @kindex S n (Summary)
6496 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
6497 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
6498 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
6501 @kindex S N (Summary)
6502 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
6503 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
6504 message through mail and include the original message
6505 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
6506 the process/prefix convention.
6509 @kindex S o p (Summary)
6510 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
6511 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
6512 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
6513 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
6514 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
6515 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
6516 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
6517 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
6518 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
6519 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
6520 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
6521 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
6524 @kindex S O p (Summary)
6525 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
6527 @cindex making digests
6528 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
6529 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
6530 process/prefix convention.
6533 @kindex S u (Summary)
6534 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
6535 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
6536 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
6537 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
6540 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
6541 Manual}, for more information.
6544 @node Summary Message Commands
6545 @subsection Summary Message Commands
6549 @kindex S y (Summary)
6550 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
6551 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
6552 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
6553 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
6554 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6559 @node Canceling and Superseding
6560 @subsection Canceling Articles
6561 @cindex canceling articles
6562 @cindex superseding articles
6564 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
6565 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
6567 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
6569 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
6571 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
6572 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
6573 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
6574 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
6575 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
6576 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6578 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
6579 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
6582 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
6583 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
6584 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
6586 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
6587 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
6588 message, Message Manual}).
6590 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
6591 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
6592 your original article.
6594 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
6596 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
6597 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
6598 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
6601 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
6602 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
6603 have posted almost the same article twice.
6605 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
6606 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
6607 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
6608 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
6609 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
6610 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
6611 header by substituting one of those words for the word
6612 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
6613 you would do normally. The previous article will be
6614 canceled/superseded.
6616 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
6618 @node Delayed Articles
6619 @section Delayed Articles
6620 @cindex delayed sending
6621 @cindex send delayed
6623 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
6624 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
6625 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
6626 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
6629 (gnus-delay-initialize)
6632 @findex gnus-delay-article
6633 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
6634 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
6635 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
6636 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
6640 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
6641 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
6642 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
6643 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
6646 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
6647 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
6648 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
6651 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
6652 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
6653 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
6654 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
6655 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
6656 that means a time tomorrow.
6659 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
6660 couple of variables:
6663 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
6664 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
6665 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
6666 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
6668 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
6669 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
6670 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
6671 formats described above.
6673 @item gnus-delay-group
6674 @vindex gnus-delay-group
6675 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
6676 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
6677 value is @code{"delayed"}.
6679 @item gnus-delay-header
6680 @vindex gnus-delay-header
6681 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
6682 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
6683 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
6686 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
6687 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
6688 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
6689 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
6690 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
6692 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
6693 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
6694 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
6695 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
6696 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
6697 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
6698 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
6701 @item gnus-delay-initialize
6702 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
6703 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
6704 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
6705 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
6706 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
6707 argument is ignored.
6709 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
6710 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
6711 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
6715 @node Marking Articles
6716 @section Marking Articles
6717 @cindex article marking
6718 @cindex article ticking
6721 There are several marks you can set on an article.
6723 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
6724 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
6725 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
6727 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
6730 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
6734 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
6735 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
6736 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
6737 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
6738 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
6739 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
6743 @node Unread Articles
6744 @subsection Unread Articles
6746 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
6751 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
6752 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
6754 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
6755 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
6756 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
6757 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
6758 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
6759 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
6760 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
6763 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
6764 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
6766 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
6767 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
6768 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
6769 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
6773 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
6774 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
6776 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
6781 @subsection Read Articles
6782 @cindex expirable mark
6784 All the following marks mark articles as read.
6789 @vindex gnus-del-mark
6790 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
6791 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
6794 @vindex gnus-read-mark
6795 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
6798 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
6799 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
6800 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
6803 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
6804 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
6807 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
6808 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
6811 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
6812 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
6815 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
6816 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
6819 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
6820 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
6823 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
6824 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
6827 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
6828 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
6832 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
6833 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
6834 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
6838 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
6839 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
6841 One more special mark, though:
6845 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
6846 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
6848 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
6849 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
6850 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
6851 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
6857 @subsection Other Marks
6858 @cindex process mark
6861 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
6867 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
6868 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
6869 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
6870 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
6871 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
6874 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
6875 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
6876 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
6877 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
6880 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
6881 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
6882 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
6885 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
6886 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
6887 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6890 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
6891 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
6892 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
6893 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
6896 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
6897 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
6898 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
6899 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
6900 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
6901 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
6904 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
6905 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
6906 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
6907 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
6910 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
6911 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
6912 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
6913 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
6914 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
6918 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
6919 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
6920 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
6921 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
6922 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
6923 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
6926 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
6927 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
6928 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
6929 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
6930 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
6931 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
6935 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
6936 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
6937 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
6938 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
6939 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
6942 @vindex gnus-process-mark
6943 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
6944 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
6945 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
6946 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
6947 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
6951 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
6952 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
6953 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
6955 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
6956 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
6957 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
6961 @subsection Setting Marks
6962 @cindex setting marks
6964 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
6969 @kindex M c (Summary)
6970 @kindex M-u (Summary)
6971 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
6972 @cindex mark as unread
6973 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
6974 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
6980 @kindex M t (Summary)
6981 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
6982 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
6983 @xref{Article Caching}.
6988 @kindex M ? (Summary)
6989 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
6990 Mark the current article as dormant
6991 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6995 @kindex M d (Summary)
6997 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
6998 Mark the current article as read
6999 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
7003 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
7004 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
7005 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
7010 @kindex M k (Summary)
7011 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
7012 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
7013 and then select the next unread article
7014 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
7018 @kindex M K (Summary)
7019 @kindex C-k (Summary)
7020 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
7021 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
7022 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
7025 @kindex M C (Summary)
7026 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
7027 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
7028 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
7031 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
7032 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
7033 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
7034 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
7037 @kindex M H (Summary)
7038 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
7039 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
7040 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
7043 @kindex M h (Summary)
7044 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
7045 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
7046 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
7049 @kindex C-w (Summary)
7050 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
7051 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
7052 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
7055 @kindex M V k (Summary)
7056 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
7057 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
7058 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
7062 @kindex M e (Summary)
7064 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
7065 Mark the current article as expirable
7066 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
7069 @kindex M b (Summary)
7070 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
7071 Set a bookmark in the current article
7072 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
7075 @kindex M B (Summary)
7076 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
7077 Remove the bookmark from the current article
7078 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
7081 @kindex M V c (Summary)
7082 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
7083 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
7084 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
7087 @kindex M V u (Summary)
7088 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
7089 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
7090 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
7093 @kindex M V m (Summary)
7094 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
7095 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
7096 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
7097 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
7100 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
7101 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
7102 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
7103 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
7104 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
7105 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
7106 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
7107 The default is @code{t}.
7110 @node Generic Marking Commands
7111 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
7113 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
7114 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
7115 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
7116 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
7117 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
7120 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
7121 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
7124 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
7125 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
7126 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
7127 to list in this manual.
7129 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
7130 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
7131 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
7132 article, you could say something like:
7136 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
7137 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
7138 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
7146 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
7147 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
7151 @node Setting Process Marks
7152 @subsection Setting Process Marks
7153 @cindex setting process marks
7155 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
7156 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
7157 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
7158 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
7159 articles into the cache. For more information,
7160 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
7167 @kindex M P p (Summary)
7168 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
7169 Mark the current article with the process mark
7170 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
7171 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
7175 @kindex M P u (Summary)
7176 @kindex M-# (Summary)
7177 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
7178 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
7181 @kindex M P U (Summary)
7182 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
7183 Remove the process mark from all articles
7184 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
7187 @kindex M P i (Summary)
7188 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
7189 Invert the list of process marked articles
7190 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
7193 @kindex M P R (Summary)
7194 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
7195 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
7196 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
7199 @kindex M P G (Summary)
7200 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
7201 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
7202 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
7205 @kindex M P r (Summary)
7206 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
7207 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
7210 @kindex M P g (Summary)
7211 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
7212 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
7215 @kindex M P t (Summary)
7216 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
7217 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
7218 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
7221 @kindex M P T (Summary)
7222 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
7223 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
7224 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
7227 @kindex M P v (Summary)
7228 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
7229 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
7230 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
7233 @kindex M P s (Summary)
7234 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
7235 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
7238 @kindex M P S (Summary)
7239 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
7240 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
7241 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
7244 @kindex M P a (Summary)
7245 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
7246 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
7249 @kindex M P b (Summary)
7250 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
7251 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
7252 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
7255 @kindex M P k (Summary)
7256 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
7257 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
7258 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
7261 @kindex M P y (Summary)
7262 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
7263 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
7264 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
7267 @kindex M P w (Summary)
7268 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
7269 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
7270 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
7274 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
7275 set process marks based on article body contents.
7282 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
7283 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
7284 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
7287 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
7288 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
7289 additional articles.
7295 @kindex / / (Summary)
7296 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
7297 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
7298 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
7302 @kindex / a (Summary)
7303 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
7304 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
7305 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
7309 @kindex / R (Summary)
7310 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
7311 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
7312 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
7316 @kindex / A (Summary)
7317 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-address
7318 Limit the summary buffer to articles in which contents of From, To or Cc
7319 header match a given address (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-address}). If
7320 given a prefix, exclude matching articles.
7323 @kindex / S (Summary)
7324 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons
7325 Limit the summary buffer to articles that aren't part of any displayed
7326 threads (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons}). If given a prefix,
7327 limit to articles that are part of displayed threads.
7330 @kindex / x (Summary)
7331 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
7332 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
7333 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
7334 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
7339 @kindex / u (Summary)
7341 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
7342 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
7343 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
7344 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
7345 dormant articles will also be excluded.
7348 @kindex / m (Summary)
7349 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
7350 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
7351 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
7354 @kindex / t (Summary)
7355 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
7356 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
7357 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
7358 articles younger than that number of days.
7361 @kindex / n (Summary)
7362 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
7363 With prefix @samp{n}, limit the summary buffer to the next @samp{n}
7364 articles. If not given a prefix, use the process marked articles
7365 instead. (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}).
7368 @kindex / w (Summary)
7369 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
7370 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
7371 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
7375 @kindex / . (Summary)
7376 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
7377 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
7378 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
7381 @kindex / v (Summary)
7382 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
7383 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
7384 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
7387 @kindex / p (Summary)
7388 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
7389 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
7390 group parameter predicate
7391 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
7392 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
7395 @kindex / r (Summary)
7396 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
7397 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
7398 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
7403 @kindex M S (Summary)
7404 @kindex / E (Summary)
7405 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
7406 Include all expunged articles in the limit
7407 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
7410 @kindex / D (Summary)
7411 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
7412 Include all dormant articles in the limit
7413 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
7416 @kindex / * (Summary)
7417 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
7418 Include all cached articles in the limit
7419 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
7422 @kindex / d (Summary)
7423 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
7424 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
7425 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
7428 @kindex / M (Summary)
7429 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
7430 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
7433 @kindex / T (Summary)
7434 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
7435 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
7438 @kindex / c (Summary)
7439 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
7440 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
7441 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
7444 @kindex / C (Summary)
7445 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
7446 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
7447 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
7448 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
7451 @kindex / N (Summary)
7452 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
7453 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
7454 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
7457 @kindex / o (Summary)
7458 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
7459 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
7460 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
7463 @kindex / b (Summary)
7464 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies
7465 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have bodies that match a
7466 certain regexp (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies}). If given a
7467 prefix, reverse the limit. This command is quite slow since it
7468 requires selecting each article to find the matches.
7471 @kindex / h (Summary)
7472 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-headers
7473 Like the previous command, only limit to headers instead
7474 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-headers}).
7482 @cindex article threading
7484 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
7485 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
7486 hierarchical fashion.
7488 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
7489 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
7490 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
7491 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
7492 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
7493 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
7494 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
7496 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
7500 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
7503 A tree-like article structure.
7506 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
7509 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
7510 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
7511 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
7512 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
7513 called loose threads.
7515 @item thread gathering
7516 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
7518 @item sparse threads
7519 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
7520 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
7526 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
7527 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
7531 @node Customizing Threading
7532 @subsection Customizing Threading
7533 @cindex customizing threading
7536 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
7537 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
7538 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
7539 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
7544 @subsubsection Loose Threads
7547 @cindex loose threads
7550 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
7551 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
7552 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
7553 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
7554 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
7555 read or killed the root in a previous session.
7557 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
7558 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
7559 There are four possible values:
7563 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
7564 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
7565 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
7566 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
7567 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
7572 @cindex adopting articles
7577 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
7578 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
7579 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
7580 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
7583 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
7584 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
7585 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
7586 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
7587 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
7588 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
7589 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
7590 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
7591 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
7592 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
7595 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
7596 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
7597 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
7601 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
7602 display them after one another.
7605 Don't gather loose threads.
7608 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
7609 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
7610 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
7611 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
7612 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
7613 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
7614 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
7615 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
7616 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
7617 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
7618 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
7620 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
7621 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
7622 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
7625 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
7626 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
7627 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
7628 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
7629 simplification is used.
7631 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7632 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7633 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
7634 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
7636 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
7638 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7644 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
7645 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
7646 "answer" "reference" "announce"
7647 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
7652 (mapconcat 'identity
7653 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
7655 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
7658 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
7661 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
7662 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
7663 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
7664 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
7665 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
7666 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
7668 Useful functions to put in this list include:
7671 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
7672 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
7673 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
7675 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
7676 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
7679 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
7680 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
7681 Remove excessive whitespace.
7683 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
7684 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
7685 Remove all whitespace.
7688 You may also write your own functions, of course.
7691 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
7692 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
7693 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
7694 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
7695 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
7696 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
7697 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
7698 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
7700 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7701 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7702 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
7703 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
7704 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
7705 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
7706 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
7707 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
7708 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
7712 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
7713 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
7714 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
7715 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
7717 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
7718 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
7719 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
7722 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
7726 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7727 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
7733 @node Filling In Threads
7734 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
7737 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
7738 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
7739 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
7740 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
7741 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
7742 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
7743 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
7744 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
7745 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
7746 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
7747 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
7748 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
7751 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
7752 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
7753 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
7755 The server has to support @acronym{NOV} for any of this to work.
7757 @cindex Gmane, gnus-fetch-old-headers
7758 This feature can seriously impact performance it ignores all locally
7759 cached header entries. Setting it to @code{t} for groups for a server
7760 that doesn't expire articles (such as news.gmane.org), leads to very
7761 slow summary generation.
7763 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7764 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7765 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
7768 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
7769 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
7770 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
7771 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
7772 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
7773 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
7774 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
7775 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
7776 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
7777 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
7778 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
7779 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
7780 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
7781 @code{nil} by default.
7783 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
7784 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
7785 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
7786 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
7787 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
7788 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
7789 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
7791 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
7792 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
7793 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
7798 @node More Threading
7799 @subsubsection More Threading
7802 @item gnus-show-threads
7803 @vindex gnus-show-threads
7804 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
7805 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
7806 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
7807 slower and more awkward.
7809 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7810 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7811 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
7814 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
7815 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
7816 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
7821 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7822 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
7823 gnus-article-unseen-p))
7826 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
7827 unread, but you get my drift.)
7830 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
7831 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
7832 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
7833 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
7834 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
7835 threads are expunged.
7837 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
7838 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
7839 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
7842 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7843 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7844 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
7845 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
7846 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
7847 result in a new thread.
7849 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
7850 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
7851 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
7854 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7855 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7856 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
7857 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
7858 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
7859 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
7860 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
7861 Setting this variable to an alternate value
7862 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
7863 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
7864 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
7869 @node Low-Level Threading
7870 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
7874 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
7875 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
7876 Hook run before parsing any headers.
7878 @item gnus-alter-header-function
7879 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
7880 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
7881 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
7882 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
7883 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
7884 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
7885 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
7886 meaningful. Here's one example:
7889 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
7891 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
7892 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
7894 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
7896 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
7903 @node Thread Commands
7904 @subsection Thread Commands
7905 @cindex thread commands
7911 @kindex T k (Summary)
7912 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
7913 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
7914 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
7915 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
7916 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
7921 @kindex T l (Summary)
7922 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
7923 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
7924 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
7925 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
7928 @kindex T i (Summary)
7929 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
7930 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
7931 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
7934 @kindex T # (Summary)
7935 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
7936 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
7937 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
7940 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
7941 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
7942 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
7943 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
7946 @kindex T T (Summary)
7947 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
7948 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
7951 @kindex T s (Summary)
7952 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
7953 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
7954 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
7957 @kindex T h (Summary)
7958 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
7959 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
7962 @kindex T S (Summary)
7963 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
7964 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
7967 @kindex T H (Summary)
7968 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
7969 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
7972 @kindex T t (Summary)
7973 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
7974 Re-thread the current article's thread
7975 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
7976 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
7979 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
7980 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
7981 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
7982 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
7985 @kindex T M-^ (Summary)
7986 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-children
7987 Make the current article the parent of the marked articles
7988 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-children}).
7992 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
7993 understand the numeric prefix.
7998 @kindex T n (Summary)
8000 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
8002 @kindex M-down (Summary)
8003 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
8004 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
8007 @kindex T p (Summary)
8009 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
8011 @kindex M-up (Summary)
8012 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
8013 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
8016 @kindex T d (Summary)
8017 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
8018 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
8021 @kindex T u (Summary)
8022 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
8023 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
8026 @kindex T o (Summary)
8027 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
8028 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
8031 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
8032 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
8033 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
8034 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
8035 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
8036 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
8037 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
8038 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
8039 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
8040 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
8041 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
8042 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
8046 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
8047 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
8049 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
8050 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
8051 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
8052 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
8053 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
8054 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
8055 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
8056 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
8057 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
8058 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
8059 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
8060 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
8061 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
8062 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
8063 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
8065 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
8066 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
8067 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
8068 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
8069 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date},
8070 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
8071 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
8072 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
8073 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
8074 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
8076 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
8077 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
8078 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
8080 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
8081 last function in the list. You should probably always include
8082 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
8083 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
8084 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
8085 ascending article order.
8087 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
8088 by number, you could do something like:
8091 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
8092 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
8093 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
8094 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
8097 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
8098 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
8099 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
8100 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
8101 which the articles arrived.
8103 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
8107 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
8108 '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
8109 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
8112 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
8113 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
8114 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
8115 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
8118 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
8119 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
8120 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
8121 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
8122 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
8123 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
8124 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
8125 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
8126 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
8127 variable. It is very similar to the
8128 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
8129 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
8130 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
8131 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
8132 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
8133 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
8134 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
8136 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
8140 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
8141 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
8142 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
8145 You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
8146 @xref{Group Parameters}.
8149 @node Asynchronous Fetching
8150 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
8151 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
8152 @cindex article pre-fetch
8155 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
8156 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
8157 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
8158 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
8159 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
8161 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
8162 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
8164 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
8165 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
8166 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
8167 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
8168 connection is blocked.
8170 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
8171 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
8172 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
8173 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
8175 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
8176 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
8177 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
8178 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
8181 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
8184 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
8185 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
8186 happen automatically.
8188 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
8189 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
8190 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
8191 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
8192 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
8193 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
8194 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
8196 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
8197 @findex gnus-async-unread-p
8198 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
8199 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
8200 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
8201 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
8202 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-unread-p}, which
8203 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
8204 article data structure as the only parameter.
8206 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
8207 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
8210 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
8211 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
8212 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
8213 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
8216 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
8219 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
8220 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
8221 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
8223 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
8224 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
8225 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
8226 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
8230 Remove articles when they are read.
8233 Remove articles when exiting the group.
8236 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
8238 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
8239 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
8240 @c from the next group.
8243 @node Article Caching
8244 @section Article Caching
8245 @cindex article caching
8248 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
8249 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
8250 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
8251 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
8252 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
8254 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
8256 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
8257 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
8258 @vindex gnus-use-cache
8259 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
8260 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
8261 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
8262 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
8263 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
8265 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
8266 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
8267 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
8268 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
8269 as dormant, and don't worry.
8271 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
8273 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
8274 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
8275 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
8276 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
8277 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
8278 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
8279 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
8280 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
8281 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
8282 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
8284 @findex gnus-jog-cache
8285 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
8286 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
8287 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
8288 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
8289 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
8290 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
8291 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
8292 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
8293 not then be downloaded by this command.
8295 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
8296 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
8297 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
8298 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
8299 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
8300 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
8302 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
8303 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
8304 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
8305 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
8306 variables, the group is not cached.
8308 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
8309 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
8310 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
8311 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
8312 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
8313 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
8314 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
8315 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
8316 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
8319 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
8320 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
8321 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
8322 where, isn't that cool?
8324 @node Persistent Articles
8325 @section Persistent Articles
8326 @cindex persistent articles
8328 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
8329 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
8330 useful in my opinion.
8332 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
8333 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
8334 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
8335 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
8336 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
8337 the expiry going on at the news server.
8339 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
8340 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
8341 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
8347 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
8348 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
8351 @kindex M-* (Summary)
8352 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
8353 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
8354 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
8358 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
8360 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
8361 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
8362 interested in persistent articles:
8365 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
8368 @node Sticky Articles
8369 @section Sticky Articles
8370 @cindex sticky articles
8372 When you select an article the current article buffer will be reused
8373 according to the value of the variable
8374 @code{gnus-single-article-buffer}. If its value is non-@code{nil} (the
8375 default) all articles reuse the same article buffer. Else each group
8376 has its own article buffer.
8378 This implies that it's not possible to have more than one article buffer
8379 in a group at a time. But sometimes you might want to display all the
8380 latest emails from your mother, your father, your aunt, your uncle and
8381 your 17 cousins to coordinate the next christmas party.
8383 That's where sticky articles come in handy. A sticky article buffer
8384 basically is a normal article buffer, but it won't be reused when you
8385 select another article. You can make an article sticky with:
8389 @kindex A S (Summary)
8390 @findex gnus-sticky-article
8391 Make the current article sticky. If a prefix arg is given, ask for a
8392 name for this sticky article buffer.
8395 To close a sticky article buffer you can use these commands:
8401 Puts this sticky article buffer at the end of the list of all buffers.
8405 @findex gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffer
8406 Kills this sticky article buffer.
8409 To kill all sticky article buffers you can use:
8411 @defun gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffers ARG
8412 Kill all sticky article buffers.
8413 If a prefix ARG is given, ask for confirmation.
8416 @node Article Backlog
8417 @section Article Backlog
8419 @cindex article backlog
8421 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
8422 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
8423 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
8424 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
8425 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
8426 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
8427 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
8428 increase memory usage some.
8430 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
8431 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
8432 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
8433 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
8434 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
8435 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
8436 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
8438 The default value is 20.
8441 @node Saving Articles
8442 @section Saving Articles
8443 @cindex saving articles
8445 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
8446 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
8447 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
8448 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
8449 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
8451 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
8452 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
8453 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
8455 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
8456 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
8457 unwanted headers before saving the article.
8459 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
8460 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
8461 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
8462 deleted before saving.
8468 @kindex O o (Summary)
8470 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
8471 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
8472 Save the current article using the default article saver
8473 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
8476 @kindex O m (Summary)
8477 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
8478 Save the current article in a Unix mail box (mbox) file
8479 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
8482 @kindex O r (Summary)
8483 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
8484 Save the current article in Rmail format
8485 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
8488 @kindex O f (Summary)
8489 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
8490 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
8491 Save the current article in plain file format
8492 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
8495 @kindex O F (Summary)
8496 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
8497 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
8498 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
8501 @kindex O b (Summary)
8502 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
8503 Save the current article body in plain file format
8504 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
8507 @kindex O h (Summary)
8508 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
8509 Save the current article in mh folder format
8510 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
8513 @kindex O v (Summary)
8514 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
8515 Save the current article in a VM folder
8516 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
8520 @kindex O p (Summary)
8522 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
8523 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
8524 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
8525 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
8526 complete headers in the piped output.
8529 @kindex O P (Summary)
8530 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
8531 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
8532 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
8533 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
8534 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
8535 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
8536 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
8540 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
8541 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
8542 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
8543 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
8544 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
8545 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
8546 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
8547 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
8548 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
8549 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
8550 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
8551 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
8555 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
8556 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
8557 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the eight ready-made
8558 functions below, or you can create your own.
8562 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
8563 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
8564 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
8565 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
8566 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
8567 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8568 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
8570 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
8571 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
8572 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
8573 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
8574 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8575 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
8577 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
8578 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
8579 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
8580 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
8581 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
8582 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8583 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8585 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
8586 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
8587 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
8588 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
8589 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8590 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8592 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
8593 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
8594 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
8595 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8596 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8598 @item gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
8599 @findex gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
8600 Write the article body straight to an ordinary file. The file is
8601 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
8602 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8603 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8605 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
8606 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
8607 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
8608 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
8609 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
8612 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
8613 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
8614 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
8615 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
8616 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
8618 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
8619 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
8620 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
8621 reader to use this setting.
8624 The symbol of each function may have the following properties:
8628 The value non-@code{nil} means save decoded articles. This is
8629 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-save-in-file},
8630 @code{gnus-summary-save-body-in-file},
8631 @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file}, and
8632 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}.
8635 The value specifies an alternative function which appends, not
8636 overwrites, articles to a file. This implies that when saving many
8637 articles at a time, @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} is bound to
8638 @code{t} and all articles are saved in a single file. This is
8639 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file} and
8640 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}.
8643 The value specifies the symbol of a variable of which the value
8644 specifies headers to be saved. If it is omitted,
8645 @code{gnus-save-all-headers} and @code{gnus-saved-headers} control what
8646 headers should be saved.
8649 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
8650 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
8651 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
8652 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
8655 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
8656 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
8657 available functions that generate names:
8661 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
8662 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
8663 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
8665 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
8666 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
8667 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
8669 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
8670 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
8671 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
8673 @item gnus-plain-save-name
8674 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
8675 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
8677 @item gnus-sender-save-name
8678 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
8679 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
8682 @vindex gnus-split-methods
8683 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
8684 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
8685 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
8686 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
8690 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
8691 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
8692 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
8693 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
8696 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
8697 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
8698 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
8699 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
8700 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
8701 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
8702 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
8703 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
8704 called returns a string or a list of strings.
8706 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
8707 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
8708 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
8709 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
8711 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
8712 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
8713 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
8716 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
8717 lots of mail groups called things like
8718 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
8719 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
8720 following will do just that:
8723 (defun my-save-name (group)
8724 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
8725 (substring group (match-end 0))))
8727 (setq gnus-split-methods
8728 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
8733 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
8734 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
8735 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
8736 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
8737 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
8738 all the files in the top level directory
8739 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
8740 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
8741 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
8742 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
8744 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
8745 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
8746 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
8747 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
8748 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
8751 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
8755 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
8756 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
8757 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
8760 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
8761 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
8762 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
8763 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
8766 @node Decoding Articles
8767 @section Decoding Articles
8768 @cindex decoding articles
8770 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
8771 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
8774 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
8775 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
8776 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
8777 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
8778 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
8779 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
8783 @cindex article series
8784 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
8785 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
8786 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
8787 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
8788 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
8790 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
8791 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
8792 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
8794 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
8795 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
8796 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
8798 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
8799 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
8800 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
8803 @node Uuencoded Articles
8804 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
8806 @cindex uuencoded articles
8811 @kindex X u (Summary)
8812 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
8813 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
8814 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
8817 @kindex X U (Summary)
8818 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
8819 Uudecodes and saves the current series
8820 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8823 @kindex X v u (Summary)
8824 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
8825 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
8828 @kindex X v U (Summary)
8829 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
8830 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
8831 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
8835 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
8836 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
8837 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
8838 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
8839 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8841 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
8842 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
8843 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
8844 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
8847 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
8848 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
8849 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
8850 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
8851 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
8852 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
8856 @node Shell Archives
8857 @subsection Shell Archives
8859 @cindex shell archives
8860 @cindex shared articles
8862 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
8863 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
8864 some commands to deal with these:
8869 @kindex X s (Summary)
8870 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
8871 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
8874 @kindex X S (Summary)
8875 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
8876 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
8879 @kindex X v s (Summary)
8880 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
8881 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
8884 @kindex X v S (Summary)
8885 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
8886 Unshars, views and saves the current series
8887 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
8891 @node PostScript Files
8892 @subsection PostScript Files
8898 @kindex X p (Summary)
8899 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
8900 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
8903 @kindex X P (Summary)
8904 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
8905 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
8906 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
8909 @kindex X v p (Summary)
8910 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
8911 View the current PostScript series
8912 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
8915 @kindex X v P (Summary)
8916 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
8917 View and save the current PostScript series
8918 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
8923 @subsection Other Files
8927 @kindex X o (Summary)
8928 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
8929 Save the current series
8930 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
8933 @kindex X b (Summary)
8934 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
8935 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
8936 doesn't really work yet.
8939 @kindex X Y (Summary)
8940 @findex gnus-uu-decode-yenc
8941 yEnc-decode the current series and save it (@code{gnus-uu-decode-yenc}).
8945 @node Decoding Variables
8946 @subsection Decoding Variables
8948 Adjective, not verb.
8951 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
8952 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
8953 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
8957 @node Rule Variables
8958 @subsubsection Rule Variables
8959 @cindex rule variables
8961 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
8962 variables are of the form
8965 (list '(regexp1 command2)
8972 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8973 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8975 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
8976 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
8979 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8980 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
8983 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
8984 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
8985 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
8986 user and default view rules.
8988 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
8989 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
8990 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
8995 @node Other Decode Variables
8996 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
8999 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
9001 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
9002 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
9003 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
9004 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
9005 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
9009 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
9010 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
9013 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
9014 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
9015 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
9018 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
9019 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
9020 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
9021 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
9022 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
9025 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
9026 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
9027 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
9029 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
9030 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
9031 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
9032 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
9033 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
9036 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
9037 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
9038 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
9040 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
9041 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
9042 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
9043 looking for files to display.
9045 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
9046 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
9047 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
9050 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
9051 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
9052 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
9055 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
9056 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
9057 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
9060 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
9061 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
9062 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
9065 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
9066 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
9067 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
9068 decoded articles as unread.
9070 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
9071 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
9072 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
9073 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
9075 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
9076 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
9077 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
9079 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
9080 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
9082 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
9083 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
9084 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
9085 @code{metamail} for viewing.
9087 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
9088 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
9089 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
9090 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
9091 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
9092 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
9093 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
9094 simply dropped them.
9099 @node Uuencoding and Posting
9100 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
9104 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
9105 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
9106 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
9107 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
9108 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
9109 for you when you post the article.
9111 @item gnus-uu-post-length
9112 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
9113 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
9114 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
9116 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
9117 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
9118 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
9119 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
9120 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
9121 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
9122 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
9124 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
9125 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
9126 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
9127 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
9128 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
9129 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
9130 Default is @code{t}.
9136 @subsection Viewing Files
9137 @cindex viewing files
9138 @cindex pseudo-articles
9140 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
9141 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
9142 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
9143 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
9144 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
9145 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
9146 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
9148 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
9149 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
9150 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
9151 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
9153 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
9154 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
9155 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
9157 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
9158 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
9159 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
9160 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
9161 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
9163 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
9164 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
9165 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
9166 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
9167 a list of parameters to that command.
9169 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
9170 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
9171 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
9173 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
9174 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
9175 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
9178 @node Article Treatment
9179 @section Article Treatment
9181 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
9182 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
9183 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
9184 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
9185 these articles easier.
9188 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
9189 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
9190 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
9191 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
9192 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
9193 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
9194 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
9195 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
9196 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
9197 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
9198 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
9202 @node Article Highlighting
9203 @subsection Article Highlighting
9204 @cindex highlighting
9206 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
9207 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
9212 @kindex W H a (Summary)
9213 @findex gnus-article-highlight
9214 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
9215 Do much highlighting of the current article
9216 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
9217 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
9220 @kindex W H h (Summary)
9221 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
9222 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
9223 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
9224 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
9225 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
9226 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
9227 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
9228 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
9229 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
9230 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
9231 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
9234 @kindex W H c (Summary)
9235 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
9236 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
9238 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
9241 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
9243 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
9244 If the article size in bytes is bigger than this variable (which is
9245 25000 by default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
9247 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
9248 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
9249 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
9251 @item gnus-cite-face-list
9252 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
9253 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
9254 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
9255 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
9256 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
9258 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
9259 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
9260 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
9262 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
9263 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
9264 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
9266 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
9267 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
9268 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
9269 that it's a citation.
9271 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
9272 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
9273 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
9275 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
9276 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
9277 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
9279 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
9280 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
9281 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
9282 cited text belonging to the attribution.
9284 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
9285 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
9286 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
9287 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
9288 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
9295 @kindex W H s (Summary)
9296 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9297 @vindex gnus-signature-face
9298 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
9299 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
9300 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
9301 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
9302 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
9307 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
9310 @node Article Fontisizing
9311 @subsection Article Fontisizing
9313 @cindex article emphasis
9315 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
9316 @kindex W e (Summary)
9317 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
9318 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
9319 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
9320 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
9322 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
9323 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
9324 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
9325 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
9326 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
9327 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
9328 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
9329 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
9333 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
9334 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
9335 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
9344 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
9345 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
9346 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
9347 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
9348 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
9349 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
9350 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
9351 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
9352 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
9353 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
9354 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
9355 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
9356 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
9358 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
9359 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
9360 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
9364 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
9367 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
9369 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
9370 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
9371 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
9372 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
9374 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
9377 @node Article Hiding
9378 @subsection Article Hiding
9379 @cindex article hiding
9381 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
9382 too much cruft in most articles.
9387 @kindex W W a (Summary)
9388 @findex gnus-article-hide
9389 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
9390 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
9391 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
9394 @kindex W W h (Summary)
9395 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
9396 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
9400 @kindex W W b (Summary)
9401 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
9402 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
9403 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
9406 @kindex W W s (Summary)
9407 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
9408 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
9412 @kindex W W l (Summary)
9413 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
9414 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
9415 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
9416 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
9417 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
9418 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
9419 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
9423 @item gnus-list-identifiers
9424 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
9425 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
9426 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
9431 @kindex W W P (Summary)
9432 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
9433 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
9434 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
9437 @kindex W W B (Summary)
9438 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
9439 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
9440 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9443 @cindex stripping advertisements
9444 @cindex advertisements
9445 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
9446 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
9447 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
9448 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
9449 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
9450 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
9451 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
9452 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
9453 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
9454 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
9457 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
9458 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
9459 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
9463 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9464 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9465 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
9466 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
9467 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
9468 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
9469 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
9470 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
9471 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
9472 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
9473 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
9476 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
9477 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
9483 @kindex W W c (Summary)
9484 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
9485 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
9486 customizing the hiding:
9490 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
9491 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
9492 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
9493 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
9494 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
9495 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
9496 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
9501 Starting point of the hidden text.
9503 Ending point of the hidden text.
9505 Number of characters in the hidden region.
9507 Number of lines of hidden text.
9510 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
9511 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
9512 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
9513 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
9514 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
9519 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
9520 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
9522 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
9523 following two variables:
9526 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
9527 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
9528 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
9529 50), hide the cited text.
9531 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
9532 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
9533 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
9538 @kindex W W C (Summary)
9539 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
9540 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
9541 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
9542 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
9543 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
9547 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
9548 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
9549 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
9551 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
9552 citation customization.
9554 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
9558 @node Article Washing
9559 @subsection Article Washing
9561 @cindex article washing
9563 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
9564 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
9566 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
9567 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
9570 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
9571 articles by default.
9576 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
9577 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
9581 Force redisplaying of the current article
9582 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
9583 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
9584 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
9585 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
9588 @kindex W l (Summary)
9589 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
9590 Remove page breaks from the current article
9591 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
9595 @kindex W r (Summary)
9596 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
9597 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
9598 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
9599 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
9600 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
9601 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
9603 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
9604 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
9605 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
9606 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
9609 @kindex W m (Summary)
9610 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
9611 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
9614 @kindex W i (Summary)
9615 @findex gnus-summary-idna-message
9616 Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
9617 encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
9618 unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
9619 string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
9620 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
9625 @kindex W t (Summary)
9627 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
9628 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
9629 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
9632 @kindex W v (Summary)
9633 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
9634 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
9635 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
9638 @kindex W o (Summary)
9639 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
9640 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
9643 @kindex W d (Summary)
9644 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
9645 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
9647 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
9649 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
9650 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
9651 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
9652 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
9655 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
9656 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
9657 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
9658 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
9661 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
9662 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
9663 @cindex Outlook Express
9664 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
9665 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
9666 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
9669 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
9670 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
9671 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
9672 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
9673 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
9674 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
9675 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
9676 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
9677 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
9678 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
9681 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
9682 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
9683 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
9684 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
9687 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
9688 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
9689 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
9690 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
9693 @kindex W w (Summary)
9694 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
9695 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
9697 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
9701 @kindex W Q (Summary)
9702 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
9703 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
9706 @kindex W C (Summary)
9707 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
9708 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
9709 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
9712 @kindex W c (Summary)
9713 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
9714 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
9715 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
9716 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
9717 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
9720 @kindex W q (Summary)
9721 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
9722 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
9723 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
9724 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
9725 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
9726 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
9727 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9728 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
9729 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
9732 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
9733 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
9734 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
9735 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
9736 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
9737 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9738 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
9739 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
9742 @kindex W Z (Summary)
9743 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
9744 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
9745 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
9746 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
9749 @kindex W A (Summary)
9750 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
9751 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
9752 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
9753 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
9754 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
9757 @kindex W u (Summary)
9758 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
9759 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
9760 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
9761 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
9762 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
9765 @kindex W h (Summary)
9766 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
9767 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
9768 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9769 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
9771 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
9772 the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
9773 (@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
9775 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
9776 The default is to use the function specified by
9777 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
9778 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
9779 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
9780 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
9788 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
9790 @item w3m-standalone
9791 Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
9794 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
9797 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
9800 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
9805 @kindex W b (Summary)
9806 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
9807 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
9808 @xref{Article Buttons}.
9811 @kindex W B (Summary)
9812 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
9813 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
9814 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
9817 @kindex W p (Summary)
9818 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
9819 Verify a signed control message
9820 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
9821 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
9822 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
9823 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
9824 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
9825 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
9828 @kindex W s (Summary)
9829 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
9830 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
9831 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
9832 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
9835 @kindex W a (Summary)
9836 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
9837 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
9838 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
9841 @kindex W E l (Summary)
9842 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
9843 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
9844 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
9847 @kindex W E m (Summary)
9848 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
9849 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
9850 lines with a single empty line.
9851 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
9854 @kindex W E t (Summary)
9855 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
9856 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
9857 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
9860 @kindex W E a (Summary)
9861 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
9862 Do all the three commands above
9863 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
9866 @kindex W E A (Summary)
9867 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
9868 Remove all blank lines
9869 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
9872 @kindex W E s (Summary)
9873 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
9874 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
9875 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
9878 @kindex W E e (Summary)
9879 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
9880 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
9881 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
9885 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
9888 @node Article Header
9889 @subsection Article Header
9891 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
9896 @kindex W G u (Summary)
9897 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
9898 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
9901 @kindex W G n (Summary)
9902 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
9903 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
9904 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
9907 @kindex W G f (Summary)
9908 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
9909 Fold all the message headers
9910 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
9913 @kindex W E w (Summary)
9914 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
9915 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
9916 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
9921 @node Article Buttons
9922 @subsection Article Buttons
9925 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
9926 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
9927 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
9928 button on these references.
9930 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
9931 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
9932 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
9933 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
9934 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
9938 @item gnus-button-alist
9939 @vindex gnus-button-alist
9940 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
9943 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
9949 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
9950 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
9951 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
9952 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
9953 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
9956 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
9957 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
9958 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
9961 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
9962 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
9963 avoid false matches. Often variables named
9964 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
9965 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
9967 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
9970 This function will be called when you click on this button.
9973 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
9974 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
9978 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
9981 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
9984 @item gnus-header-button-alist
9985 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
9986 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
9987 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
9988 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
9991 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
9994 @var{header} is a regular expression.
9997 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
10000 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
10001 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
10003 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
10005 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
10006 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
10007 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
10008 default values of the variables above.
10010 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
10012 @item gnus-button-man-handler
10013 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
10014 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
10015 argument with a string naming the man page.
10017 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
10019 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
10020 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
10021 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
10023 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
10024 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
10025 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
10026 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
10027 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
10028 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
10029 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
10030 @code{ask}, always query the user what to do. If it is a function, this
10031 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
10032 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
10033 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
10034 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
10036 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
10037 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
10038 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
10039 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
10040 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
10043 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
10044 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
10045 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
10046 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
10048 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
10050 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
10051 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
10052 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
10053 argument, the string naming the URL.
10055 @item gnus-ctan-url
10056 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
10057 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
10058 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
10062 @item gnus-article-button-face
10063 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
10064 Face used on buttons.
10066 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
10067 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
10068 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
10072 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
10075 @node Article Button Levels
10076 @subsection Article button levels
10077 @cindex button levels
10078 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
10079 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
10080 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
10081 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
10082 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
10083 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
10084 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
10085 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
10088 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
10089 (setq gnus-parameters
10090 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
10091 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
10092 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
10097 @item gnus-button-browse-level
10098 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
10099 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
10100 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
10101 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
10102 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
10104 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
10105 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
10106 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
10107 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
10108 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
10109 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
10110 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
10111 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
10112 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
10113 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
10114 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
10115 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
10116 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
10118 @item gnus-button-man-level
10119 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
10120 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
10121 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
10123 @item gnus-button-message-level
10124 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
10125 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
10126 Related variables and functions include
10127 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
10128 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
10129 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
10130 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
10132 @item gnus-button-tex-level
10133 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
10134 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
10135 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
10136 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
10137 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
10138 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
10144 @subsection Article Date
10146 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
10147 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
10148 when the article was sent.
10153 @kindex W T u (Summary)
10154 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
10155 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
10156 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
10159 @kindex W T i (Summary)
10160 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
10162 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
10163 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
10166 @kindex W T l (Summary)
10167 @findex gnus-article-date-local
10168 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
10171 @kindex W T p (Summary)
10172 @findex gnus-article-date-english
10173 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
10174 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
10177 @kindex W T s (Summary)
10178 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
10179 @findex gnus-article-date-user
10180 @findex format-time-string
10181 Display the date using a user-defined format
10182 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
10183 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
10184 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
10185 for a list of possible format specs.
10188 @kindex W T e (Summary)
10189 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
10190 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
10191 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
10192 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
10193 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
10196 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
10199 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
10200 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
10201 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
10204 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
10205 into wonderful absurdities.
10207 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
10210 (gnus-start-date-timer)
10213 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
10214 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
10218 @kindex W T o (Summary)
10219 @findex gnus-article-date-original
10220 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
10221 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
10222 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
10223 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
10224 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
10228 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
10229 preferred format automatically.
10232 @node Article Display
10233 @subsection Article Display
10238 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
10239 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
10241 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
10242 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
10244 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
10245 headers (@pxref{Face}).
10247 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
10248 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
10250 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
10251 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
10253 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
10254 they'll be removed.
10258 @kindex W D x (Summary)
10259 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
10260 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
10261 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
10264 @kindex W D d (Summary)
10265 @findex gnus-article-display-face
10266 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
10267 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
10270 @kindex W D s (Summary)
10271 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
10272 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
10275 @kindex W D f (Summary)
10276 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
10277 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
10280 @kindex W D m (Summary)
10281 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
10282 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
10283 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
10286 @kindex W D n (Summary)
10287 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
10288 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
10289 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
10292 @kindex W D D (Summary)
10293 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
10294 Remove all images from the article buffer
10295 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
10301 @node Article Signature
10302 @subsection Article Signature
10304 @cindex article signature
10306 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
10307 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
10308 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
10309 that says what is to be considered a signature is
10310 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
10311 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
10312 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
10313 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
10314 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
10317 (setq gnus-signature-separator
10318 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
10319 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
10320 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
10321 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
10322 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
10323 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
10324 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
10327 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
10330 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
10331 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
10332 signature when displaying articles.
10336 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
10339 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
10342 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
10343 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
10345 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
10346 in question is not a signature.
10349 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
10350 listed above. Here's an example:
10353 (setq gnus-signature-limit
10354 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
10357 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
10358 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
10359 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
10360 signature after all.
10363 @node Article Miscellanea
10364 @subsection Article Miscellanea
10368 @kindex A t (Summary)
10369 @findex gnus-article-babel
10370 Translate the article from one language to another
10371 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
10376 @node MIME Commands
10377 @section MIME Commands
10378 @cindex MIME decoding
10379 @cindex attachments
10380 @cindex viewing attachments
10382 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
10383 instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
10388 @kindex b (Summary)
10389 @kindex K v (Summary)
10390 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
10393 @kindex K o (Summary)
10394 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
10397 @kindex K O (Summary)
10398 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
10399 from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
10400 via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
10403 @kindex K r (Summary)
10404 Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
10407 @kindex K d (Summary)
10408 Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
10412 @kindex K c (Summary)
10413 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
10416 @kindex K e (Summary)
10417 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
10420 @kindex K i (Summary)
10421 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
10424 @kindex K | (Summary)
10425 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
10428 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
10433 @kindex K H (Summary)
10434 @findex gnus-article-browse-html-article
10435 View @samp{text/html} parts of the current article with a WWW browser.
10436 The message header is added to the beginning of every html part unless
10437 the prefix argument is given.
10439 Warning: Spammers use links to images in HTML articles to verify whether
10440 you have read the message. As this command passes the @acronym{HTML}
10441 content to the browser without eliminating these ``web bugs'' you should
10442 only use it for mails from trusted senders.
10444 If you always want to display @acronym{HTML} parts in the browser, set
10445 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} to @code{nil}.
10448 @kindex K b (Summary)
10449 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
10450 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
10454 @kindex K m (Summary)
10455 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
10456 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
10457 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
10458 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
10459 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
10462 @kindex X m (Summary)
10463 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
10464 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
10465 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
10466 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10469 @kindex M-t (Summary)
10470 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
10471 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
10472 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
10475 @kindex W M w (Summary)
10476 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
10477 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
10478 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
10481 @kindex W M c (Summary)
10482 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
10483 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
10484 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
10486 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
10487 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
10488 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
10489 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
10490 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
10491 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
10494 @kindex W M v (Summary)
10495 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
10496 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
10497 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
10501 Relevant variables:
10504 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
10505 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
10506 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10507 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
10510 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
10513 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
10517 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
10518 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
10519 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
10520 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
10521 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
10522 default is @code{t}.
10524 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
10525 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
10528 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
10529 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
10530 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
10531 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
10532 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}. Only
10533 single-part yEnc encoded attachments can be decoded. There's no support
10534 for encoding in Gnus.
10536 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
10537 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
10538 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10539 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
10540 displayed or this variable is overridden by
10541 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
10542 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
10543 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
10545 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
10546 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
10547 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10548 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
10549 displayed. This variable overrides
10550 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
10551 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
10554 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
10555 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
10556 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
10558 You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
10559 display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
10560 those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
10561 (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
10562 Emacs MIME Manual}).
10564 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
10565 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
10566 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
10567 default value is @code{nil}.
10569 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
10570 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
10571 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
10572 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
10573 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
10574 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
10575 save all jpegs into some directory).
10577 Here's an example function the does the latter:
10580 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
10581 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
10583 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
10584 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
10585 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
10586 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
10587 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
10590 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
10591 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
10592 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
10594 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
10595 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
10596 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
10598 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
10599 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
10600 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
10602 If displaying @samp{text/html} is discouraged, see
10603 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}, images or other material inside a
10604 "multipart/related" part might be overlooked when this variable is
10605 @code{nil}. @ref{Display Customization, Display Customization, ,
10606 emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}.
10608 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
10609 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
10610 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
10611 overrides @code{nil} values of
10612 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
10613 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
10615 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10616 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10617 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
10618 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
10620 Ready-made functions include@*
10621 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
10622 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
10623 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
10624 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
10625 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
10626 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
10627 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
10628 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
10629 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
10630 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
10631 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
10632 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
10634 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
10635 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
10637 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
10638 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
10639 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
10642 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10643 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
10644 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
10645 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
10649 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
10658 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
10659 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
10660 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
10661 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
10662 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
10663 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
10664 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
10666 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
10667 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
10668 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
10669 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
10671 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
10672 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
10673 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
10674 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
10675 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
10676 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
10677 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
10678 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
10679 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
10681 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
10682 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
10683 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
10684 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
10685 quoted-printable header encoding.
10687 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
10688 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
10689 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
10693 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
10696 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
10697 means encode all charsets),
10699 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
10700 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
10701 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
10708 @cindex coding system aliases
10709 @cindex preferred charset
10711 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
10712 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
10713 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
10715 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
10717 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
10718 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
10721 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
10722 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
10725 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
10726 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
10728 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
10731 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
10734 This will almost do the right thing.
10736 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
10740 (codepage-setup 1251)
10741 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
10745 @node Article Commands
10746 @section Article Commands
10753 @kindex A P (Summary)
10754 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
10755 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
10756 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
10757 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
10758 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
10759 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
10764 @node Summary Sorting
10765 @section Summary Sorting
10766 @cindex summary sorting
10768 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
10769 can't really see why you'd want that.
10774 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
10775 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
10776 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
10779 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
10780 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
10781 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
10784 @kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
10785 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
10786 Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
10789 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
10790 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
10791 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
10794 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
10795 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
10796 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
10799 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
10800 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
10801 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
10804 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
10805 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
10806 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
10809 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
10810 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
10811 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
10814 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
10815 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
10816 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
10819 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
10820 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
10821 Sort using the default sorting method
10822 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
10825 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
10826 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
10827 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
10828 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
10829 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
10833 @node Finding the Parent
10834 @section Finding the Parent
10835 @cindex parent articles
10836 @cindex referring articles
10840 @kindex ^ (Summary)
10841 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
10842 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
10843 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
10844 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
10845 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
10846 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
10847 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
10848 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
10849 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
10851 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
10852 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
10853 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
10854 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
10855 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
10858 @item A R (Summary)
10859 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
10860 @kindex A R (Summary)
10861 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
10862 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
10864 @item A T (Summary)
10865 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
10866 @kindex A T (Summary)
10867 Display the full thread where the current article appears
10868 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
10869 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
10870 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
10871 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
10872 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
10873 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
10875 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
10876 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
10877 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
10878 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
10879 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
10880 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
10882 @item M-^ (Summary)
10883 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
10884 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
10886 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
10887 You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
10888 belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
10889 for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
10890 thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
10891 You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
10893 Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
10894 been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
10895 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
10898 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
10899 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
10900 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
10901 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
10902 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
10903 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
10906 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
10907 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
10908 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
10911 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
10912 then ask Google if that fails:
10915 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
10917 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
10920 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
10921 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
10922 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
10923 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
10924 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
10925 group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
10926 not support this at all.
10929 @node Alternative Approaches
10930 @section Alternative Approaches
10932 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
10933 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
10936 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
10937 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
10941 @node Pick and Read
10942 @subsection Pick and Read
10943 @cindex pick and read
10945 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
10946 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
10947 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
10948 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
10950 @findex gnus-pick-mode
10951 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
10952 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
10953 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
10954 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
10955 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
10957 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
10962 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
10963 Pick the article or thread on the current line
10964 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
10965 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
10966 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
10967 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
10968 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
10969 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
10972 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
10973 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
10974 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
10975 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
10979 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
10980 Unpick the thread or article
10981 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
10982 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
10983 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
10984 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
10985 the thread or article at that line.
10989 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
10990 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
10991 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
10992 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
10993 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
10994 will still be visible when you are reading.
10998 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
10999 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
11000 which is mapped to the same function
11001 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
11003 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
11006 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
11009 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
11010 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
11012 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
11013 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
11014 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
11016 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
11017 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
11018 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
11019 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
11020 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
11021 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
11022 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
11025 @node Binary Groups
11026 @subsection Binary Groups
11027 @cindex binary groups
11029 @findex gnus-binary-mode
11030 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
11031 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
11032 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
11033 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
11034 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
11035 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
11038 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
11039 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
11040 command, when you have turned on this mode
11041 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
11043 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
11044 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
11048 @section Tree Display
11051 @vindex gnus-use-trees
11052 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
11053 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
11054 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
11055 in the tree buffer.
11057 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
11060 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
11061 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
11062 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
11064 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
11065 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
11066 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
11067 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
11068 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
11070 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
11071 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
11072 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
11073 default is @code{modeline}.
11075 @item gnus-tree-line-format
11076 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
11077 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
11078 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
11079 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
11080 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
11081 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
11087 The name of the poster.
11089 The @code{From} header.
11091 The number of the article.
11093 The opening bracket.
11095 The closing bracket.
11100 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
11102 Variables related to the display are:
11105 @item gnus-tree-brackets
11106 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
11107 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
11108 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
11110 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
11111 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
11112 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
11114 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
11116 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
11117 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
11118 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
11119 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
11123 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
11124 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
11125 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
11126 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
11127 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
11128 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
11129 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
11130 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
11131 other windows displayed next to it.
11133 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
11137 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
11138 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
11141 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
11142 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
11143 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
11144 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
11145 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
11146 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
11147 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
11151 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
11154 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
11164 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
11169 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
11170 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
11172 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
11174 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
11180 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
11181 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
11182 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
11185 (setq gnus-use-trees t
11186 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
11187 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
11188 (gnus-add-configuration
11192 (summary 0.75 point)
11197 @xref{Window Layout}.
11200 @node Mail Group Commands
11201 @section Mail Group Commands
11202 @cindex mail group commands
11204 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
11205 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
11207 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
11208 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
11213 @kindex B e (Summary)
11214 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
11215 @cindex expiring mail
11216 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
11217 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
11218 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
11219 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
11222 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
11223 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
11224 @cindex expiring mail
11225 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
11226 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
11227 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
11228 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
11231 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
11232 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
11233 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
11234 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
11235 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
11236 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
11239 @kindex B m (Summary)
11241 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
11242 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
11243 Move the article from one mail group to another
11244 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
11245 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
11248 @kindex B c (Summary)
11250 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
11251 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
11252 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
11253 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
11254 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
11257 @kindex B B (Summary)
11258 @cindex crosspost mail
11259 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
11260 Crosspost the current article to some other group
11261 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
11262 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
11263 be properly updated.
11266 @kindex B i (Summary)
11267 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
11268 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
11269 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
11270 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
11273 @kindex B I (Summary)
11274 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
11275 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
11276 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
11277 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
11280 @kindex B r (Summary)
11281 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
11282 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
11283 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
11284 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
11285 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
11286 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
11287 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
11288 (which is the default).
11292 @kindex B w (Summary)
11293 @kindex e (Summary)
11294 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
11295 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
11296 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
11297 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
11298 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
11299 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
11300 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
11303 @kindex B q (Summary)
11304 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
11305 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
11306 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
11307 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
11310 @kindex B t (Summary)
11311 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
11312 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
11313 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
11316 @kindex B p (Summary)
11317 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
11318 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
11319 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
11320 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
11321 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
11322 article from your news server (or rather, from
11323 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
11324 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
11325 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
11326 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
11327 just not have arrived yet.
11330 @kindex K E (Summary)
11331 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
11332 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
11333 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
11334 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
11335 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
11339 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
11340 @cindex moving articles
11341 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
11342 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
11343 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
11344 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
11345 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
11346 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
11347 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
11350 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
11351 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
11352 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
11353 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
11357 @node Various Summary Stuff
11358 @section Various Summary Stuff
11361 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
11362 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
11363 * Summary Generation Commands::
11364 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
11368 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
11369 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
11370 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
11371 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
11372 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
11373 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
11375 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
11376 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
11377 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
11380 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
11381 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
11382 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
11384 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
11385 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
11386 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
11387 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
11388 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
11389 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
11392 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
11393 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
11394 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
11395 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
11396 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
11398 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
11399 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
11400 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
11403 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
11404 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
11405 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
11406 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
11407 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
11408 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
11409 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
11410 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
11411 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
11412 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
11414 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
11415 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
11416 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
11417 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
11418 list of articles to be selected.
11420 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
11421 the list in one particular group:
11424 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
11425 (if (string= group "some.group")
11426 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
11430 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
11431 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
11432 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
11433 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
11434 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
11437 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
11438 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
11439 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
11440 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
11441 variable will be used instead.
11443 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
11444 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
11445 buffers. For example:
11448 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
11449 '(message-use-followup-to
11450 (gnus-visible-headers .
11451 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
11454 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
11456 @vindex gnus-propagate-marks
11457 @item gnus-propagate-marks
11458 If non-@code{nil}, propagate marks to the backends for possible
11459 storing. @xref{NNTP marks}, and friends, for a more fine-grained
11465 @node Summary Group Information
11466 @subsection Summary Group Information
11471 @kindex H f (Summary)
11472 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
11473 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
11474 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
11475 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
11476 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
11477 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
11478 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
11479 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
11480 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
11483 @kindex H d (Summary)
11484 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
11485 Give a brief description of the current group
11486 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
11487 rereading the description from the server.
11490 @kindex H h (Summary)
11491 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
11492 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
11493 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
11496 @kindex H i (Summary)
11497 @findex gnus-info-find-node
11498 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
11502 @node Searching for Articles
11503 @subsection Searching for Articles
11508 @kindex M-s (Summary)
11509 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
11510 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
11511 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
11514 @kindex M-r (Summary)
11515 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
11516 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
11517 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
11520 @kindex M-S (Summary)
11521 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward
11522 Repeat the previous search forwards
11523 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward}).
11526 @kindex M-R (Summary)
11527 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward
11528 Repeat the previous search backwards
11529 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward}).
11532 @kindex & (Summary)
11533 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
11534 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
11535 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
11536 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
11537 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
11538 search backward instead.
11540 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
11541 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
11544 @kindex M-& (Summary)
11545 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
11546 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
11547 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
11550 @node Summary Generation Commands
11551 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
11556 @kindex Y g (Summary)
11557 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
11558 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
11561 @kindex Y c (Summary)
11562 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
11563 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11564 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
11567 @kindex Y d (Summary)
11568 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
11569 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11570 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
11573 @kindex Y t (Summary)
11574 @findex gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles
11575 Pull all ticked articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11576 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles}).
11581 @node Really Various Summary Commands
11582 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
11588 @kindex C-d (Summary)
11589 @kindex A D (Summary)
11590 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
11591 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
11592 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
11593 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
11594 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
11595 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
11596 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
11597 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
11600 @vindex gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit
11601 The variable @code{gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit} controls what
11602 article should be selected after exiting a digest group. Valid values
11607 Select the next article.
11610 Select the next unread article.
11612 @item next-noselect
11613 Move the cursor to the next article. This is the default.
11615 @item next-unread-noselect
11616 Move the cursor to the next unread article.
11619 If it has any other value or there is no next (unread) article, the
11620 article selected before entering to the digest group will appear.
11623 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
11624 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
11625 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
11626 several documents into one biiig group
11627 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
11628 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
11629 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
11630 command understands the process/prefix convention
11631 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
11634 @kindex C-t (Summary)
11635 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
11636 Toggle truncation of summary lines
11637 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
11638 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
11639 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
11642 @kindex = (Summary)
11643 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
11644 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
11645 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
11648 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
11649 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
11650 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
11651 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
11654 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
11655 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
11656 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
11657 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
11662 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
11663 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
11664 @cindex summary exit
11665 @cindex exiting groups
11667 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
11668 group and return you to the group buffer.
11675 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
11676 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
11677 @kindex q (Summary)
11678 @findex gnus-summary-exit
11679 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
11680 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
11681 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
11682 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
11683 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
11684 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
11685 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
11686 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
11687 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
11688 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
11689 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
11693 @kindex Z E (Summary)
11694 @kindex Q (Summary)
11695 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
11696 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
11697 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
11701 @kindex Z c (Summary)
11702 @kindex c (Summary)
11703 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
11704 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
11705 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
11706 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
11709 @kindex Z C (Summary)
11710 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
11711 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
11712 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
11715 @kindex Z n (Summary)
11716 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
11717 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
11718 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
11721 @kindex Z p (Summary)
11722 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
11723 Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
11724 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
11728 @kindex Z R (Summary)
11729 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
11730 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
11731 Exit this group, and then enter it again
11732 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
11733 all articles, both read and unread.
11737 @kindex Z G (Summary)
11738 @kindex M-g (Summary)
11739 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
11740 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
11741 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
11742 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
11743 articles, both read and unread.
11746 @kindex Z N (Summary)
11747 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
11748 Exit the group and go to the next group
11749 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
11752 @kindex Z P (Summary)
11753 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
11754 Exit the group and go to the previous group
11755 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
11758 @kindex Z s (Summary)
11759 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
11760 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
11761 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
11762 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
11763 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
11766 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
11767 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
11768 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
11769 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
11771 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
11772 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
11773 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
11774 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
11775 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
11776 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
11777 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
11778 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
11779 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
11780 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
11781 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
11782 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
11784 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
11786 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
11787 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
11788 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
11789 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
11790 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
11791 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
11792 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
11793 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
11794 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
11797 @node Crosspost Handling
11798 @section Crosspost Handling
11802 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
11803 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
11804 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
11805 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
11806 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
11807 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
11810 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
11811 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
11812 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
11813 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
11814 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
11816 @cindex cross-posting
11818 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
11819 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
11820 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
11821 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
11822 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
11823 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
11824 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
11825 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
11826 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
11827 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
11828 the cross reference mechanism.
11830 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
11831 @cindex overview.fmt
11832 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
11833 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
11834 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
11835 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
11836 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
11837 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
11840 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
11841 set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
11842 considerably. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
11846 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
11849 @node Duplicate Suppression
11850 @section Duplicate Suppression
11852 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
11853 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
11854 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
11855 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
11860 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
11861 is evil and not very common.
11864 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
11865 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
11868 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
11869 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
11872 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
11875 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
11876 well, but these four are the most common situations.
11878 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
11879 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
11880 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
11881 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
11882 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
11883 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
11884 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
11887 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
11888 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
11889 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
11890 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
11891 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
11892 saw the article in.
11895 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
11896 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
11897 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
11899 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
11900 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
11901 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
11902 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
11903 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
11904 session are suppressed.
11906 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
11907 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
11908 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
11909 suppression list. The default is 10000.
11911 @item gnus-duplicate-file
11912 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
11913 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
11914 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
11917 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
11918 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
11919 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
11920 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
11921 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
11922 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
11923 to you to figure out, I think.
11928 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
11929 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
11930 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
11935 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
11936 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
11937 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
11938 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
11941 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
11942 or newer is recommended.
11946 The variables that control security functionality on reading messages
11950 @item mm-verify-option
11951 @vindex mm-verify-option
11952 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
11953 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
11954 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
11956 @item mm-decrypt-option
11957 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
11958 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
11959 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
11960 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
11963 @vindex mml1991-use
11964 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
11965 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
11966 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
11970 @vindex mml2015-use
11971 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
11972 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
11973 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
11978 By default the buttons that display security information are not
11979 shown, because they clutter reading the actual e-mail. You can type
11980 @kbd{K b} manually to display the information. Use the
11981 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types} and
11982 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} variables to control this
11983 permanently. @ref{MIME Commands} for further details, and hints on
11984 how to customize these variables to always display security
11987 @cindex snarfing keys
11988 @cindex importing PGP keys
11989 @cindex PGP key ring import
11990 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
11991 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
11992 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
11993 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
11994 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
11995 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
11996 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
11997 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
11998 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
12001 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
12004 This happens to also be the default action defined in
12005 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
12007 More information on how to set things for sending outgoing signed and
12008 encrypted messages up can be found in the message manual
12009 (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
12012 @section Mailing List
12013 @cindex mailing list
12016 @kindex A M (summary)
12017 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
12018 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
12019 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
12020 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
12023 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
12028 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
12029 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
12030 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
12033 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
12034 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
12035 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
12038 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
12039 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
12040 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
12044 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
12045 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
12046 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
12049 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
12050 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
12051 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
12054 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
12055 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
12056 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
12061 @node Article Buffer
12062 @chapter Article Buffer
12063 @cindex article buffer
12065 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
12066 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
12067 tell Gnus otherwise.
12070 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
12071 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
12072 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
12073 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
12074 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
12078 @node Hiding Headers
12079 @section Hiding Headers
12080 @cindex hiding headers
12081 @cindex deleting headers
12083 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
12084 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
12086 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
12087 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
12088 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
12089 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
12090 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
12091 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
12092 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
12093 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
12094 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
12096 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
12100 @item gnus-visible-headers
12101 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
12102 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
12103 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
12104 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
12106 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
12107 the article and the subject, you'd say:
12110 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
12113 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
12116 @item gnus-ignored-headers
12117 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
12118 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
12119 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
12120 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
12121 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
12123 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
12124 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
12127 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
12130 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
12133 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
12134 variable will have no effect.
12138 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
12139 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
12140 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
12141 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
12142 the headers are to be displayed.
12144 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
12145 and then the subject, you might say something like:
12148 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
12151 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
12152 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
12154 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
12155 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
12156 You can hide further boring headers by setting
12157 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
12158 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
12159 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
12160 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
12163 These conditions are:
12166 Remove all empty headers.
12168 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
12169 @code{Newsgroups} header.
12171 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
12172 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
12175 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
12178 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
12179 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
12181 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
12182 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
12184 Remove the @code{Cc} header if it only contains the address identical to
12185 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
12187 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
12190 Remove the @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} header if it is very long.
12192 Remove all @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} headers if there are more than one.
12195 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
12198 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
12199 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
12202 This is also the default value for this variable.
12206 @section Using MIME
12207 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
12209 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
12210 while people stand around yawning.
12212 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
12213 while all newsreaders die of fear.
12215 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
12216 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
12217 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
12219 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
12220 @findex gnus-display-mime
12221 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
12222 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
12223 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
12224 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
12226 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
12227 @acronym{MIME} button:
12230 @findex gnus-article-press-button
12231 @item RET (Article)
12232 @kindex RET (Article)
12233 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
12234 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
12235 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
12236 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
12237 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
12238 object is displayed inline.
12240 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
12241 @item M-RET (Article)
12242 @kindex M-RET (Article)
12244 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
12245 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
12247 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
12249 @kindex t (Article)
12250 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
12251 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
12253 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
12255 @kindex C (Article)
12256 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
12257 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
12259 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
12261 @kindex o (Article)
12262 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
12263 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
12265 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
12266 @item C-o (Article)
12267 @kindex C-o (Article)
12268 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
12269 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
12270 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
12271 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
12272 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
12273 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
12275 @findex gnus-mime-replace-part
12277 @kindex r (Article)
12278 Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
12279 external body refering to the file via the message/external-body
12280 @acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
12282 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
12284 @kindex d (Article)
12285 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
12286 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
12287 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
12289 @c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
12291 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
12293 @kindex c (Article)
12294 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
12295 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
12296 without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
12297 charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
12298 @ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
12299 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
12300 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
12301 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
12303 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
12305 @kindex p (Article)
12306 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
12307 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
12308 @file{.mailcap} file.
12310 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
12312 @kindex i (Article)
12313 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
12314 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as @samp{text/plain}. If given a prefix, insert
12315 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
12316 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
12317 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
12318 Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
12319 automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
12320 @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
12321 Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
12323 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
12325 @kindex E (Article)
12326 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
12327 viewer is available, use an external viewer
12328 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
12330 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
12332 @kindex e (Article)
12333 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
12334 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
12336 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
12338 @kindex | (Article)
12339 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
12341 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
12343 @kindex . (Article)
12344 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
12345 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
12349 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
12350 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
12351 @acronym{MIME} manual.
12353 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
12354 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
12355 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
12356 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
12357 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
12358 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
12359 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
12360 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
12361 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
12363 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
12365 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
12368 @node Customizing Articles
12369 @section Customizing Articles
12370 @cindex article customization
12372 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
12373 exist. You can call these functions interactively
12374 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
12375 called automatically when you select the articles.
12377 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
12378 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
12379 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
12380 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
12382 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
12383 for sensible values.
12387 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
12390 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
12393 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
12396 @code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
12399 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
12402 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
12406 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
12407 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
12408 regexps in the list.
12411 A list where the first element is not a string:
12413 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
12414 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
12415 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
12419 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
12424 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
12425 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
12426 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
12427 considered to contain just a single part.
12429 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
12430 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
12431 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
12432 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
12433 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
12434 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
12435 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
12438 @c Avoid sort of redundant entries in the same section for the printed
12439 @c manual, but add them in info to allow `i gnus-treat-foo-bar RET' or
12441 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize
12442 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize-head
12443 @vindex gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences
12444 @vindex gnus-treat-overstrike
12445 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-cr
12446 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body
12447 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines
12448 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines
12449 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-pem
12450 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines
12451 @vindex gnus-treat-unsplit-urls
12452 @vindex gnus-treat-wash-html
12453 @vindex gnus-treat-date-english
12454 @vindex gnus-treat-date-iso8601
12455 @vindex gnus-treat-date-lapsed
12456 @vindex gnus-treat-date-local
12457 @vindex gnus-treat-date-original
12458 @vindex gnus-treat-date-user-defined
12459 @vindex gnus-treat-date-ut
12460 @vindex gnus-treat-from-picon
12461 @vindex gnus-treat-mail-picon
12462 @vindex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
12463 @vindex gnus-treat-display-smileys
12464 @vindex gnus-treat-body-boundary
12465 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
12466 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
12467 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
12468 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
12469 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
12470 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
12471 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
12472 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
12473 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
12474 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
12475 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
12476 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
12477 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
12478 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
12479 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
12480 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
12481 @vindex gnus-treat-translate
12482 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
12483 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
12484 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
12485 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
12486 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
12489 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
12490 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
12491 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
12492 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
12495 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
12496 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
12498 @xref{Article Buttons}.
12500 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
12501 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
12502 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
12503 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
12504 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
12505 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
12506 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
12507 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
12508 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
12509 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
12511 @xref{Article Washing}.
12513 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
12514 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
12515 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
12516 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
12517 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
12518 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
12519 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
12521 @xref{Article Date}.
12523 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
12524 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
12525 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
12529 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
12531 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
12533 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
12534 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
12535 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
12539 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
12540 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
12544 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
12545 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
12549 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
12550 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
12551 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
12552 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
12553 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
12554 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
12555 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
12556 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
12557 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
12558 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
12559 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
12560 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
12561 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
12562 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
12563 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
12564 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
12565 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
12566 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
12567 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
12568 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
12570 @xref{Article Hiding}.
12572 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
12573 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
12574 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
12575 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
12576 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
12577 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
12579 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
12581 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
12582 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
12583 @vindex gnus-treat-translate
12584 @item gnus-treat-translate
12585 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
12586 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
12587 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
12589 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
12590 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
12591 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
12592 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
12593 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
12594 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
12595 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
12596 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
12598 @xref{Article Header}.
12603 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
12604 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
12605 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
12606 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
12607 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
12611 @node Article Keymap
12612 @section Article Keymap
12614 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
12615 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
12616 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
12617 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
12620 @kindex v (Article)
12621 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Article)
12622 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
12623 command or better use it as a prefix key.
12625 A few additional keystrokes are available:
12630 @kindex SPACE (Article)
12631 @findex gnus-article-next-page
12632 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
12633 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
12636 @kindex DEL (Article)
12637 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
12638 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
12639 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
12642 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
12643 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
12644 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
12645 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
12646 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
12649 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
12650 @findex gnus-article-mail
12651 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
12652 given a prefix, include the mail.
12655 @kindex s (Article)
12656 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
12657 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
12658 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
12661 @kindex ? (Article)
12662 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
12663 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
12664 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
12667 @kindex TAB (Article)
12668 @findex gnus-article-next-button
12669 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
12670 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
12673 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
12674 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
12675 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
12678 @kindex R (Article)
12679 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
12680 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
12681 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If the region is active,
12682 only yank the text in the region.
12685 @kindex S W (Article)
12686 @findex gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original
12687 Send a wide reply to the current article and yank the current article
12688 (@code{gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original}). If the region is
12689 active, only yank the text in the region.
12692 @kindex F (Article)
12693 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
12694 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
12695 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If the region is active,
12696 only yank the text in the region.
12703 @section Misc Article
12707 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
12708 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
12709 @cindex article buffers, several
12710 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
12711 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
12714 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
12715 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
12716 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
12717 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
12718 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
12720 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
12721 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
12722 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
12723 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
12724 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
12725 the contents of the article buffer.
12727 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
12728 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
12729 Hook called in article mode buffers.
12731 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
12732 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
12733 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
12734 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
12736 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
12737 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
12738 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
12739 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
12741 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
12742 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
12743 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
12744 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
12745 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
12746 with two extensions:
12751 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
12752 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
12753 performed. The characters and their meaning:
12758 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
12761 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
12764 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
12765 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
12766 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
12769 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
12772 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
12775 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
12780 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
12784 @vindex gnus-break-pages
12786 @item gnus-break-pages
12787 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
12788 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
12789 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
12790 paging will not be done.
12792 @item gnus-page-delimiter
12793 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
12794 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
12798 @cindex internationalized domain names
12799 @vindex gnus-use-idna
12800 @item gnus-use-idna
12801 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
12802 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
12803 @samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
12804 for how to compose such messages. This requires
12805 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
12806 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
12811 @node Composing Messages
12812 @chapter Composing Messages
12813 @cindex composing messages
12816 @cindex sending mail
12821 @cindex using s/mime
12822 @cindex using smime
12824 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
12825 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
12826 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
12827 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
12828 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
12829 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
12832 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
12833 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
12834 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
12835 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
12836 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
12837 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
12838 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
12839 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
12840 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
12843 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
12844 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
12850 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
12853 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
12854 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
12855 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
12856 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
12857 @code{nil} include all headers.
12859 @item gnus-add-to-list
12860 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
12861 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
12862 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
12864 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
12865 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
12866 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
12867 about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
12868 interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
12869 receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
12870 non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
12871 matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
12873 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
12874 press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
12876 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
12877 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
12878 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
12879 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
12880 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
12885 @node Posting Server
12886 @section Posting Server
12888 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
12889 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
12891 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
12893 It can be quite complicated.
12895 @vindex gnus-post-method
12896 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
12897 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
12898 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
12899 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
12900 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
12901 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
12902 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
12903 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
12904 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
12907 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
12910 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
12911 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
12912 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
12913 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
12915 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
12916 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
12918 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
12919 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
12922 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
12923 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
12925 @vindex message-send-mail-function
12926 When sending mail, Message invokes the function specified by the
12927 variable @code{message-send-mail-function}. Gnus tries to set it to a
12928 value suitable for your system.
12929 @xref{Mail Variables, ,Mail Variables,message,Message manual}, for more
12932 @node POP before SMTP
12933 @section POP before SMTP
12934 @cindex pop before smtp
12935 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
12936 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
12938 Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
12939 authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
12940 mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
12941 a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
12942 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
12945 (setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
12946 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
12950 It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
12951 whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
12952 does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
12953 @code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
12954 Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
12955 @code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
12956 set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
12957 correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
12959 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
12960 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
12961 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
12962 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
12963 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
12964 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
12967 (setq mail-source-primary-source
12968 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12969 :password "secret"))
12973 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
12974 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
12977 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
12979 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
12980 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12981 :password "secret")))
12982 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
12985 @node Mail and Post
12986 @section Mail and Post
12988 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
12992 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
12993 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
12994 @cindex mailing lists
12996 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
12997 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
12998 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
12999 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
13000 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
13001 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
13002 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
13003 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
13004 still a pain, though.
13006 @item gnus-user-agent
13007 @vindex gnus-user-agent
13010 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
13011 User-Agent header. It can be a list of symbols or a string. Valid
13012 symbols are @code{gnus} (show Gnus version) and @code{emacs} (show Emacs
13013 version). In addition to the Emacs version, you can add @code{codename}
13014 (show (S)XEmacs codename) or either @code{config} (show system
13015 configuration) or @code{type} (show system type). If you set it to a
13016 string, be sure to use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
13020 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
13021 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
13022 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
13025 @findex ispell-message
13027 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
13030 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
13031 you're in, you could say something like the following:
13034 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
13038 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
13039 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
13041 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
13044 Modify to suit your needs.
13046 @vindex gnus-message-highlight-citation
13047 If @code{gnus-message-highlight-citation} is t, different levels of
13048 citations are highlighted like in Gnus article buffers also in message
13051 @node Archived Messages
13052 @section Archived Messages
13053 @cindex archived messages
13054 @cindex sent messages
13056 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
13057 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
13058 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
13059 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
13062 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
13063 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
13066 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
13067 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
13068 use to store sent messages. The default is @code{"archive"}, and when
13069 actually being used it is expanded into:
13072 (nnfolder "archive"
13073 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
13074 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
13075 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
13076 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
13080 @vindex gnus-update-message-archive-method
13081 Note: a server like this is saved in the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file first
13082 so that it may be used as a real method of the server which is named
13083 @code{"archive"} (that is, for the case where
13084 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} is set to @code{"archive"}) ever
13085 since. If it once has been saved, it will never be updated by default
13086 even if you change the value of @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
13087 afterward. Therefore, the server @code{"archive"} doesn't necessarily
13088 mean the @code{nnfolder} server like this at all times. If you want the
13089 saved method to reflect always the value of
13090 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, set the
13091 @code{gnus-update-message-archive-method} variable to a non-@code{nil}
13092 value. The default value of this variable is @code{nil}.
13095 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
13096 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
13097 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
13098 directory chosen, you could say something like:
13101 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
13102 '(nnfolder "archive"
13103 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
13104 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
13105 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
13108 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
13110 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
13111 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
13112 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
13114 This variable can be used to do the following:
13118 Messages will be saved in that group.
13120 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
13121 message will not be stored in the select method given by
13122 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
13123 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
13124 has the default value shown above. Then setting
13125 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
13126 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
13127 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
13130 @item a list of strings
13131 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
13133 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
13134 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
13137 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
13142 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
13144 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
13147 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
13149 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
13152 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
13154 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13155 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
13156 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
13157 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
13160 More complex stuff:
13162 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13163 '((if (message-news-p)
13168 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
13169 messages in one file per month:
13172 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13173 '((if (message-news-p)
13175 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
13178 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
13179 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
13181 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
13182 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
13183 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
13184 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
13185 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
13186 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
13187 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
13188 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
13189 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
13190 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
13192 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
13193 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
13194 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
13195 this will disable archiving.
13198 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
13199 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
13200 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
13201 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
13202 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
13205 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
13206 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
13207 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
13210 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
13211 but the latter is the preferred method.
13213 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
13214 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
13215 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
13217 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
13218 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
13219 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
13220 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
13221 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
13222 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
13223 changed in the future.
13228 @node Posting Styles
13229 @section Posting Styles
13230 @cindex posting styles
13233 All them variables, they make my head swim.
13235 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
13236 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
13237 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
13240 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
13241 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
13242 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
13243 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
13244 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
13249 (signature "Peace and happiness")
13250 (organization "What me?"))
13252 (signature "Death to everybody"))
13253 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
13254 (organization "Emacs is it")))
13257 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
13258 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
13259 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
13260 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
13261 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
13262 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
13263 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
13264 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
13266 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
13267 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
13268 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
13269 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
13270 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
13271 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
13272 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
13273 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
13274 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
13275 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
13276 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
13277 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
13278 said to @dfn{match}.
13280 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
13281 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
13282 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
13283 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
13284 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
13285 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
13286 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
13287 name can be one of:
13290 @item @code{signature}
13291 @item @code{signature-file}
13292 @item @code{x-face-file}
13293 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
13294 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
13298 Note that the @code{signature-file} attribute honors the variable
13299 @code{message-signature-directory}.
13301 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
13302 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
13303 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
13304 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
13305 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
13307 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
13308 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
13309 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
13310 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
13311 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
13312 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
13313 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
13314 references chars lines xref extra.
13316 @vindex message-reply-headers
13318 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
13319 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
13320 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
13322 @findex message-mail-p
13323 @findex message-news-p
13325 So here's a new example:
13328 (setq gnus-posting-styles
13330 (signature-file "~/.signature")
13332 (x-face-file "~/.xface")
13333 (x-url (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
13334 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
13336 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
13337 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
13338 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
13339 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
13340 (signature my-news-signature))
13341 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
13342 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
13343 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
13344 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
13345 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
13346 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
13347 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
13348 (address "user@@bar.foo")
13349 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
13350 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
13352 (From (save-excursion
13353 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
13354 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
13356 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
13359 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
13360 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
13361 if you fill many roles.
13362 You may also use @code{message-alternative-emails} instead.
13363 @xref{Message Headers, ,Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
13369 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
13370 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
13371 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
13372 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
13373 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
13375 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
13376 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
13377 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
13378 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
13379 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
13383 @vindex nndraft-directory
13384 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
13385 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
13386 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
13387 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
13388 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
13389 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
13391 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
13392 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
13393 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
13394 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
13395 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
13396 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
13397 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
13398 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
13399 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
13401 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
13402 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
13403 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
13404 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
13405 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
13406 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
13407 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
13408 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
13409 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
13410 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
13411 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
13412 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
13413 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
13414 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
13416 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
13417 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
13418 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
13420 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
13421 @kindex D e (Draft)
13422 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
13423 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
13424 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
13426 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
13429 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
13430 @kindex D s (Draft)
13431 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
13432 @kindex D S (Draft)
13433 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
13434 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
13435 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
13436 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
13437 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
13440 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
13441 @kindex D t (Draft)
13442 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
13443 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
13444 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
13447 @node Rejected Articles
13448 @section Rejected Articles
13449 @cindex rejected articles
13451 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
13452 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
13453 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
13454 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
13456 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
13457 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
13458 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
13459 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
13460 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
13462 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
13463 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
13464 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
13466 @node Signing and encrypting
13467 @section Signing and encrypting
13469 @cindex using s/mime
13470 @cindex using smime
13472 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
13473 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
13474 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
13475 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
13477 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
13478 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
13479 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
13480 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
13481 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
13482 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
13483 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
13484 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
13485 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
13486 automatically encrypted messages.
13488 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
13489 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
13490 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
13495 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
13496 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
13498 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
13501 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
13502 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
13504 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
13507 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
13508 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
13510 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
13513 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
13514 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
13516 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
13519 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
13520 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
13522 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
13525 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
13526 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
13528 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
13531 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
13532 @findex mml-unsecure-message
13533 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
13537 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
13539 @node Select Methods
13540 @chapter Select Methods
13541 @cindex foreign groups
13542 @cindex select methods
13544 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
13545 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
13546 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
13547 personal mail group.
13549 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
13550 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
13551 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
13552 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
13553 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
13554 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
13556 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
13557 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
13559 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
13562 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
13563 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
13564 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
13565 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
13566 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
13568 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
13571 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
13572 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
13573 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
13574 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
13575 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
13576 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
13577 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
13578 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
13579 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
13583 @node Server Buffer
13584 @section Server Buffer
13586 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
13587 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
13588 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
13589 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
13590 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
13591 back end represents a virtual server.
13593 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
13594 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
13595 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
13596 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
13598 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
13599 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
13600 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
13601 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
13602 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
13603 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
13604 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
13606 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
13607 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
13610 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
13611 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
13612 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
13613 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
13614 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
13615 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
13616 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
13619 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
13620 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
13623 @node Server Buffer Format
13624 @subsection Server Buffer Format
13625 @cindex server buffer format
13627 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
13628 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
13629 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
13630 variable, with some simple extensions:
13635 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
13638 The name of this server.
13641 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
13644 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
13647 Whether this server is agentized.
13650 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
13651 The mode line can also be customized by using the
13652 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
13653 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
13663 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
13666 @node Server Commands
13667 @subsection Server Commands
13668 @cindex server commands
13674 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Server)
13675 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
13676 command or better use it as a prefix key.
13680 @findex gnus-server-add-server
13681 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
13685 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
13686 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
13689 @kindex SPACE (Server)
13690 @findex gnus-server-read-server
13691 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
13695 @findex gnus-server-exit
13696 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
13700 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
13701 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
13705 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
13706 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
13710 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
13711 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
13715 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
13716 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
13720 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
13721 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
13722 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
13727 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
13728 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
13729 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
13730 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
13734 @findex gnus-server-compact-server
13736 Compact all groups in the server under point
13737 (@code{gnus-server-compact-server}). Currently implemented only in
13738 nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes gaps between article numbers,
13739 hence getting a correct total article count.
13744 @node Example Methods
13745 @subsection Example Methods
13747 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
13750 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
13753 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
13759 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
13760 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
13763 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
13764 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
13766 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
13767 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
13771 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
13774 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
13775 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
13777 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
13778 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
13779 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
13783 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
13786 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
13789 Here's the method for a public spool:
13793 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
13794 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
13800 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
13801 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
13802 on the firewall machine and connect with
13803 @uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} from there to the
13804 @acronym{NNTP} server.
13805 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
13806 should probably look something like this:
13810 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)
13811 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
13812 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host"))
13815 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
13816 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
13817 configuration to the example above:
13820 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13823 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
13824 an indirect connection:
13827 (setq gnus-select-method
13829 (nntp-address "news.server.example")
13830 (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
13831 (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
13832 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13833 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C"))
13834 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)))
13837 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
13838 provide automatic authorization, of course.
13840 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
13841 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
13842 netcat connection to the news server as follows:
13846 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13847 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
13848 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
13852 @node Creating a Virtual Server
13853 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
13855 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
13856 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
13858 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
13859 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
13860 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
13862 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
13864 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
13865 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
13866 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
13867 will contain the following:
13877 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
13878 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
13881 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
13882 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
13883 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
13886 @node Server Variables
13887 @subsection Server Variables
13888 @cindex server variables
13889 @cindex server parameters
13891 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
13892 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
13893 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
13894 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
13895 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
13897 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
13898 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
13899 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
13900 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
13901 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
13902 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
13903 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
13904 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
13905 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
13909 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
13910 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
13911 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
13914 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
13916 @node Servers and Methods
13917 @subsection Servers and Methods
13919 Wherever you would normally use a select method
13920 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
13921 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
13922 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
13926 @node Unavailable Servers
13927 @subsection Unavailable Servers
13929 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
13930 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
13931 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
13932 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
13933 actually the case or not.
13935 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
13936 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
13937 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
13938 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
13939 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
13940 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
13941 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
13942 it will regard that server as ``down''.
13944 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
13945 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
13947 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
13948 with the following commands:
13954 @findex gnus-server-open-server
13955 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
13956 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
13960 @findex gnus-server-close-server
13961 Close the connection (if any) to the server
13962 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
13966 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
13967 Mark the current server as unreachable
13968 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
13971 @kindex M-o (Server)
13972 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
13973 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
13974 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
13977 @kindex M-c (Server)
13978 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
13979 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
13980 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
13984 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
13985 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
13986 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
13990 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
13991 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
13997 @section Getting News
13998 @cindex reading news
13999 @cindex news back ends
14001 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
14002 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
14003 or it can read from a local spool.
14006 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
14007 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
14015 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
14016 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
14017 server as the, uhm, address.
14019 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
14020 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
14021 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
14022 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14024 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
14025 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
14026 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
14028 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
14033 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
14034 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
14035 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
14037 @cindex authentication
14038 @cindex nntp authentication
14039 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
14040 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
14041 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
14042 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
14043 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
14044 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
14045 present in this hook.
14047 @item nntp-authinfo-function
14048 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
14049 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
14050 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
14051 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
14052 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
14053 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
14054 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
14055 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
14056 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
14057 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
14058 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
14062 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
14065 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
14067 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
14068 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
14069 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
14070 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
14071 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
14072 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
14073 @samp{force} is explained below.
14077 Here's an example file:
14080 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
14081 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
14084 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
14085 have to be first, for instance.
14087 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
14088 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
14089 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
14090 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
14091 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
14092 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
14093 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
14095 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
14096 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
14102 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
14103 previously mentioned.
14105 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
14107 @item nntp-server-action-alist
14108 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
14109 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
14110 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
14111 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
14114 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
14115 '(("innd" (ding))))
14118 You probably don't want to do that, though.
14120 The default value is
14123 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
14124 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
14125 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
14128 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
14129 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
14131 @item nntp-maximum-request
14132 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
14133 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
14134 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
14135 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
14136 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
14137 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
14138 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
14140 @item nntp-connection-timeout
14141 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
14142 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
14143 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
14144 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
14145 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
14146 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
14147 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
14148 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
14149 no timeouts are done.
14151 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
14152 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
14153 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
14154 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
14157 @item nntp-xover-commands
14158 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
14159 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
14161 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
14162 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
14166 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
14167 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
14168 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
14169 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
14170 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
14171 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
14172 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
14173 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
14174 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
14175 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
14176 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
14178 @item nntp-xref-number-is-evil
14179 @vindex nntp-xref-number-is-evil
14180 When Gnus refers to an article having the @code{Message-ID} that a user
14181 specifies or having the @code{Message-ID} of the parent article of the
14182 current one (@pxref{Finding the Parent}), Gnus sends a @code{HEAD}
14183 command to the @acronym{NNTP} server to know where it is, and the server
14184 returns the data containing the pairs of a group and an article number
14185 in the @code{Xref} header. Gnus normally uses the article number to
14186 refer to the article if the data shows that that article is in the
14187 current group, while it uses the @code{Message-ID} otherwise. However,
14188 some news servers, e.g., ones running Diablo, run multiple engines
14189 having the same articles but article numbers are not kept synchronized
14190 between them. In that case, the article number that appears in the
14191 @code{Xref} header varies by which engine is chosen, so you cannot refer
14192 to the parent article that is in the current group, for instance. If
14193 you connect to such a server, set this variable to a non-@code{nil}
14194 value, and Gnus never uses article numbers. For example:
14197 (setq gnus-select-method
14199 (nntp-address "newszilla.example.com")
14200 (nntp-xref-number-is-evil t)
14204 The default value of this server variable is @code{nil}.
14206 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
14207 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
14208 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
14210 @item nntp-record-commands
14211 @vindex nntp-record-commands
14212 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
14213 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
14214 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
14215 that doesn't seem to work.
14217 @item nntp-open-connection-function
14218 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
14219 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
14220 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
14221 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
14222 Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
14223 in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
14224 indirect ones (three pre-made).
14226 @item nntp-never-echoes-commands
14227 @vindex nntp-never-echoes-commands
14228 Non-@code{nil} means the nntp server never echoes commands. It is
14229 reported that some nntps server doesn't echo commands. So, you may want
14230 to set this to non-@code{nil} in the method for such a server setting
14231 @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream} for
14232 example. The default value is @code{nil}. Note that the
14233 @code{nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands} variable
14234 overrides the @code{nil} value of this variable.
14236 @item nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
14237 @vindex nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
14238 List of functions that never echo commands. Add or set a function which
14239 you set to @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to this list if it does
14240 not echo commands. Note that a non-@code{nil} value of the
14241 @code{nntp-never-echoes-commands} variable overrides this variable. The
14242 default value is @code{(nntp-open-network-stream)}.
14244 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
14245 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
14246 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
14247 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
14248 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
14249 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
14250 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
14253 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
14256 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
14257 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
14262 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
14263 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
14264 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
14265 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
14269 @node Direct Functions
14270 @subsubsection Direct Functions
14271 @cindex direct connection functions
14273 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
14274 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
14275 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
14276 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14279 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
14280 @item nntp-open-network-stream
14281 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
14284 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
14285 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
14286 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
14287 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
14288 installed. You then define a server as follows:
14291 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
14292 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
14294 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
14295 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
14296 (nntp-port-number )
14297 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
14300 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
14301 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
14302 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
14303 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
14304 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
14305 then define a server as follows:
14308 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
14309 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
14311 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
14312 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
14313 (nntp-port-number 563)
14314 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
14317 @findex nntp-open-netcat-stream
14318 @item nntp-open-netcat-stream
14319 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server using the @code{netcat}
14320 program. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have
14321 the default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
14322 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
14323 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
14324 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
14328 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
14329 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
14330 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
14333 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
14334 session, which is not a good idea.
14336 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
14337 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
14338 Like @code{nntp-open-netcat-stream}, but uses @code{telnet} rather than
14339 @code{netcat}. @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things
14340 like line-end-conversion, but sometimes netcat is simply
14341 not available. The previous example would turn into:
14345 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
14346 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
14347 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
14348 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
14353 @node Indirect Functions
14354 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
14355 @cindex indirect connection functions
14357 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
14358 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
14359 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
14360 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
14361 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
14362 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14365 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
14366 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
14367 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then uses @code{netcat} to connect
14368 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
14369 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
14371 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
14374 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
14375 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
14376 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
14377 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
14379 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14380 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14381 List of strings to be used as the switches to
14382 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
14383 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
14384 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections.
14387 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
14388 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
14389 Does essentially the same, but uses @code{telnet} instead of @samp{netcat}
14390 to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
14391 @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things like
14392 line-end-conversion, but sometimes @code{netcat} is simply not available.
14394 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
14397 @item nntp-telnet-command
14398 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
14399 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
14400 intermediate host. The default is @samp{telnet}.
14402 @item nntp-telnet-switches
14403 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
14404 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
14405 @code{nntp-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{("-8")}.
14407 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
14408 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
14409 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
14410 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
14412 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14413 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14414 List of strings to be used as the switches to
14415 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. If you use @samp{ssh}, you may need to set
14416 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
14417 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
14418 host. The default is @code{nil}.
14421 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
14422 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14424 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
14425 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
14426 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
14427 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
14429 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
14432 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
14433 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
14434 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
14437 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
14438 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
14439 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
14440 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
14442 @item nntp-via-user-password
14443 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
14444 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
14446 @item nntp-via-envuser
14447 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
14448 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
14449 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
14450 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
14452 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
14453 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
14454 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
14455 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
14459 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
14460 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14464 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
14469 @item nntp-via-user-name
14470 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
14471 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
14473 @item nntp-via-address
14474 @vindex nntp-via-address
14475 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
14480 @node Common Variables
14481 @subsubsection Common Variables
14483 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
14484 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
14485 affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
14486 default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
14487 variables individually).
14491 @item nntp-pre-command
14492 @vindex nntp-pre-command
14493 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
14494 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
14495 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
14496 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
14499 @vindex nntp-address
14500 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
14502 @item nntp-port-number
14503 @vindex nntp-port-number
14504 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
14505 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
14506 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
14507 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
14508 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
14509 not work with named ports.
14511 @item nntp-end-of-line
14512 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
14513 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
14514 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
14515 using a non native telnet connection function.
14517 @item nntp-netcat-command
14518 @vindex nntp-netcat-command
14519 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
14520 @samp{netcat}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
14521 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
14524 @item nntp-netcat-switches
14525 @vindex nntp-netcat-switches
14526 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-netcat-command}. The default
14532 @subsubsection NNTP marks
14533 @cindex storing NNTP marks
14535 Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
14536 servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
14537 in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
14538 Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
14539 (@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
14540 that of a news server, for example marks for the group
14541 @samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
14542 the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
14544 Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
14545 directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
14546 and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
14547 in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
14548 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
14550 Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
14551 the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
14552 installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
14553 servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
14554 However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
14555 D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
14556 get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
14558 Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
14559 if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
14560 variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
14566 @item nntp-marks-is-evil
14567 @vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
14568 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
14569 default is @code{nil}.
14571 @item nntp-marks-directory
14572 @vindex nntp-marks-directory
14573 The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
14579 @subsection News Spool
14583 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
14584 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
14585 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
14588 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
14589 anything else) as the address.
14591 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
14592 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
14593 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
14594 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
14598 @item nnspool-inews-program
14599 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
14600 Program used to post an article.
14602 @item nnspool-inews-switches
14603 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
14604 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
14606 @item nnspool-spool-directory
14607 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
14608 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
14609 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
14611 @item nnspool-nov-directory
14612 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
14613 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
14614 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
14616 @item nnspool-lib-dir
14617 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
14618 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
14620 @item nnspool-active-file
14621 @vindex nnspool-active-file
14622 The name of the active file.
14624 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
14625 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
14626 The name of the group descriptions file.
14628 @item nnspool-history-file
14629 @vindex nnspool-history-file
14630 The name of the news history file.
14632 @item nnspool-active-times-file
14633 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
14634 The name of the active date file.
14636 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
14637 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
14638 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
14641 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
14642 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
14644 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
14645 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
14646 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
14653 @section Getting Mail
14654 @cindex reading mail
14657 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
14661 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
14662 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
14663 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
14664 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
14665 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
14666 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
14667 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
14668 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
14669 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
14670 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
14671 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
14672 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
14673 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
14677 @node Mail in a Newsreader
14678 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
14680 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
14681 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
14682 of a culture shock.
14684 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
14685 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
14687 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
14688 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
14689 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
14690 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
14692 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
14694 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
14695 deleted? How awful!
14697 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
14698 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
14699 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
14700 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
14703 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
14704 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
14705 they want to treat a message.
14707 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
14708 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
14709 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
14710 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
14711 archived somewhere else.
14713 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
14714 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
14715 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
14716 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
14717 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
14719 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
14720 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
14721 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
14723 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
14724 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
14727 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
14728 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
14729 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
14730 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
14731 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
14733 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
14734 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
14735 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
14736 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
14737 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
14738 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
14742 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
14743 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
14745 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
14746 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
14747 and things will happen automatically.
14749 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
14750 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14753 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
14756 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
14757 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
14758 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
14759 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
14760 like any other group.
14762 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
14765 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14766 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14767 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
14771 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
14772 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
14773 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
14776 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
14777 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
14778 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
14781 @node Splitting Mail
14782 @subsection Splitting Mail
14783 @cindex splitting mail
14784 @cindex mail splitting
14785 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
14787 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
14788 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
14789 to be split into groups.
14792 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14793 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14794 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
14795 ("mail.other" "")))
14798 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
14799 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
14800 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
14801 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
14802 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
14803 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
14804 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
14807 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
14811 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
14812 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14814 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14815 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
14816 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
14817 mail belongs in that group.
14819 @cindex @samp{bogus} group
14820 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
14821 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
14822 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
14823 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
14824 to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
14825 that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
14826 will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
14827 splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
14828 see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
14830 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
14831 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
14832 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
14833 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
14834 thinks should carry this mail message.
14836 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
14837 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
14838 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
14839 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
14841 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
14842 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
14843 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
14844 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
14845 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
14847 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
14850 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
14851 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
14852 links. If that's the case for you, set
14853 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
14854 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
14856 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
14857 @findex nnmail-split-history
14858 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
14859 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
14860 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
14861 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
14864 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
14865 Header lines longer than the value of
14866 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
14869 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
14870 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
14871 By default, splitting does not decode headers, so you can not match on
14872 non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. But it is useful if you want to match
14873 articles based on the raw header data. To enable it, set the
14874 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} variable to a non-@code{nil} value.
14875 In addition, the value of the @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
14876 variable is used for decoding non-@acronym{MIME} encoded string when
14877 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} is non-@code{nil}. The default
14878 value is @code{nil} which means not to decode non-@acronym{MIME} encoded
14879 string. A suitable value for you will be @code{undecided} or be the
14880 charset used normally in mails you are interested in.
14882 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
14883 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
14884 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
14885 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
14886 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
14887 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
14888 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
14889 other kinds of entries.)
14891 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
14892 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
14893 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
14894 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
14895 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
14896 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
14897 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
14898 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
14899 month's rent money.
14903 @subsection Mail Sources
14905 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
14906 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
14907 maildir, for instance.
14910 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
14911 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
14912 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
14916 @node Mail Source Specifiers
14917 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
14919 @cindex mail server
14922 @cindex mail source
14924 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
14925 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
14930 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
14933 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
14934 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
14935 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
14938 The @code{mail-sources} is global for all mail groups. You can specify
14939 an additional mail source for a particular group by including the
14940 @code{group} mail specifier in @code{mail-sources}, and setting a
14941 @code{mail-source} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) specifying
14942 a single mail source. When this is used, @code{mail-sources} is
14943 typically just @code{(group)}; the @code{mail-source} parameter for a
14944 group might look like this:
14947 (mail-source . (file :path "home/user/spools/foo.spool"))
14950 This means that the group's (and only this group's) messages will be
14951 fetched from the spool file @samp{/user/spools/foo.spool}.
14953 The following mail source types are available:
14957 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
14963 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
14964 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
14965 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
14969 Script run before/after fetching mail.
14972 An example file mail source:
14975 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
14978 Or using the default file name:
14984 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
14985 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
14986 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
14987 mail spool while moving the mail.
14989 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
14993 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
14996 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
15000 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
15003 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
15005 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
15008 Alter this script to fit the @samp{movemail} and temporary
15009 file you want to use.
15013 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
15014 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
15015 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
15016 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
15017 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
15018 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
15019 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
15020 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
15021 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
15022 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
15024 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
15025 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
15026 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
15027 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
15033 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
15037 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
15041 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
15042 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
15043 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
15044 predicate are considered.
15048 Script run before/after fetching mail.
15052 An example directory mail source:
15055 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
15060 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
15066 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
15067 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
15070 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
15071 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
15072 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
15073 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
15074 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
15077 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
15081 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
15082 the user is prompted.
15085 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
15086 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
15089 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
15092 The valid format specifier characters are:
15096 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
15097 included in this string.
15100 The name of the server.
15103 The port number of the server.
15106 The user name to use.
15109 The password to use.
15112 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
15113 corresponding keywords.
15116 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
15117 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
15120 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
15121 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
15124 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
15125 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
15126 mail should be moved to.
15128 @item :authentication
15129 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
15130 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
15135 @vindex pop3-movemail
15136 @vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
15137 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
15138 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server}
15139 is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be left on the @acronym{POP} server
15140 after fetching when using @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers
15141 maintain no state information between sessions, so what the client
15142 believes is there and what is actually there may not match up. If they
15143 do not, then you may get duplicate mails or the whole thing can fall
15144 apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
15146 Here are some examples for getting mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
15147 Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server, using the default user
15148 name, and default fetcher:
15154 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
15157 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
15158 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
15161 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
15164 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
15168 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
15169 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
15170 contains exactly one mail.
15176 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
15177 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
15180 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
15181 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
15183 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
15184 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
15185 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
15188 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
15189 from locking problems).
15193 Two example maildir mail sources:
15196 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
15197 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
15201 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
15206 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
15207 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
15208 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
15209 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
15210 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
15212 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
15213 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
15219 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
15220 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
15223 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
15224 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
15227 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
15231 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
15235 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
15236 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
15237 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
15238 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
15240 @item :authentication
15241 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
15242 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
15243 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
15244 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
15247 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
15248 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
15249 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
15255 Make sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g.,
15256 don't forget to redirect the error output to the void. The valid format
15257 specifier characters are:
15261 The name of the server.
15264 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
15267 The port number of the server.
15270 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
15271 corresponding keywords.
15274 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
15275 which normally is the mailbox which receives incoming mail.
15278 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
15279 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
15280 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
15281 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
15282 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
15283 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
15286 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
15287 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
15288 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
15289 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
15292 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
15293 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
15297 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
15300 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
15302 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
15306 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
15307 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
15308 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
15310 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
15311 required for url "4.0pre.46".
15313 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
15319 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
15320 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
15323 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
15327 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
15331 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
15332 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
15336 An example webmail source:
15339 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
15341 :password "secret")
15345 Get the actual mail source from the @code{mail-source} group parameter,
15346 @xref{Group Parameters}.
15351 @item Common Keywords
15352 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
15358 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
15359 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
15364 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
15369 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
15370 useful when you use local mail and news.
15375 @subsubsection Function Interface
15377 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
15378 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
15379 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
15380 consider the following mail-source setting:
15383 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
15384 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
15387 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
15388 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
15389 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
15390 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
15391 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
15393 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
15396 @node Mail Source Customization
15397 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
15399 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
15400 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
15404 @item mail-source-crash-box
15405 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
15406 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
15407 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
15410 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
15411 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
15412 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
15413 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
15414 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
15415 (the deletion will only happen when receiving new mail). You may also
15416 set @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
15417 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
15418 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{2} in alpha Gnusae
15419 and @code{10} in released Gnusae. @xref{Gnus Development}.
15421 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
15422 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
15423 If non-@code{nil}, ask for confirmation before deleting old incoming
15424 files. This variable only applies when
15425 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
15427 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
15428 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
15429 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
15431 @item mail-source-directory
15432 @vindex mail-source-directory
15433 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
15434 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
15435 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
15436 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
15438 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
15439 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
15440 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
15441 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
15442 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
15443 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
15446 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
15447 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
15448 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
15450 @item mail-source-movemail-program
15451 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
15452 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
15453 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
15458 @node Fetching Mail
15459 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
15461 @vindex mail-sources
15462 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
15463 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
15464 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
15466 If this variable is @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to
15467 fetch mail by themselves.
15469 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
15470 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
15475 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
15476 :password "secret")))
15479 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
15483 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
15484 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
15487 :password "secret")))
15491 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
15492 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
15493 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
15494 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
15495 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
15496 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
15500 @node Mail Back End Variables
15501 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
15503 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
15507 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
15508 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
15509 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
15510 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
15512 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
15513 @item nnmail-split-hook
15514 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
15515 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
15516 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
15517 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
15518 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
15519 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
15520 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
15521 in the buffer will show up in any files.
15522 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
15525 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15526 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15527 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15528 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15529 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
15530 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
15531 starting to handle the new mail) and
15532 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
15533 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
15534 default file modes the new mail files get:
15537 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15538 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
15540 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15541 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
15544 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
15545 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
15546 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
15547 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
15548 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
15549 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
15550 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
15552 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
15553 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
15554 @findex delete-file
15555 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
15557 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15558 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15559 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
15560 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
15561 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
15563 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
15564 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
15565 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
15566 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
15567 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
15569 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
15570 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
15571 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
15576 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
15577 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
15578 @cindex mail splitting
15579 @cindex fancy mail splitting
15581 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
15582 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
15583 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
15584 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
15585 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
15586 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
15588 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
15591 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
15592 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
15593 ;; @r{from real errors.}
15594 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
15596 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
15597 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
15598 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
15599 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
15600 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
15601 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
15602 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
15603 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
15604 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
15605 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
15606 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
15607 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
15608 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
15609 (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
15610 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
15611 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
15612 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
15616 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
15617 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
15618 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
15623 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
15624 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
15626 @c Don't fold this line.
15627 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split} [@var{invert-partial}])
15628 The split can be a list containing at least three elements. If the
15629 first element @var{field} (a regexp matching a header) contains
15630 @var{value} (also a regexp) then store the message as specified by
15633 If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
15634 @var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
15635 @var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
15636 @var{split} is processed.
15638 The last element @var{invert-partial} is optional. If it is
15639 non-@code{nil}, the match-partial-words behavior controlled by the
15640 variable @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} (see below) is
15641 be inverted. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
15643 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
15644 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
15645 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
15646 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
15647 stored in one or more groups.
15649 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
15650 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
15651 process all @var{split}s in the list.
15654 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
15655 this message. Use with extreme caution.
15657 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
15658 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
15659 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
15660 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
15663 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
15664 body of the messages:
15667 (defun split-on-body ()
15671 (goto-char (point-min))
15672 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
15676 The buffer is narrowed to the header of the message in question when
15677 @var{function} is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called
15678 after @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
15679 above. Also note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will
15680 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
15681 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
15682 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
15684 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
15685 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
15686 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
15687 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
15688 should return a split.
15691 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
15695 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
15697 Normally, @var{value} in these splits must match a complete @emph{word}
15698 according to the fundamental mode syntax table. In other words, all
15699 @var{value}'s will be implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers,
15700 which are word delimiters. Therefore, if you use the following split,
15704 (any "joe" "joemail")
15708 messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will normally not be filed
15709 in @samp{joemail}. If you want to alter this behavior, you can use any
15710 of the following three ways:
15714 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
15715 You can set the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
15716 to non-@code{nil} in order to ignore word boundaries and instead the
15717 match becomes more like a grep. This variable controls whether partial
15718 words are matched during fancy splitting. The default value is
15721 Note that it influences all @var{value}'s in your split rules.
15724 @var{value} beginning with @code{.*} ignores word boundaries in front of
15725 a word. Similarly, if @var{value} ends with @code{.*}, word boundaries
15726 in the rear of a word will be ignored. For example, the @var{value}
15727 @code{"@@example\\.com"} does not match @samp{foo@@example.com} but
15728 @code{".*@@example\\.com"} does.
15731 You can set the @var{invert-partial} flag in your split rules of the
15732 @samp{(@var{field} @var{value} @dots{})} types, aforementioned in this
15733 section. If the flag is set, word boundaries on both sides of a word
15734 are ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
15735 @code{nil}. Contrarily, if the flag is set, word boundaries are not
15736 ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
15737 non-@code{nil}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
15740 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
15741 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
15742 they are expanded as specified by the variable
15743 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
15744 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
15745 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
15746 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
15750 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
15752 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
15753 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
15755 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
15758 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
15759 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
15760 when all this splitting is performed.
15762 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
15763 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
15764 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
15767 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
15770 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
15771 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
15773 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
15774 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
15775 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
15776 groupings 1 through 9.
15778 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
15779 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
15780 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
15781 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
15782 groups when users send to an address using different case
15783 (i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
15786 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
15787 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
15788 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
15789 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
15790 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
15791 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
15792 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
15793 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
15794 it once per thread.
15796 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
15797 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
15798 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
15799 using the colon feature, like so:
15801 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
15802 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
15804 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
15805 ;; @r{other splits go here}
15809 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
15810 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
15811 in the file specified by the variable
15812 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
15813 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
15814 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
15815 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
15816 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
15817 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
15818 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
15819 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
15820 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
15821 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
15822 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
15823 300 kBytes in size.)
15824 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15825 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
15826 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
15827 messages goes into the new group.
15829 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
15830 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
15831 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
15832 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
15833 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
15834 ``outgoing'' group.
15837 @node Group Mail Splitting
15838 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
15839 @cindex mail splitting
15840 @cindex group mail splitting
15842 @findex gnus-group-split
15843 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
15844 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
15845 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
15846 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
15847 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
15848 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
15849 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
15850 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
15852 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
15853 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
15854 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
15855 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
15857 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
15858 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
15859 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
15860 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
15861 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
15862 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
15863 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
15865 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
15866 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
15867 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
15868 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
15869 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
15870 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
15871 @code{gnus-group-split}.
15873 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
15874 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
15875 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
15876 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
15877 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
15878 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
15879 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
15880 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
15881 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
15882 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
15883 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
15884 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
15885 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
15887 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
15892 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
15893 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
15895 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
15896 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
15897 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
15898 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
15900 ((split-spec . catch-all))
15903 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
15904 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
15905 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
15908 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
15909 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
15910 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
15914 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
15915 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
15916 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
15920 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
15923 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
15924 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
15925 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
15926 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
15927 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
15928 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
15929 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
15930 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
15931 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
15933 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
15934 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
15935 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
15936 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
15937 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
15938 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
15939 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
15940 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
15941 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
15943 @findex gnus-group-split-update
15944 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
15945 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
15946 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
15947 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
15948 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
15951 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
15954 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
15955 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
15956 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
15957 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
15958 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
15961 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
15962 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
15963 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
15964 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
15966 @node Incorporating Old Mail
15967 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
15968 @cindex incorporating old mail
15969 @cindex import old mail
15971 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
15972 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
15973 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
15976 Doing so can be quite easy.
15978 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
15979 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
15980 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
15981 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
15982 your @code{nnml} groups.
15988 Go to the group buffer.
15991 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
15992 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15995 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
15998 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
15999 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
16002 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
16003 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
16006 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
16007 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
16008 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
16009 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
16010 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
16012 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
16013 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
16014 using the new mail back end.
16017 @node Expiring Mail
16018 @subsection Expiring Mail
16019 @cindex article expiry
16020 @cindex expiring mail
16022 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
16023 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
16024 different approach to mail reading.
16026 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
16027 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
16028 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
16029 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
16030 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
16031 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
16034 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
16035 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
16036 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
16037 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
16038 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
16039 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
16040 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
16041 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
16042 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
16044 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
16045 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
16046 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
16047 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
16048 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
16049 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
16050 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
16053 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
16054 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
16055 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
16056 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
16057 into its own group.)
16059 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
16060 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
16061 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
16062 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
16063 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
16064 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
16065 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
16066 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
16069 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
16070 Groups that match the regular expression
16071 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
16072 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
16073 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
16075 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
16076 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
16077 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
16078 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
16079 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
16081 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
16083 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
16084 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
16085 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
16088 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
16089 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
16090 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
16091 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
16092 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
16094 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
16095 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
16098 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
16099 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
16102 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
16103 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
16105 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
16106 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
16107 don't really mix very well.
16109 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
16110 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
16111 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
16112 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
16115 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
16116 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
16117 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
16118 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
16121 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16123 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16125 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
16127 ((string= group "mail.junk")
16129 ((string= group "important")
16135 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
16136 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
16138 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
16139 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
16140 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
16143 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
16144 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
16146 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
16147 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
16148 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
16149 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
16150 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
16151 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
16152 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
16153 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
16154 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
16155 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
16156 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
16157 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
16158 name or @code{delete}.
16160 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
16162 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
16165 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
16166 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
16167 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
16168 expire mail to groups according to the variable
16169 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
16172 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
16173 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
16174 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
16175 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
16176 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
16179 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
16180 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
16181 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
16182 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
16183 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
16184 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
16186 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
16187 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
16188 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
16189 easier for procmail users.
16191 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
16192 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
16193 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
16194 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
16195 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
16196 caution. Even more dangerous is the
16197 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
16198 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
16199 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
16200 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
16201 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
16202 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
16203 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
16206 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
16208 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
16209 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
16210 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
16211 auto-expire turned on.
16215 @subsection Washing Mail
16216 @cindex mail washing
16217 @cindex list server brain damage
16218 @cindex incoming mail treatment
16220 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
16221 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
16222 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
16223 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
16224 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
16225 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
16227 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
16228 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
16229 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
16232 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
16233 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
16234 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
16235 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
16238 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
16239 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
16240 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
16241 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
16242 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
16245 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
16246 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
16247 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
16248 Emacs running on MS machines.
16252 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
16253 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
16254 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
16255 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
16258 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
16259 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
16260 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
16261 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
16263 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
16264 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
16265 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
16266 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
16267 into a feature by documenting it.)
16269 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
16270 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
16271 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
16272 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
16273 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
16274 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
16275 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
16278 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
16279 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
16282 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
16283 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
16286 This can also be done non-destructively with
16287 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
16289 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
16290 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
16291 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
16293 @item nnmail-ignore-broken-references
16294 @findex nnmail-ignore-broken-references
16295 @c @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
16298 Some mail user agents (e.g. Eudora and Pegasus) produce broken
16299 @code{References} headers, but correct @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This
16300 function will get rid of the @code{References} header if the headers
16301 contain a line matching the regular expression
16302 @code{nnmail-broken-references-mailers}.
16306 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
16307 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
16308 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
16312 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
16313 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
16314 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
16321 @subsection Duplicates
16323 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
16324 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
16325 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
16326 @cindex duplicate mails
16327 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
16328 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
16329 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
16330 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
16331 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
16332 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
16333 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
16334 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
16335 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
16336 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
16337 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
16338 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
16339 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
16341 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
16342 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
16343 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
16344 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
16346 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
16349 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
16350 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
16354 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
16355 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
16356 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
16357 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
16358 (any mail "mail.misc")
16359 ;; @r{Other rules.}
16365 (setq nnmail-split-methods
16366 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
16367 ;; @r{Other rules.}
16371 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
16372 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
16373 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
16374 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
16375 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
16378 @node Not Reading Mail
16379 @subsection Not Reading Mail
16381 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
16382 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
16383 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
16385 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
16386 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
16387 mail, which should help.
16389 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16390 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
16391 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
16392 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
16393 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
16394 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
16395 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
16396 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
16397 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
16398 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
16399 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
16401 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
16402 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
16406 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
16407 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
16409 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
16410 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
16411 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
16413 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
16414 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
16415 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
16419 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
16420 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
16421 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
16422 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
16423 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
16424 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
16425 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
16429 @node Unix Mail Box
16430 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
16432 @cindex unix mail box
16434 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
16435 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
16436 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
16437 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
16438 which group it belongs in.
16440 Virtual server settings:
16443 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
16444 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
16445 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
16448 @item nnmbox-active-file
16449 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
16450 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
16451 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
16453 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
16454 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
16455 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
16456 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
16461 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
16465 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
16466 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
16467 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
16468 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
16469 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
16471 Virtual server settings:
16474 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
16475 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
16476 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
16478 @item nnbabyl-active-file
16479 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
16480 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
16481 @file{~/.rmail-active}
16483 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16484 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16485 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
16491 @subsubsection Mail Spool
16493 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
16495 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
16496 format. It should be used with some caution.
16498 @vindex nnml-directory
16499 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
16500 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
16501 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
16502 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
16504 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
16507 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
16508 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
16509 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
16510 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
16511 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
16512 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
16513 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
16514 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
16516 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
16517 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
16518 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
16519 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
16521 @cindex self contained nnml servers
16523 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
16524 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
16525 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
16526 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
16527 for a group are usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
16528 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
16529 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
16530 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
16533 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
16534 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
16535 them next time it starts.
16537 Virtual server settings:
16540 @item nnml-directory
16541 @vindex nnml-directory
16542 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
16543 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
16546 @item nnml-active-file
16547 @vindex nnml-active-file
16548 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
16549 @file{~/Mail/active}.
16551 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
16552 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
16553 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
16554 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
16556 @item nnml-get-new-mail
16557 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
16558 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
16561 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
16562 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
16563 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
16564 default is @code{nil}.
16566 @item nnml-nov-file-name
16567 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
16568 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
16570 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
16571 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
16572 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
16574 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
16575 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
16576 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
16577 default is @code{nil}.
16579 @item nnml-marks-file-name
16580 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
16581 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
16583 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
16584 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
16585 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
16586 files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
16587 (@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
16588 If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
16589 as the file extension specifying the compression program. You can set it
16590 to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
16591 equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
16593 @item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
16594 @vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
16595 Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
16596 bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
16597 if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil}.
16601 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
16602 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
16603 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
16604 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
16605 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
16606 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
16607 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
16612 @subsubsection MH Spool
16614 @cindex mh-e mail spool
16616 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
16617 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
16618 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
16619 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
16622 Virtual server settings:
16625 @item nnmh-directory
16626 @vindex nnmh-directory
16627 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
16628 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
16631 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
16632 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
16633 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
16637 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
16638 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
16639 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
16640 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
16641 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
16642 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
16643 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
16648 @subsubsection Maildir
16652 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
16653 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
16654 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
16655 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
16656 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
16659 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
16660 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
16661 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
16662 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
16663 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
16664 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
16665 that appear as group in Gnus.
16667 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
16668 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
16669 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
16671 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
16672 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
16673 another, and you will keep your marks.
16675 Virtual server settings:
16679 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
16680 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
16681 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
16682 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
16683 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
16684 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
16685 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
16686 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
16687 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
16688 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
16690 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
16691 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
16692 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
16693 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
16694 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
16695 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
16696 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
16697 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
16698 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
16699 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
16702 @item target-prefix
16703 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
16704 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
16705 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
16708 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
16709 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
16710 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
16711 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
16712 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
16713 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
16714 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
16715 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
16716 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
16718 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
16719 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
16720 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
16721 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
16722 symlinks pointing to them will be).
16724 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
16725 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
16726 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
16727 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
16728 @code{force} argument.
16730 @item directory-files
16731 This should be a function with the same interface as
16732 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
16733 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
16734 parameter is optional; the default is
16735 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
16736 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
16737 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
16738 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
16739 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
16740 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
16743 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
16744 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
16745 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
16746 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
16747 value is @code{nil}.
16749 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
16750 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
16751 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
16752 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
16753 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
16756 @subsubsection Group parameters
16758 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
16759 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
16760 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
16761 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
16762 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
16763 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
16766 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
16767 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
16768 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
16769 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
16770 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
16771 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
16772 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
16773 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
16774 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
16778 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
16779 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
16780 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
16781 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
16782 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
16783 @code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
16784 and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
16785 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
16786 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
16787 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
16788 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
16789 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
16790 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
16793 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
16795 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
16797 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
16798 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
16799 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
16800 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
16801 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
16802 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
16803 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
16804 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
16805 article. So that form can refer to
16806 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
16807 article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
16808 does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
16809 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
16812 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
16813 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
16814 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
16815 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
16816 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
16817 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
16818 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
16819 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
16820 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
16821 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
16822 contain extra copies of the articles.
16824 @item directory-files
16825 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
16826 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
16827 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
16828 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
16830 @item distrust-Lines:
16831 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
16832 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
16833 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
16836 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
16837 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
16838 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
16839 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
16840 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
16841 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
16844 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
16845 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
16846 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
16847 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
16848 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
16849 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
16850 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
16852 @item nov-cache-size
16853 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
16854 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
16855 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
16856 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
16857 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
16858 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
16859 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
16860 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
16861 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
16862 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
16863 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
16866 @subsubsection Article identification
16867 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
16868 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
16869 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
16870 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
16871 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
16872 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
16873 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
16874 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
16875 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
16876 request the article in the summary buffer.
16878 @subsubsection NOV data
16879 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
16880 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
16881 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
16882 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
16883 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
16884 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
16885 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
16886 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
16887 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
16888 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
16889 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
16891 @subsubsection Article marks
16892 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
16893 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
16894 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
16895 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
16896 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
16897 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
16898 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
16899 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
16901 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
16902 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
16903 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
16904 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
16905 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
16906 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
16907 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
16908 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
16909 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
16913 @subsubsection Mail Folders
16915 @cindex mbox folders
16916 @cindex mail folders
16918 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
16919 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
16920 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
16921 numbers and arrival dates.
16923 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
16925 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
16926 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
16927 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
16928 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
16929 Marks for a group are usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
16930 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
16931 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
16932 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
16933 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
16934 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
16936 Virtual server settings:
16939 @item nnfolder-directory
16940 @vindex nnfolder-directory
16941 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
16942 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
16943 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
16945 @item nnfolder-active-file
16946 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
16947 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
16949 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
16950 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
16951 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
16952 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
16954 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
16955 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
16956 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
16957 default is @code{t}
16959 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
16960 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
16961 @cindex backup files
16962 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
16963 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
16964 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
16965 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
16968 (defun turn-off-backup ()
16969 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
16971 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
16974 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
16975 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
16976 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
16977 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
16978 extract some information from it before removing it.
16980 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
16981 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
16982 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
16983 default is @code{nil}.
16985 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
16986 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
16987 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
16989 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
16990 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
16991 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
16992 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
16994 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
16995 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
16996 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
16997 default is @code{nil}.
16999 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
17000 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
17001 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
17003 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
17004 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
17005 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
17006 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
17011 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
17012 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
17013 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
17014 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
17015 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
17016 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
17019 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
17020 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
17022 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
17023 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
17024 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
17025 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
17026 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
17028 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
17029 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
17030 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
17031 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
17032 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
17033 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
17034 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
17035 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
17038 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
17039 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
17040 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
17041 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
17046 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
17047 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
17048 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
17049 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
17050 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
17051 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
17052 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
17053 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
17054 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
17055 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
17056 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
17057 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
17058 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
17063 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
17064 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
17065 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
17066 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
17067 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
17068 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
17069 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
17070 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
17071 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
17072 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
17073 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
17074 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
17075 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
17076 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
17078 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
17079 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
17084 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
17085 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
17086 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
17087 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
17088 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
17089 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
17090 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
17091 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
17092 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
17093 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
17094 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
17095 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
17096 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
17097 provided by the active file and overviews.
17099 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
17100 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
17101 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
17102 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
17103 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
17106 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
17107 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
17112 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
17113 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
17114 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
17115 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
17116 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
17117 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
17118 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
17122 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
17123 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
17124 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
17125 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
17126 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
17127 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
17128 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
17129 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
17130 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
17132 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
17133 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
17134 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
17135 friendly mail back end all over.
17139 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
17140 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
17143 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
17144 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
17145 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
17146 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
17147 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
17148 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
17149 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
17150 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
17153 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
17154 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
17155 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
17156 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
17157 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
17158 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
17159 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
17160 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
17161 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
17162 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
17163 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
17165 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
17166 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
17167 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
17168 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
17169 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
17172 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
17173 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
17174 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
17175 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
17176 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
17177 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
17178 removed in the future.
17180 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
17181 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
17182 on your file system.
17184 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
17185 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
17190 @node Browsing the Web
17191 @section Browsing the Web
17193 @cindex browsing the web
17197 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
17198 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
17199 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
17200 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
17201 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
17202 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
17203 even know what a news group is.
17205 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
17206 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
17207 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
17208 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
17209 you mad in the end.
17211 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
17214 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
17215 interfaces to these sources.
17219 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
17220 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
17221 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
17222 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
17223 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
17224 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
17227 All the web sources require Emacs/W3 and the url library or those
17228 alternatives to work.
17230 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
17231 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
17232 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
17233 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
17234 though, you should be ok.
17236 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
17237 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
17238 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
17239 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
17240 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
17242 @node Archiving Mail
17243 @subsection Archiving Mail
17244 @cindex archiving mail
17245 @cindex backup of mail
17247 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
17248 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
17249 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
17250 marks is fairly simple.
17252 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
17253 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
17256 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
17257 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
17258 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
17259 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
17260 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
17261 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
17262 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
17263 before you restore the data.
17265 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
17266 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
17267 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
17268 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
17269 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
17270 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
17271 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
17272 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
17273 is unnecessary in that case.
17276 @subsection Web Searches
17281 @cindex Usenet searches
17282 @cindex searching the Usenet
17284 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
17285 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
17286 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
17287 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
17288 searches without having to use a browser.
17290 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
17291 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
17292 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
17293 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
17294 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
17296 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
17297 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
17298 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
17299 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
17300 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
17301 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
17302 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
17303 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
17304 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
17305 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
17308 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
17309 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
17310 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
17311 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
17312 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
17313 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
17315 You must have the @code{url} and @code{W3} package or those alternatives
17316 (try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{mm-url} variable group)
17317 installed to be able to use @code{nnweb}.
17319 Virtual server variables:
17324 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
17325 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
17326 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
17329 @vindex nnweb-search
17330 The search string to feed to the search engine.
17332 @item nnweb-max-hits
17333 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
17334 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
17337 @item nnweb-type-definition
17338 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
17339 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
17340 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
17345 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
17349 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
17352 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
17355 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
17359 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
17366 @subsection Slashdot
17370 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
17371 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
17372 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
17374 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
17375 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
17378 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
17379 '((nnslashdot "")))
17382 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
17383 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
17384 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
17385 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
17386 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
17389 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
17390 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
17392 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
17393 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
17394 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
17395 @samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
17396 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
17397 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
17398 @acronym{HTML} forms.
17400 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
17403 @item nnslashdot-threaded
17404 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
17405 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
17406 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
17407 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
17408 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
17409 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
17411 @item nnslashdot-login-name
17412 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
17413 The login name to use when posting.
17415 @item nnslashdot-password
17416 @vindex nnslashdot-password
17417 The password to use when posting.
17419 @item nnslashdot-directory
17420 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
17421 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
17422 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
17424 @item nnslashdot-active-url
17425 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
17426 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
17427 information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
17428 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
17430 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
17431 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
17432 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
17434 @item nnslashdot-article-url
17435 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
17436 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
17437 article. The default is
17438 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
17440 @item nnslashdot-threshold
17441 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
17442 The score threshold. The default is -1.
17444 @item nnslashdot-group-number
17445 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
17446 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
17447 updated. The default is 0.
17454 @subsection Ultimate
17456 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
17458 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
17459 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
17460 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
17461 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
17463 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
17464 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
17465 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
17466 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
17467 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
17468 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
17469 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
17471 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
17474 @item nnultimate-directory
17475 @vindex nnultimate-directory
17476 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
17477 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
17482 @subsection Web Archive
17484 @cindex Web Archive
17486 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
17487 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
17488 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
17489 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
17492 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
17493 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
17494 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
17495 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
17496 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
17497 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
17498 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
17499 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
17501 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
17504 @item nnwarchive-directory
17505 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
17506 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
17507 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
17509 @item nnwarchive-login
17510 @vindex nnwarchive-login
17511 The account name on the web server.
17513 @item nnwarchive-passwd
17514 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
17515 The password for your account on the web server.
17523 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
17524 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
17525 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
17526 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
17527 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
17529 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
17530 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
17532 Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
17533 system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
17534 text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
17537 @kindex G R (Group)
17538 Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
17539 prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
17540 The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
17541 and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
17543 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
17544 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
17545 subscribe to groups.
17547 The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
17548 @code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
17549 names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
17550 coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
17551 variable. If it is @code{nil}, in Emacs the coding system defaults to
17552 the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system}. If you are using
17553 XEmacs and want to use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names, you should set
17554 the value for the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} variable properly.
17556 The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
17557 @acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
17558 and a @samp{text/html} part.
17561 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
17562 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
17565 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
17566 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
17570 @defun nnrss-opml-export
17571 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
17572 @acronym{OPML} format.
17575 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
17578 @item nnrss-directory
17579 @vindex nnrss-directory
17580 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
17581 @file{~/News/rss/}.
17583 @item nnrss-file-coding-system
17584 @vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
17585 The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
17586 data files. The default is the value of
17587 @code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
17588 in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
17590 @item nnrss-ignore-article-fields
17591 @vindex nnrss-ignore-article-fields
17592 Some feeds update constantly article fields during their publications,
17593 e.g. to indicate the number of comments. However, if there is
17594 a difference between the local article and the distant one, the latter
17595 is considered to be new. To avoid this and discard some fields, set this
17596 variable to the list of fields to be ignored. The default is
17597 @code{'(slash:comments)}.
17599 @item nnrss-use-local
17600 @vindex nnrss-use-local
17601 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
17602 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
17603 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
17604 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
17605 download script using @command{wget}.
17607 @item nnrss-wash-html-in-text-plain-parts
17608 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{nnrss} renders text in @samp{text/plain}
17609 parts as @acronym{HTML}. The function specified by the
17610 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} variable (@pxref{Display Customization,
17611 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) will be used
17612 to render text. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default, text will
17613 simply be folded. Leave it @code{nil} if you prefer to see
17614 @samp{text/html} parts.
17617 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
17618 the summary buffer.
17621 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
17622 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
17624 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
17626 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
17627 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
17630 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
17634 (require 'browse-url)
17636 (defun browse-nnrss-url (arg)
17638 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
17641 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
17642 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
17645 (browse-url (cdr url))
17646 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
17647 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
17649 (eval-after-load "gnus"
17650 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
17651 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
17652 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
17655 Even if you have added @samp{text/html} to the
17656 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
17657 Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
17658 Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
17659 more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
17660 @samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
17661 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
17662 Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
17663 @code{nnrss} groups:
17666 ;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
17667 (eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
17669 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
17670 '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
17671 . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
17673 ;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
17676 '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
17680 @node Customizing W3
17681 @subsection Customizing W3
17687 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/W3 (or those
17688 alternatives) to display web pages. Emacs/W3 is documented in its own
17689 manual, but there are some things that may be more relevant for Gnus
17692 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/W3 follow links
17693 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
17694 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
17697 (eval-after-load "w3"
17699 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
17700 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
17701 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
17702 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
17704 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
17707 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in W3-rendered
17708 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
17715 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
17717 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
17718 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
17719 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
17720 specify the network address of the server.
17722 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
17723 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
17724 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
17725 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
17726 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
17727 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
17729 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
17730 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
17731 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
17732 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
17734 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
17735 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
17736 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
17737 usage explained in this section.
17739 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
17740 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
17741 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
17745 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
17746 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
17747 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
17749 (nnimap-address "localhost")
17750 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
17751 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
17753 (nnimap-server-port 143)
17754 (nnimap-address "localhost")
17755 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
17756 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
17757 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
17758 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
17759 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
17760 (nnimap-stream network))
17761 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
17763 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
17764 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
17765 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
17768 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
17769 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
17770 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
17771 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
17773 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
17778 @item nnimap-address
17779 @vindex nnimap-address
17781 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
17782 server name if not specified.
17784 @item nnimap-server-port
17785 @vindex nnimap-server-port
17786 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
17788 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
17791 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17792 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
17795 @item nnimap-list-pattern
17796 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
17797 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
17798 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
17799 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
17800 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
17801 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
17803 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
17804 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
17805 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
17808 Example server specification:
17811 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17812 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
17813 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
17816 @item nnimap-stream
17817 @vindex nnimap-stream
17818 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
17819 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
17820 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
17821 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
17822 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
17824 Example server specification:
17827 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17828 (nnimap-stream ssl))
17831 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
17835 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
17836 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
17838 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
17840 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
17841 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
17844 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
17845 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
17847 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
17848 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
17850 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
17852 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
17855 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
17856 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
17857 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
17858 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
17859 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
17860 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
17861 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
17862 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
17863 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
17866 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
17867 needed. It is available from
17868 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
17870 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
17871 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
17872 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
17873 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
17874 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
17875 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
17876 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
17879 @vindex imap-ssl-program
17880 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
17881 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
17882 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
17883 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
17884 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
17885 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
17888 @vindex imap-shell-program
17889 @vindex imap-shell-host
17890 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the
17891 variable @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call. Make
17892 sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g., don't
17893 forget to redirect the error output to the void.
17895 @item nnimap-authenticator
17896 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
17898 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
17899 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
17901 Example server specification:
17904 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17905 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
17908 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
17912 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
17913 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
17915 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
17918 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
17919 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
17921 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
17923 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
17925 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
17928 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
17930 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
17931 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
17932 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
17933 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
17934 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
17935 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
17938 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
17939 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
17940 running in circles yet?
17942 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
17943 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
17946 The possible options are:
17951 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
17954 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
17955 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
17956 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
17957 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
17959 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
17964 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
17965 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
17967 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
17968 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
17969 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
17970 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
17971 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
17974 Probably the only reason for frobbing this would be if you're trying
17975 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
17978 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
17979 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
17980 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
17981 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
17984 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
17985 as ticked for other users.
17987 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
17989 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
17990 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
17992 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
17993 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
17994 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
17995 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
17997 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
17998 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
17999 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
18000 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
18002 However, if @code{nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil}
18003 is true, this variable has no effect since the search logic
18004 is reversed, as described below.
18006 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
18007 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
18009 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
18010 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
18011 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
18012 @ref{NNTP}. An example of an .authinfo line for an IMAP server, is:
18015 machine students.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis port imap
18018 Note that it should be @code{port imap}, or @code{port 143}, if you
18019 use a @code{nnimap-stream} of @code{tls} or @code{ssl}, even if the
18020 actual port number used is port 993 for secured IMAP. For
18021 convenience, Gnus will accept @code{port imaps} as a synonym of
18024 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
18025 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
18027 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
18028 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
18031 @item nnimap-nov-is-evil
18032 @vindex nnimap-nov-is-evil
18033 @cindex Courier @acronym{IMAP} server
18034 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
18036 Never generate or use a local @acronym{NOV} database. Defaults to the
18037 value of @code{gnus-agent}.
18039 Using a @acronym{NOV} database usually makes header fetching much
18040 faster, but it uses the @code{UID SEARCH UID} command, which is very
18041 slow on some servers (notably some versions of Courier). Since the Gnus
18042 Agent caches the information in the @acronym{NOV} database without using
18043 the slow command, this variable defaults to true if the Agent is in use,
18044 and false otherwise.
18046 @item nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil
18047 @vindex nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil
18048 @cindex Courier @acronym{IMAP} server
18049 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
18051 Avoid the @code{UID SEARCH UID @var{message numbers} NOT SINCE
18052 @var{date}} command, which is slow on some @acronym{IMAP} servers
18053 (notably, some versions of Courier). Instead, use @code{UID SEARCH SINCE
18054 @var{date}} and prune the list of expirable articles within Gnus.
18056 When Gnus expires your mail (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), it starts with a
18057 list of expirable articles and asks the IMAP server questions like ``Of
18058 these articles, which ones are older than a week?'' While this seems
18059 like a perfectly reasonable question, some IMAP servers take a long time
18060 to answer it, since they seemingly go looking into every old article to
18061 see if it is one of the expirable ones. Curiously, the question ``Of
18062 @emph{all} articles, which ones are newer than a week?'' seems to be
18063 much faster to answer, so setting this variable causes Gnus to ask this
18064 question and figure out the answer to the real question itself.
18066 This problem can really sneak up on you: when you first configure Gnus,
18067 everything works fine, but once you accumulate a couple thousand
18068 messages, you start cursing Gnus for being so slow. On the other hand,
18069 if you get a lot of email within a week, setting this variable will
18070 cause a lot of network traffic between Gnus and the IMAP server.
18072 @item nnimap-logout-timeout
18073 @vindex nnimap-logout-timeout
18075 There is a case where a connection to a @acronym{IMAP} server is unable
18076 to close, when connecting to the server via a certain kind of network,
18077 e.g. @acronym{VPN}. In that case, it will be observed that a connection
18078 between Emacs and the local network looks alive even if the server has
18079 closed a connection for some reason (typically, a timeout).
18080 Consequently, Emacs continues waiting for a response from the server for
18081 the @code{LOGOUT} command that Emacs sent, or hangs in other words. If
18082 you are in such a network, setting this variable to a number of seconds
18083 will be helpful. If it is set, a hung connection will be closed
18084 forcibly, after this number of seconds from the time Emacs sends the
18085 @code{LOGOUT} command. It should not be too small value but too large
18086 value will be inconvenient too. Perhaps the value 1.0 will be a good
18087 candidate but it might be worth trying some other values.
18089 Example server specification:
18092 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
18093 (nnimap-logout-timeout 1.0))
18099 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
18100 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
18101 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
18102 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
18103 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
18104 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
18109 @node Splitting in IMAP
18110 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
18111 @cindex splitting imap mail
18113 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
18114 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
18115 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
18116 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
18117 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
18121 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
18122 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
18123 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
18125 Here are the variables of interest:
18129 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
18130 @cindex splitting, crosspost
18132 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
18134 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
18135 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
18136 found will be used.
18138 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
18140 @item nnimap-split-inbox
18141 @cindex splitting, inbox
18143 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
18145 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
18146 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
18147 splitting is disabled!
18150 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
18151 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
18154 No nnmail equivalent.
18156 @item nnimap-split-rule
18157 @cindex splitting, rules
18158 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
18160 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
18163 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
18164 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
18165 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
18166 Neither did I, we need examples.
18169 (setq nnimap-split-rule
18171 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
18172 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
18173 ("INBOX.private" "")))
18176 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
18177 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
18178 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
18180 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
18181 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
18185 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
18188 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
18189 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
18191 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
18192 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
18193 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
18194 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
18196 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
18197 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
18198 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
18199 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
18200 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
18201 them every time you fetch new mail.)
18203 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
18204 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
18205 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
18207 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
18208 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
18209 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
18211 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
18213 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
18214 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
18215 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
18218 (setq nnimap-split-rule
18219 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
18220 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
18221 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
18222 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
18223 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
18226 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
18227 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
18228 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
18229 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
18230 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
18231 group/function elements.
18233 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
18235 @item nnimap-split-predicate
18237 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
18239 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
18240 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
18242 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
18243 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
18244 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
18247 @item nnimap-split-fancy
18248 @cindex splitting, fancy
18249 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
18250 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
18252 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
18253 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
18254 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
18256 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
18257 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
18258 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
18259 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
18264 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
18265 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
18268 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
18270 @item nnimap-split-download-body
18271 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
18272 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
18274 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
18275 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
18276 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
18277 splitting function that analyzes the body to split the article.
18281 @node Expiring in IMAP
18282 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
18283 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
18285 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
18286 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
18287 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
18288 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
18289 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
18290 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
18293 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
18294 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
18295 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
18296 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
18297 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
18298 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
18299 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
18300 messages. Most do, fortunately.
18302 If expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail seems very slow, try setting the server
18303 variable @code{nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil}.
18307 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
18308 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
18310 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
18311 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
18313 @item nnmail-expiry-target
18315 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
18316 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
18317 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
18318 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
18322 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
18323 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
18324 @cindex editing imap acls
18325 @cindex Access Control Lists
18326 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
18327 @kindex G l (Group)
18328 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
18330 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
18331 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
18332 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
18335 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
18336 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
18337 editing window with detailed instructions.
18339 Some possible uses:
18343 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
18344 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
18345 follow the list without subscribing to it.
18347 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
18348 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
18349 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
18353 @node Expunging mailboxes
18354 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
18358 @cindex manual expunging
18359 @kindex G x (Group)
18360 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
18362 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
18363 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
18364 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
18366 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
18369 @node A note on namespaces
18370 @subsection A note on namespaces
18371 @cindex IMAP namespace
18374 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
18375 by the following text in the RFC2060:
18378 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
18380 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
18381 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
18382 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
18383 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
18385 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
18386 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
18387 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
18388 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
18389 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
18390 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
18393 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
18394 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
18395 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
18397 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
18398 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
18399 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
18400 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
18401 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
18402 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
18403 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
18404 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
18407 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
18408 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
18409 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
18411 @node Debugging IMAP
18412 @subsection Debugging IMAP
18413 @cindex IMAP debugging
18414 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
18416 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
18417 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
18418 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behavior, chances
18419 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
18421 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
18422 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
18423 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
18424 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
18425 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
18426 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
18427 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
18431 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
18432 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
18439 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
18440 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
18441 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
18442 @code{BAD}---but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
18445 @node Other Sources
18446 @section Other Sources
18448 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
18449 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
18453 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
18454 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
18455 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
18456 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
18457 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
18461 @node Directory Groups
18462 @subsection Directory Groups
18464 @cindex directory groups
18466 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
18467 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
18470 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
18471 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
18472 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
18473 back end to read directories. Big deal.
18475 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
18476 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
18477 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
18478 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
18479 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
18481 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
18483 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
18484 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
18485 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
18486 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
18489 @node Anything Groups
18490 @subsection Anything Groups
18493 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
18494 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
18495 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
18498 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
18499 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
18500 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
18501 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
18502 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
18503 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
18504 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
18505 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
18506 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
18507 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
18510 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
18511 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
18512 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
18513 in the article buffer, just as usual.
18515 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
18516 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
18517 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
18518 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
18520 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
18521 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
18522 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
18523 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
18524 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
18525 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
18526 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
18527 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
18532 @item nneething-map-file-directory
18533 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
18534 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
18535 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
18537 @item nneething-exclude-files
18538 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
18539 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
18540 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
18542 @item nneething-include-files
18543 @vindex nneething-include-files
18544 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
18545 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
18547 @item nneething-map-file
18548 @vindex nneething-map-file
18549 Name of the map files.
18553 @node Document Groups
18554 @subsection Document Groups
18556 @cindex documentation group
18559 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
18560 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
18566 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
18571 The standard Unix mbox file.
18573 @cindex MMDF mail box
18575 The MMDF mail box format.
18578 Several news articles appended into a file.
18580 @cindex rnews batch files
18582 The rnews batch transport format.
18585 Netscape mail boxes.
18588 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
18590 @item standard-digest
18591 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
18594 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
18596 @item lanl-gov-announce
18597 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
18599 @cindex forwarded messages
18600 @item rfc822-forward
18601 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
18604 The Outlook mail box.
18607 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
18610 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
18613 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
18616 An RFC934-forwarded message.
18622 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
18625 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
18631 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
18632 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
18633 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
18636 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
18637 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
18638 group. And that's it.
18640 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
18641 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
18642 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
18643 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
18644 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
18645 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
18646 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
18647 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
18648 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
18649 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
18651 Virtual server variables:
18654 @item nndoc-article-type
18655 @vindex nndoc-article-type
18656 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
18657 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
18658 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
18659 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
18660 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
18662 @item nndoc-post-type
18663 @vindex nndoc-post-type
18664 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
18665 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
18670 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
18674 @node Document Server Internals
18675 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
18677 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
18678 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
18679 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
18680 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
18682 First, here's an example document type definition:
18686 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
18687 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
18690 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
18691 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
18692 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
18693 types can be defined with very few settings:
18696 @item first-article
18697 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
18698 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
18701 @item article-begin
18702 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
18703 says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
18704 complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
18705 use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
18707 @item article-begin-function
18708 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
18709 of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
18712 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
18713 article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
18714 simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
18716 @item head-begin-function
18717 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
18718 the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
18721 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
18722 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
18725 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
18726 to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
18727 a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
18729 @item body-begin-function
18730 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
18731 of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
18734 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
18735 more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
18736 can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
18738 @item body-end-function
18739 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
18740 the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
18743 If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
18744 before this regexp will be totally ignored.
18747 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
18748 regexp will be totally ignored.
18752 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
18753 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
18754 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
18755 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
18756 something that's palatable for Gnus:
18759 @item prepare-body-function
18760 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
18761 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
18762 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
18764 @item article-transform-function
18765 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
18766 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
18767 body of the article.
18769 @item generate-head-function
18770 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
18771 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
18772 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
18773 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
18775 @item generate-article-function
18776 If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
18777 Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
18778 parameter when requesting all articles.
18780 @item dissection-function
18781 If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
18782 overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
18783 @code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
18784 @code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
18785 @code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
18786 @code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
18790 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
18795 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
18796 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
18797 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
18798 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
18799 (head-end . "^ ?$")
18800 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
18801 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
18802 (subtype digest guess))
18805 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
18806 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
18807 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
18808 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
18809 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
18811 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
18812 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
18813 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
18814 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
18815 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
18816 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
18817 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
18818 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
18819 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
18820 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
18821 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
18822 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
18830 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
18831 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
18832 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
18834 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
18835 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
18836 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
18839 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
18840 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
18841 that interested in doing things properly.
18843 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
18844 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
18847 First some terminology:
18852 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
18853 get news and/or mail from.
18856 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
18857 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
18860 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
18864 @item message packets
18865 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
18866 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
18867 default, where @var{x} is a number.
18869 @item response packets
18870 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
18871 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
18872 default, where @var{x} is a number.
18882 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
18883 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
18884 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
18885 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
18888 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
18891 You put the packet in your home directory.
18894 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
18895 the native or secondary server.
18898 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
18899 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
18902 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
18906 You transfer this packet to the server.
18909 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
18912 You then repeat until you die.
18916 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
18917 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
18920 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
18921 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
18922 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
18926 @node SOUP Commands
18927 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
18929 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
18933 @kindex G s b (Group)
18934 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
18935 Pack all unread articles in the current group
18936 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
18937 process/prefix convention.
18940 @kindex G s w (Group)
18941 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
18942 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
18945 @kindex G s s (Group)
18946 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
18947 Send all replies from the replies packet
18948 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
18951 @kindex G s p (Group)
18952 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
18953 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
18956 @kindex G s r (Group)
18957 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
18958 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
18961 @kindex O s (Summary)
18962 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
18963 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
18964 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
18965 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18970 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
18975 @item gnus-soup-directory
18976 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
18977 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
18978 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
18980 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
18981 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
18982 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
18983 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
18985 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
18986 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
18987 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
18988 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
18990 @item gnus-soup-packer
18991 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
18992 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
18993 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
18995 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
18996 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
18997 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
18998 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
19000 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
19001 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
19002 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
19004 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
19005 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
19006 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
19007 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
19013 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
19016 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
19017 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
19018 you can read them at leisure.
19020 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
19024 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
19025 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
19026 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
19027 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
19029 @item nnsoup-directory
19030 @vindex nnsoup-directory
19031 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
19032 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
19034 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
19035 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
19036 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
19037 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
19039 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
19040 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
19041 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
19042 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
19043 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
19045 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
19046 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
19047 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
19048 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
19050 @item nnsoup-active-file
19051 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
19052 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
19053 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
19054 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
19055 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
19057 @item nnsoup-packer
19058 @vindex nnsoup-packer
19059 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
19060 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
19062 @item nnsoup-unpacker
19063 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
19064 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
19065 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
19067 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
19068 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
19069 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
19072 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
19073 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
19074 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
19077 @item nnsoup-always-save
19078 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
19079 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
19085 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
19087 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
19088 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
19089 more for that to happen.
19091 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
19092 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
19093 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
19096 In specific, this is what it does:
19099 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
19100 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
19103 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
19104 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
19105 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
19108 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
19109 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
19110 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
19113 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
19114 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
19115 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
19117 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
19123 @item nngateway-address
19124 @vindex nngateway-address
19125 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
19127 @item nngateway-header-transformation
19128 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
19129 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
19130 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
19131 transformation should be called, and defaults to
19132 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
19133 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
19136 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
19137 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
19138 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
19141 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
19144 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
19147 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
19150 The following pre-defined functions exist:
19152 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
19155 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
19156 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
19157 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
19159 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
19161 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
19162 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
19163 @code{nngateway-address}.
19171 (setq gnus-post-method
19173 "mail2news@@replay.com"
19174 (nngateway-header-transformation
19175 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
19178 So, to use this, simply say something like:
19181 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
19186 @node Combined Groups
19187 @section Combined Groups
19189 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
19193 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
19194 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
19198 @node Virtual Groups
19199 @subsection Virtual Groups
19201 @cindex virtual groups
19202 @cindex merging groups
19204 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
19207 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
19208 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
19209 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
19211 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
19212 regexp to match component groups.
19214 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
19215 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
19216 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
19217 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
19218 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
19219 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
19220 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
19221 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
19223 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
19224 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
19227 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
19230 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
19231 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
19233 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
19234 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
19235 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
19236 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
19239 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
19242 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
19243 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
19244 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
19246 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
19247 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
19248 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
19249 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
19250 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
19252 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
19253 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
19254 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
19256 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
19257 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} variable is non-@code{nil} (which
19258 is the default), @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread
19259 articles when entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil}
19260 and you read articles in a component group after the virtual group has
19261 been activated, the read articles from the component group will show up
19262 when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this effect if you
19263 have two virtual groups that have a component group in common. If
19264 that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}. Or you can
19265 just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before you enter
19266 it---it'll have much the same effect.
19268 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
19269 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
19270 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
19271 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
19272 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
19273 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
19274 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
19276 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
19277 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
19279 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
19280 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
19284 @node Kibozed Groups
19285 @subsection Kibozed Groups
19289 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
19290 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
19291 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
19292 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
19294 @kindex G k (Group)
19295 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
19298 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
19299 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
19300 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
19301 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
19303 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
19304 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
19305 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
19307 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
19308 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
19309 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
19310 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
19311 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
19312 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
19313 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
19314 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
19316 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
19317 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
19318 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
19319 Stranger things have happened.
19321 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
19322 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
19324 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
19325 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
19326 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
19327 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
19328 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
19329 information on what groups have been searched through to find
19330 component articles.
19332 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
19333 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
19336 @node Email Based Diary
19337 @section Email Based Diary
19339 @cindex email based diary
19342 This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
19343 and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
19344 sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
19345 reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
19346 Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
19347 namely, as event reminders.
19349 Here is a typical scenario:
19353 You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
19354 to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
19356 So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
19358 You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
19360 From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
19361 is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
19362 appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
19364 Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
19365 of the night you're gonna have.
19367 Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
19368 message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
19371 The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
19372 (that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
19373 real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
19374 explained in the sections below.
19377 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
19378 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
19379 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
19383 @node The NNDiary Back End
19384 @subsection The NNDiary Back End
19386 @cindex the nndiary back end
19388 @code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
19389 Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
19390 @code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
19391 the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
19392 directory per group.
19394 Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
19395 @code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
19396 of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
19397 Timestamp} to see how it's done.
19400 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
19401 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
19402 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
19405 @node Diary Messages
19406 @subsubsection Diary Messages
19407 @cindex nndiary messages
19408 @cindex nndiary mails
19410 @code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
19411 presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
19412 @code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
19413 @code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
19414 @code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
19415 @code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
19416 crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
19420 For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
19421 either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
19422 (separated by a comma).
19424 A field is either an integer, or a range.
19426 A range is two integers separated by a dash.
19428 Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
19429 @code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
19430 for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
19432 As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
19433 mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
19434 that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
19436 The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
19437 value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
19438 values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
19439 zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
19440 list of available time zone values, see the variable
19441 @code{nndiary-headers}.
19444 As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
19445 for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
19446 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
19451 X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
19454 X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
19456 X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
19459 @node Running NNDiary
19460 @subsubsection Running NNDiary
19461 @cindex running nndiary
19462 @cindex nndiary operation modes
19464 @code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
19465 and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
19466 mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
19467 from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
19468 as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
19469 mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
19471 One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
19472 ``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
19473 sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
19474 messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
19475 being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
19476 the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
19477 (which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
19480 In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
19485 Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
19486 line in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
19489 (setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
19492 You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
19493 headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
19494 Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
19495 multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
19496 source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
19498 As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
19499 @file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
19508 Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
19509 that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
19511 @defvar nndiary-mail-sources
19512 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
19513 @code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
19514 @code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
19517 @defvar nndiary-split-methods
19518 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
19519 @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
19522 Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
19523 (something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
19524 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
19526 Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
19527 @file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
19528 autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
19529 also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
19530 diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
19532 @node Customizing NNDiary
19533 @subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
19534 @cindex customizing nndiary
19535 @cindex nndiary customization
19537 Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
19538 The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
19539 browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
19540 two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
19542 @defvar nndiary-reminders
19543 This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
19544 appointments (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
19545 before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
19546 diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
19550 @defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
19551 Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
19556 @node The Gnus Diary Library
19557 @subsection The Gnus Diary Library
19559 @cindex the gnus diary library
19561 Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
19562 so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
19563 @code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
19564 useful things for you.
19566 In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
19569 (require 'gnus-diary)
19572 Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
19573 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
19574 (sorry if you used them before).
19578 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
19579 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
19580 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
19581 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
19584 @node Diary Summary Line Format
19585 @subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
19586 @cindex diary summary buffer line
19587 @cindex diary summary line format
19589 Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
19590 something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
19591 the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
19592 see the event's date.
19594 @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
19595 summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
19596 for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
19597 while @code{d} corresponds to an approximative remaining time until the
19598 next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
19600 For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
19601 @code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
19602 expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
19605 E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
19608 In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
19609 following line to your diary groups'parameters:
19612 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
19615 However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
19616 Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
19617 with the following user options:
19619 @defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
19620 Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
19621 Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
19622 diary groups'parameters.
19625 @defvar gnus-diary-time-format
19626 Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
19627 used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
19630 @defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
19631 Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
19632 times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
19633 format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
19634 you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
19637 @node Diary Articles Sorting
19638 @subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
19639 @cindex diary articles sorting
19640 @cindex diary summary lines sorting
19641 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
19642 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
19643 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
19645 @code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
19646 Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
19647 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
19648 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
19649 your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
19651 @code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
19652 @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
19653 buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
19654 default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
19657 @node Diary Headers Generation
19658 @subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
19659 @cindex diary headers generation
19660 @findex gnus-diary-check-message
19662 @code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
19663 @code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
19664 headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
19665 required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
19668 This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
19669 moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
19670 automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c C-f d} in
19671 @code{message-mode} and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the
19672 process of converting a usual mail to a diary one.
19674 This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
19675 all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
19676 you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
19679 @node Diary Group Parameters
19680 @subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
19681 @cindex diary group parameters
19683 When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
19684 automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
19685 summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
19686 diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
19687 @code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
19688 to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
19689 on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
19690 automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
19692 @node Sending or Not Sending
19693 @subsection Sending or Not Sending
19695 Well, assuming you've read all of the above, here are two final notes on
19696 mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
19700 @code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
19701 messsages for real. This means for instance that you can give
19702 appointments to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
19703 sending the diary message to them as well.
19705 However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
19706 can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
19707 message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
19708 comes in very handy for private appointments.
19711 @node Gnus Unplugged
19712 @section Gnus Unplugged
19717 @cindex Gnus unplugged
19719 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
19720 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
19721 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
19722 read news. Believe it or not.
19724 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
19725 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
19726 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
19727 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
19728 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
19730 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
19731 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
19732 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
19733 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
19734 reading news on a machine.
19736 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
19737 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
19738 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
19740 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
19743 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
19744 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
19745 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
19746 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
19747 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
19748 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
19749 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
19750 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
19751 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
19752 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
19753 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
19754 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
19755 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
19756 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
19761 @subsection Agent Basics
19763 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
19765 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
19766 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
19767 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
19768 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
19770 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
19771 connected to the net continuously.
19773 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
19774 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
19776 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
19777 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
19778 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
19779 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
19780 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
19782 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
19783 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
19784 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
19785 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
19786 they're kinda like plugged always).
19788 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
19789 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
19790 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
19793 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
19794 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
19795 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
19796 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
19797 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
19799 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
19804 @findex gnus-unplugged
19805 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
19806 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
19807 already fetched while in this mode.
19810 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
19811 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
19812 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
19813 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
19814 Source Specifiers}).
19817 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
19818 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
19819 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
19820 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
19821 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
19824 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
19825 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
19826 then you read the news offline.
19829 And then you go to step 2.
19832 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
19838 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
19839 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
19840 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
19841 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
19842 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
19843 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
19844 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
19845 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
19848 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
19849 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
19850 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
19851 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
19853 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
19854 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
19855 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
19856 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
19857 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
19858 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
19862 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
19866 @node Agent Categories
19867 @subsection Agent Categories
19869 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
19870 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
19871 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
19872 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
19873 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
19874 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
19875 you're interested in the articles anyway.
19877 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
19878 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
19879 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
19880 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
19881 buffer for creating and managing categories.
19883 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
19884 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
19885 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
19886 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
19887 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
19890 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
19891 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
19892 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
19893 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
19894 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
19895 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
19899 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
19900 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
19901 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
19905 @node Category Syntax
19906 @subsubsection Category Syntax
19908 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
19909 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
19910 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
19913 @cindex Agent Parameters
19916 The list of groups that are in this category.
19918 @item agent-predicate
19919 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
19920 are eligible for downloading; and
19923 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
19924 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
19925 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
19927 @item agent-enable-expiration
19928 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
19929 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
19930 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
19931 only groups that should not be expired.
19933 @item agent-days-until-old
19934 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
19935 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
19937 @item agent-low-score
19938 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
19940 @item agent-high-score
19941 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
19943 @item agent-short-article
19944 an integer that overrides the value of
19945 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
19947 @item agent-long-article
19948 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
19950 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
19951 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
19952 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
19953 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
19954 undownloaded faces.
19957 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
19960 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
19961 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
19962 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
19965 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
19966 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
19967 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
19968 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
19970 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
19971 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
19972 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
19974 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
19975 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
19976 operators sprinkled in between.
19978 Perhaps some examples are in order.
19980 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
19981 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
19987 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
19988 short (for some value of ``short'').
19990 Here's a more complex predicate:
19999 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
20000 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
20003 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
20004 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
20005 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
20007 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
20008 you want to do, you can write your own.
20010 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
20011 bound to the value determined by calling
20012 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
20013 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
20014 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
20015 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
20016 predicate to individual groups.
20020 True if the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
20021 lines; default 100.
20024 True if the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
20025 lines; default 200.
20028 True if the article has a download score less than
20029 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
20032 True if the article has a download score greater than
20033 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
20036 True if the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
20037 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
20038 checksum and sees whether articles match.
20047 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
20048 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
20049 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
20052 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
20053 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
20054 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
20055 something along the lines of the following:
20058 (defun my-article-old-p ()
20059 "Say whether an article is old."
20060 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
20061 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
20064 with the predicate then defined as:
20067 (not my-article-old-p)
20070 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
20071 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
20075 (require 'gnus-agent)
20076 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
20077 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
20078 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
20081 and simply specify your predicate as:
20087 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
20088 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
20089 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
20090 just don't give a damn.
20092 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
20093 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
20094 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
20095 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
20096 parameters like so:
20099 (agent-predicate . short)
20102 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
20103 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
20104 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
20106 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
20109 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
20112 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
20113 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
20114 predicate is assumed to be a list.
20117 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
20118 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
20119 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
20120 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
20121 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
20122 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
20124 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
20125 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
20126 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
20127 if it's to be specific to that group.
20129 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
20136 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
20137 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
20143 Category specification
20147 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
20153 Group/Topic Parameter specification
20156 (agent-score ("from"
20157 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
20162 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
20168 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
20169 keywords stated above.
20175 Category specification
20178 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
20184 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
20188 Group Parameter specification
20191 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
20194 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
20199 Use @code{normal} score files
20201 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
20202 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
20203 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
20204 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
20206 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
20207 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
20208 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
20209 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
20213 Category Specification
20220 Group Parameter specification
20223 (agent-score . file)
20228 @node Category Buffer
20229 @subsubsection Category Buffer
20231 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
20232 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
20233 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
20235 The following commands are available in this buffer:
20239 @kindex q (Category)
20240 @findex gnus-category-exit
20241 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
20244 @kindex e (Category)
20245 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
20246 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
20247 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
20250 @kindex k (Category)
20251 @findex gnus-category-kill
20252 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
20255 @kindex c (Category)
20256 @findex gnus-category-copy
20257 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
20260 @kindex a (Category)
20261 @findex gnus-category-add
20262 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
20265 @kindex p (Category)
20266 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
20267 Edit the predicate of the current category
20268 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
20271 @kindex g (Category)
20272 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
20273 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
20274 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
20277 @kindex s (Category)
20278 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
20279 Edit the download score rule of the current category
20280 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
20283 @kindex l (Category)
20284 @findex gnus-category-list
20285 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
20289 @node Category Variables
20290 @subsubsection Category Variables
20293 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
20294 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
20295 Hook run in category buffers.
20297 @item gnus-category-line-format
20298 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
20299 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
20300 Variables}). Valid elements are:
20304 The name of the category.
20307 The number of groups in the category.
20310 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
20311 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
20312 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
20314 @item gnus-agent-short-article
20315 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
20316 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
20318 @item gnus-agent-long-article
20319 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
20320 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
20322 @item gnus-agent-low-score
20323 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
20324 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
20327 @item gnus-agent-high-score
20328 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
20329 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
20332 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
20333 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
20334 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
20335 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
20336 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
20337 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
20338 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
20339 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
20343 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
20344 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
20345 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
20346 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
20347 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
20348 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
20349 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
20354 @node Agent Commands
20355 @subsection Agent Commands
20356 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
20357 @kindex J j (Agent)
20359 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
20360 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
20361 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
20365 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
20366 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
20367 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
20373 @node Group Agent Commands
20374 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
20378 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
20379 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
20380 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
20381 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
20384 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
20385 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
20386 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
20389 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
20390 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
20391 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
20392 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
20395 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
20396 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
20397 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
20398 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
20401 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
20402 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
20403 Add the current group to an Agent category
20404 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
20405 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
20408 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
20409 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
20410 Remove the current group from its category, if any
20411 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
20412 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
20415 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
20416 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20417 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
20423 @node Summary Agent Commands
20424 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
20428 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
20429 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
20430 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
20433 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
20434 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
20435 Remove the downloading mark from the article
20436 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
20440 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
20441 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
20442 Toggle whether to download the article
20443 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
20447 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
20448 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
20449 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
20452 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
20453 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
20454 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
20455 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
20458 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
20459 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
20460 Download all processable articles in this group.
20461 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
20464 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
20465 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
20466 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
20467 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
20472 @node Server Agent Commands
20473 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
20477 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
20478 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
20479 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
20480 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
20483 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
20484 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
20485 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
20486 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
20491 @node Agent Visuals
20492 @subsection Agent Visuals
20494 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
20495 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
20496 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
20497 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
20498 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
20499 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
20500 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
20501 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
20502 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
20503 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
20505 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
20506 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
20507 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
20508 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
20509 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
20510 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
20511 the download status of each article so that you always know which
20512 articles will be available when unplugged.
20514 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
20515 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
20516 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
20517 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
20518 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
20519 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
20520 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
20521 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
20523 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
20524 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
20525 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
20526 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
20527 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
20528 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
20529 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
20530 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
20531 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
20533 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
20534 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
20535 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
20536 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
20537 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
20538 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
20539 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
20540 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
20541 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
20542 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
20544 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
20545 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
20546 group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
20547 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
20548 a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
20549 (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
20551 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
20552 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
20553 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
20554 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
20555 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
20556 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
20557 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
20558 expiring'' articles.
20560 @node Agent as Cache
20561 @subsection Agent as Cache
20563 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
20564 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
20565 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
20566 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
20567 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
20568 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
20569 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
20570 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
20571 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
20573 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
20574 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
20575 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
20576 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
20577 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
20580 @subsection Agent Expiry
20582 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
20583 @findex gnus-agent-expire
20584 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
20585 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
20586 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
20587 @cindex agent expiry
20588 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
20589 @cindex expiry, in Gnus agent
20591 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
20592 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
20593 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
20594 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
20595 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
20596 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
20597 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
20598 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
20600 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
20601 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
20602 synchronized with the group.
20604 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
20605 prevent expiration in selected groups.
20607 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
20608 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
20609 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
20610 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
20611 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
20612 be kept indefinitely.
20614 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
20615 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
20616 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
20617 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
20619 @node Agent Regeneration
20620 @subsection Agent Regeneration
20622 @cindex agent regeneration
20623 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
20624 @cindex regeneration
20626 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
20627 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
20628 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
20629 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
20630 internal inconsistencies.
20632 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
20633 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
20634 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
20635 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
20636 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
20637 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
20639 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
20640 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
20641 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
20642 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
20643 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
20644 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
20646 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
20647 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
20648 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
20649 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
20650 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
20651 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
20654 @node Agent and flags
20655 @subsection Agent and flags
20657 The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
20658 nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc) on the server. Sadly,
20659 the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
20660 the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
20661 Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
20662 to the flags in its own files.
20664 When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
20665 changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
20666 server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
20668 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20669 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
20670 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
20671 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
20672 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
20673 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
20675 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
20676 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
20677 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
20678 in the group buffer.
20680 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
20681 all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
20682 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
20683 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
20684 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
20685 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
20686 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
20687 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
20689 @node Agent and IMAP
20690 @subsection Agent and IMAP
20692 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
20693 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
20694 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
20695 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
20697 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
20698 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
20703 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
20706 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
20710 @node Outgoing Messages
20711 @subsection Outgoing Messages
20713 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
20714 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
20715 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
20717 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
20718 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
20719 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
20721 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
20722 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
20723 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
20724 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
20727 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
20728 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
20729 ask you to confirm your action (see
20730 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
20732 @node Agent Variables
20733 @subsection Agent Variables
20738 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
20739 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
20740 automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
20741 back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
20743 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
20744 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
20747 @item gnus-agent-directory
20748 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
20749 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
20750 @file{~/News/agent/}.
20752 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
20753 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
20754 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
20755 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
20756 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
20759 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
20760 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
20761 Hook run when connecting to the network.
20763 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
20764 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
20765 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
20767 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
20768 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
20769 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
20771 @item gnus-agent-cache
20772 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
20773 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
20774 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
20775 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
20777 @item gnus-agent-go-online
20778 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
20779 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
20780 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
20781 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
20782 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
20783 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
20786 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
20787 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
20788 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
20789 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
20790 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
20791 read. The default is @code{t}.
20793 @item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20794 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20795 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
20796 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
20797 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
20798 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
20799 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
20801 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
20802 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
20803 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
20804 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
20805 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
20806 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
20807 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
20808 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
20809 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
20810 over and over again.
20812 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
20813 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
20814 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
20815 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
20816 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
20817 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
20818 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
20819 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
20820 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
20821 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
20822 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
20823 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
20826 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
20827 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
20828 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
20829 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
20830 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
20831 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
20832 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
20833 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
20834 is only valid if the Agent is used.
20836 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
20837 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
20838 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
20839 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
20840 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
20841 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
20843 The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
20844 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
20845 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
20846 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
20847 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
20849 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
20850 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
20851 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
20852 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
20853 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
20854 mail. The default is @code{t}.
20856 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
20857 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
20858 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
20859 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
20860 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
20862 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
20863 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
20864 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
20865 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
20866 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
20867 which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
20868 to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
20869 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
20870 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
20871 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
20872 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
20877 @node Example Setup
20878 @subsection Example Setup
20880 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
20881 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
20882 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
20885 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
20886 ;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
20887 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
20889 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
20890 ;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
20891 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
20893 ;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
20894 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
20896 ;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
20897 ;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
20898 ;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
20901 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
20902 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
20905 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
20906 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
20907 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
20908 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
20909 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
20912 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
20913 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
20914 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
20915 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
20916 back all the killed groups.)
20918 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
20919 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
20920 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
20923 @node Batching Agents
20924 @subsection Batching Agents
20925 @findex gnus-agent-batch
20927 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
20928 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
20929 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
20931 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
20932 following incantation:
20936 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
20940 @node Agent Caveats
20941 @subsection Agent Caveats
20943 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
20944 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
20948 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
20950 @strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
20951 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
20952 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
20954 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
20955 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
20957 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
20961 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
20962 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
20963 locally stored articles.
20970 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
20971 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
20972 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
20975 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
20976 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
20977 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
20978 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
20979 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
20981 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
20982 before generating the summary buffer.
20984 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
20985 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
20986 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
20988 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
20989 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
20990 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
20991 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
20994 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
20995 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
20996 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
20997 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
20998 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
20999 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
21000 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
21001 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
21002 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
21003 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
21004 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
21005 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
21006 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
21007 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
21008 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
21009 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
21013 @node Summary Score Commands
21014 @section Summary Score Commands
21015 @cindex score commands
21017 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
21018 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
21019 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
21020 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
21021 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
21023 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
21024 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
21025 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
21026 score file the current one.
21028 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
21033 @kindex V s (Summary)
21034 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
21035 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
21038 @kindex V S (Summary)
21039 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
21040 Display the score of the current article
21041 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
21044 @kindex V t (Summary)
21045 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
21046 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
21047 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
21048 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
21049 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
21050 score file and edit it.
21053 @kindex V w (Summary)
21054 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
21055 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
21058 @kindex V R (Summary)
21059 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
21060 Run the current summary through the scoring process
21061 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
21062 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
21063 effect you're having.
21066 @kindex V c (Summary)
21067 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
21068 Make a different score file the current
21069 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
21072 @kindex V e (Summary)
21073 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
21074 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
21075 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
21079 @kindex V f (Summary)
21080 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
21081 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
21082 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
21085 @kindex V F (Summary)
21086 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
21087 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
21088 after editing score files.
21091 @kindex V C (Summary)
21092 @findex gnus-score-customize
21093 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
21094 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
21098 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
21103 @kindex V m (Summary)
21104 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
21105 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
21106 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
21109 @kindex V x (Summary)
21110 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
21111 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
21112 expunge all articles below this score
21113 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
21116 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
21117 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
21120 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
21121 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
21125 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
21126 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
21128 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
21129 keys are available:
21133 Score on the author name.
21136 Score on the subject line.
21139 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
21142 Score on the @code{References} line.
21148 Score on the number of lines.
21151 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
21154 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
21155 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
21158 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
21159 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
21160 @file{ADAPT} files.)
21169 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
21175 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
21176 what headers you are scoring on.
21188 Substring matching.
21191 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
21220 Greater than number.
21225 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
21226 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
21227 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
21232 Temporary score entry.
21235 Permanent score entry.
21238 Immediately scoring.
21242 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
21243 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
21244 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
21248 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
21249 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
21250 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
21251 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
21253 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
21254 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
21255 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
21256 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
21257 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
21259 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
21260 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
21261 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
21262 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
21263 current score file.
21265 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
21266 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
21267 pretend they are keymaps or not.
21270 @node Group Score Commands
21271 @section Group Score Commands
21272 @cindex group score commands
21274 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
21279 @kindex W e (Group)
21280 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
21281 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
21282 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
21285 @kindex W f (Group)
21286 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
21287 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
21288 all the time. This command will flush the cache
21289 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
21293 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
21295 @findex gnus-batch-score
21296 @cindex batch scoring
21298 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
21302 @node Score Variables
21303 @section Score Variables
21304 @cindex score variables
21308 @item gnus-use-scoring
21309 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
21310 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
21311 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
21313 @item gnus-kill-killed
21314 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
21315 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
21316 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
21317 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
21318 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
21319 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
21320 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
21322 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
21323 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
21324 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
21325 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
21326 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
21328 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
21329 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
21330 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
21331 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
21333 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
21334 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
21335 @cindex score cache
21336 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
21337 score files. However, this might make your Emacs grow big and
21338 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
21339 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
21340 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
21341 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
21342 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
21345 @item gnus-save-score
21346 @vindex gnus-save-score
21347 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
21348 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
21349 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
21351 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
21352 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
21353 across group visits.
21355 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
21356 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
21357 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
21358 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
21359 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
21360 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
21361 manually entered data.
21363 @item gnus-summary-default-score
21364 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
21365 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
21367 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
21368 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
21369 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
21370 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
21371 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
21372 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
21374 @item gnus-score-over-mark
21375 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
21376 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
21377 default. Default is @samp{+}.
21379 @item gnus-score-below-mark
21380 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
21381 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
21382 default. Default is @samp{-}.
21384 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
21385 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
21386 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
21387 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
21389 Predefined functions available are:
21392 @item gnus-score-find-single
21393 @findex gnus-score-find-single
21394 Only apply the group's own score file.
21396 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
21397 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
21398 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
21399 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
21400 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
21401 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
21402 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
21403 then a regexp match is done.
21405 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
21406 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
21408 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
21409 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
21410 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
21411 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
21413 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
21414 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
21415 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
21416 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
21417 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
21421 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
21422 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
21423 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
21424 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
21425 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
21426 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
21427 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
21430 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
21431 overall score file, you could use the value
21433 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
21434 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
21437 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
21438 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
21439 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
21440 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
21441 are expired. It's 7 by default.
21443 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
21444 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
21445 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
21446 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
21447 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
21448 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
21449 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
21450 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
21452 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
21453 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
21454 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
21456 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
21457 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
21458 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
21459 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
21460 threading---according to the current value of
21461 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
21462 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
21463 simplified in this manner.
21468 @node Score File Format
21469 @section Score File Format
21470 @cindex score file format
21472 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
21473 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
21474 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
21476 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
21480 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
21482 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
21484 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
21486 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
21491 (mark-and-expunge -10)
21495 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
21496 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
21497 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
21498 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
21502 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
21503 Scoring}, for a different approach.
21505 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
21506 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
21507 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
21509 Six keys are supported by this alist:
21514 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
21515 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
21516 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
21517 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
21518 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
21519 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
21520 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
21521 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
21522 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
21523 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
21524 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
21525 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
21526 to articles that matches these score entries.
21528 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
21529 score entry has one to four elements.
21533 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
21534 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
21538 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
21539 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
21540 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
21541 is successful. If this element is not present, the
21542 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
21543 instead. This is 1000 by default.
21546 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
21547 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
21548 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
21549 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
21550 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
21553 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
21554 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
21555 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
21556 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
21559 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
21560 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
21561 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
21562 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
21563 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
21564 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
21565 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
21566 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
21567 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
21568 instead, if you feel like.
21571 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
21572 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
21573 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
21574 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
21575 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
21576 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
21580 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
21581 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
21585 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
21586 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
21588 These predicates are true if
21591 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
21594 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
21595 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
21602 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
21603 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
21604 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
21605 it's not. I think.)
21607 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
21608 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
21609 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
21610 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
21613 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
21614 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
21615 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
21616 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
21617 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
21618 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
21619 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
21623 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
21624 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
21625 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
21626 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
21627 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
21628 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
21629 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
21630 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
21633 @item Head, Body, All
21634 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
21638 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
21639 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
21640 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
21641 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
21642 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
21643 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
21644 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
21648 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
21649 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
21650 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
21651 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
21652 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
21653 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
21654 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
21655 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
21656 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
21657 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
21658 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
21662 @cindex score file atoms
21664 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
21665 lower than this number will be marked as read.
21668 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
21669 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
21671 @item mark-and-expunge
21672 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
21673 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
21676 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
21677 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
21678 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
21679 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
21680 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
21683 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
21684 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
21687 @item exclude-files
21688 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
21689 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
21693 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
21694 ignored when handling global score files.
21697 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
21698 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
21699 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
21700 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
21703 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
21704 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
21705 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
21706 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
21708 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
21712 (mark-and-expunge -100)
21715 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
21716 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
21717 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
21718 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
21719 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
21721 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
21722 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
21723 scoring rules exist.
21726 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
21727 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
21728 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
21729 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
21730 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
21731 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
21732 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
21733 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
21734 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
21735 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
21736 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
21740 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
21741 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
21742 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
21743 file for a number of groups.
21746 @cindex local variables
21747 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
21748 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
21749 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
21750 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
21751 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
21756 @node Score File Editing
21757 @section Score File Editing
21759 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
21760 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
21761 with a mode for that.
21763 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
21764 additional commands:
21769 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
21770 @findex gnus-score-edit-exit
21771 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
21772 (@code{gnus-score-edit-exit}).
21775 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
21776 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
21777 Insert the current date in numerical format
21778 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
21779 you were wondering.
21782 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
21783 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
21784 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
21785 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
21786 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
21791 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
21793 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
21794 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
21796 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
21797 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
21800 @node Adaptive Scoring
21801 @section Adaptive Scoring
21802 @cindex adaptive scoring
21804 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
21805 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
21806 stupidity, to be precise.
21808 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
21809 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
21810 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
21811 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
21812 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
21813 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
21814 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
21815 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
21816 variable to @code{(word line)}.
21818 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
21819 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
21820 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
21821 might look something like this:
21824 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
21825 '((gnus-unread-mark)
21826 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
21827 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
21828 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
21829 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
21830 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
21831 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
21832 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
21833 (gnus-ancient-mark)
21834 (gnus-low-score-mark)
21835 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
21838 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
21839 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
21840 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
21841 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
21842 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
21843 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
21846 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
21847 will be applied to each article.
21849 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
21850 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
21851 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
21852 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
21854 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
21855 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
21856 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
21857 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
21859 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
21860 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
21861 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
21862 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
21864 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
21865 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
21866 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
21867 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
21868 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
21869 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
21871 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
21872 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
21873 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
21875 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
21876 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
21877 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
21879 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
21880 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
21881 let you use different rules in different groups.
21883 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
21884 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
21885 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
21888 @vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
21889 Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
21890 human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
21891 deafult) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
21893 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
21894 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
21895 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
21896 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
21897 the length of the match is less than
21898 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
21899 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
21902 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
21903 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
21904 headers. If you adapt on words, the
21905 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
21906 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
21909 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
21910 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
21911 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
21912 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
21913 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
21916 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
21917 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
21918 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
21919 score with 30 points.
21921 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
21922 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
21923 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
21924 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
21925 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
21927 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
21928 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
21929 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
21930 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
21931 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
21933 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
21934 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
21935 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
21936 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
21938 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
21939 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
21940 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
21941 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
21943 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
21944 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
21945 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
21946 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
21947 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
21949 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
21950 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
21951 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
21953 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
21954 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
21955 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
21956 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
21959 @node Home Score File
21960 @section Home Score File
21962 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
21963 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
21964 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
21965 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
21967 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
21968 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
21969 could perhaps use the same home score file.
21971 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
21972 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
21977 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
21981 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
21982 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
21986 A list. The elements in this list can be:
21990 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
21991 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
21994 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
21995 be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
21996 name of the group as the parameter.
21999 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
22002 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
22007 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
22010 (setq gnus-home-score-file
22011 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
22014 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
22015 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
22017 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
22019 (setq gnus-home-score-file
22020 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
22023 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
22024 Other functions include
22027 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
22028 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
22029 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
22030 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
22034 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
22035 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
22036 their own home score files:
22039 (setq gnus-home-score-file
22040 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
22041 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
22042 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
22043 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
22046 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
22047 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
22048 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
22049 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
22050 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
22052 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
22053 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
22054 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
22055 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
22056 precedence over this variable.
22059 @node Followups To Yourself
22060 @section Followups To Yourself
22062 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
22063 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
22064 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
22065 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
22066 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
22067 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
22071 @item gnus-score-followup-article
22072 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
22073 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
22076 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
22077 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
22078 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
22082 @vindex message-sent-hook
22083 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
22084 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
22086 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
22090 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
22091 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
22095 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
22096 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
22099 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
22100 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
22105 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
22109 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
22110 is system-dependent.
22113 @node Scoring On Other Headers
22114 @section Scoring On Other Headers
22115 @cindex scoring on other headers
22117 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
22118 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
22119 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
22120 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
22121 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
22123 @vindex gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring
22124 You can inhibit this slow scoring on headers or body by setting the
22125 variable @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring}. If
22126 @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring} is regexp, slow scoring is inhibited if
22127 the group matches the regexp. If it is t, slow scoring on it is
22128 inhibited for all groups.
22130 Now, there's not much you can do about the slowness for news groups, but for
22131 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
22132 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
22133 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
22134 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
22136 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
22139 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
22140 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
22143 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
22144 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
22145 time if you have much mail.
22147 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
22148 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
22154 @section Scoring Tips
22155 @cindex scoring tips
22161 @cindex scoring crossposts
22162 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
22163 the @code{Xref} header.
22165 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
22168 @item Multiple crossposts
22169 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
22170 more than, say, 3 groups:
22173 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
22177 @item Matching on the body
22178 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
22179 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
22180 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
22181 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
22182 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
22183 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
22184 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
22187 @item Marking as read
22188 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
22189 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
22190 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
22194 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
22196 @item Negated character classes
22197 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
22198 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
22199 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
22203 @node Reverse Scoring
22204 @section Reverse Scoring
22205 @cindex reverse scoring
22207 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
22208 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
22209 like this in your score file:
22213 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
22218 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
22219 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
22222 @node Global Score Files
22223 @section Global Score Files
22224 @cindex global score files
22226 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
22227 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
22228 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
22230 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
22231 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
22232 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
22234 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
22235 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
22236 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
22237 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
22238 files are applicable to which group.
22240 To use the score file
22241 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
22242 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
22246 (setq gnus-global-score-files
22247 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
22248 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
22251 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
22253 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
22254 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
22255 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
22256 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
22258 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
22259 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
22261 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
22262 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
22263 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
22264 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
22265 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
22266 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
22268 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
22274 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
22276 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
22278 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
22280 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
22281 lowered out of existence.
22283 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
22284 articles completely.
22287 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
22288 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
22289 old articles for a long time.
22292 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
22293 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
22294 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
22295 holding our breath yet?
22299 @section Kill Files
22302 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
22303 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
22304 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
22306 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
22307 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
22308 files into score files.
22310 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
22311 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
22312 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
22313 that isn't a very good idea.
22315 Normal kill files look like this:
22318 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22319 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
22323 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
22324 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
22326 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
22327 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
22330 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
22335 @kindex M-k (Summary)
22336 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
22337 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
22340 @kindex M-K (Summary)
22341 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
22342 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
22345 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
22350 @kindex M-k (Group)
22351 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
22352 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
22355 @kindex M-K (Group)
22356 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
22357 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
22360 Kill file variables:
22363 @item gnus-kill-file-name
22364 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
22365 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
22366 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
22367 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
22368 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
22369 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
22371 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
22372 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
22373 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
22374 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
22377 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
22378 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
22379 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
22380 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
22381 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
22382 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
22383 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
22384 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
22385 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
22387 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
22388 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
22389 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
22394 @node Converting Kill Files
22395 @section Converting Kill Files
22397 @cindex converting kill files
22399 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
22400 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
22401 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
22404 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
22405 You can fetch it from
22406 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
22408 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
22409 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
22410 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
22414 @node Advanced Scoring
22415 @section Advanced Scoring
22417 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
22418 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
22419 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
22420 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
22421 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
22423 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
22427 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
22428 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
22429 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
22433 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
22434 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
22436 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
22437 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
22438 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
22439 non-@code{nil} value.
22441 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
22442 operator, and various match operators.
22449 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
22450 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
22451 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
22456 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
22457 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
22458 then this operator will return @code{false}.
22463 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
22464 logical negation of the value of its argument.
22468 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
22469 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
22470 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
22471 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
22472 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
22473 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
22474 the ancestry you want to go.
22476 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
22477 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
22478 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
22479 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
22480 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
22483 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
22484 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
22486 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
22487 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
22490 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
22491 when he's talking about Gnus:
22496 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22497 ("subject" "Gnus"))
22504 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
22508 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22515 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
22516 really don't want to read what he's written:
22520 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22521 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigil Logge")))
22525 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
22526 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
22527 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
22534 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
22535 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
22536 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
22537 ("body" "white.*socks"))
22541 Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
22542 in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
22543 subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
22544 parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
22547 ((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
22549 ((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
22553 The possibilities are endless.
22555 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
22556 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
22558 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
22559 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
22560 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
22561 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
22562 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
22563 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
22564 @samp{subject}) first.
22566 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
22567 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
22578 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
22579 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
22585 ("subject" "Gnus")))
22592 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
22593 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
22598 @section Score Decays
22599 @cindex score decays
22602 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
22603 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
22604 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
22605 use them in any sensible way.
22607 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
22608 @findex gnus-decay-score
22609 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
22610 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
22611 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
22612 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
22613 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
22614 If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
22615 regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
22616 @emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
22617 performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
22618 @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
22622 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
22623 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
22624 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
22626 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
22628 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
22630 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
22631 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
22632 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
22633 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
22634 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
22636 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
22640 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
22641 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
22642 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
22643 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
22647 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
22650 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
22653 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
22657 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
22658 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
22659 the new score, which should be an integer.
22661 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
22662 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
22667 @include message.texi
22668 @chapter Emacs MIME
22669 @include emacs-mime.texi
22671 @include sieve.texi
22683 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
22684 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
22685 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
22686 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
22687 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
22688 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
22689 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
22690 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
22691 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
22692 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
22693 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
22694 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
22695 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
22696 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
22697 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
22698 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
22699 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
22700 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
22701 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
22702 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
22703 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
22704 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
22708 @node Process/Prefix
22709 @section Process/Prefix
22710 @cindex process/prefix convention
22712 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
22713 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
22715 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
22716 command to be performed on.
22720 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
22721 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
22722 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
22723 with the current one.
22725 @vindex transient-mark-mode
22726 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
22727 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
22729 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
22730 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
22733 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
22734 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
22736 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
22739 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
22740 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
22741 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
22742 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
22744 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
22745 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
22746 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
22747 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
22748 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
22749 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
22750 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
22751 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
22753 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
22754 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
22755 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
22756 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
22757 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
22761 @section Interactive
22762 @cindex interaction
22766 @item gnus-novice-user
22767 @vindex gnus-novice-user
22768 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
22769 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
22770 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
22771 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
22774 @item gnus-expert-user
22775 @vindex gnus-expert-user
22776 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
22777 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
22778 matter how strange.
22780 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
22781 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
22782 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
22783 is @code{t} by default.
22785 @item gnus-interactive-exit
22786 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
22787 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22792 @node Symbolic Prefixes
22793 @section Symbolic Prefixes
22794 @cindex symbolic prefixes
22796 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
22797 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
22798 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
22799 rule of 900 to the current article.
22801 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
22802 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
22803 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
22804 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
22805 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
22806 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
22807 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
22809 @kindex M-i (Summary)
22810 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
22811 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
22812 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
22813 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
22814 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
22815 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
22816 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
22817 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
22819 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
22820 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
22821 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
22823 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
22827 @node Formatting Variables
22828 @section Formatting Variables
22829 @cindex formatting variables
22831 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
22832 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
22833 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
22834 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
22835 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
22838 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
22839 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
22840 lots of percentages everywhere.
22843 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
22844 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
22845 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
22846 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
22847 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
22848 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
22849 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
22850 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
22853 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
22854 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
22855 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
22856 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
22857 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
22858 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
22859 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
22860 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
22862 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
22863 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
22865 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
22866 @findex gnus-update-format
22867 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
22868 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
22869 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
22870 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
22874 @node Formatting Basics
22875 @subsection Formatting Basics
22877 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
22878 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
22879 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
22881 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
22882 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
22883 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
22884 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
22885 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
22888 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
22889 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
22890 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
22891 less than 4 characters wide.
22893 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
22894 @samp{%&user-date;}.
22897 @node Mode Line Formatting
22898 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
22900 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
22901 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
22902 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
22903 with the following two differences:
22908 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
22911 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
22912 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
22913 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
22914 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
22915 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
22916 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
22917 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
22922 @node Advanced Formatting
22923 @subsection Advanced Formatting
22925 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
22926 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
22927 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
22928 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
22930 These are the valid modifiers:
22935 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
22939 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
22944 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
22947 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
22952 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
22955 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
22958 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
22961 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
22967 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
22972 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
22973 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
22974 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
22975 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
22976 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
22977 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
22978 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
22980 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
22981 last operation, padding.
22983 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
22984 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
22985 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
22986 @xref{Compilation}.
22989 @node User-Defined Specs
22990 @subsection User-Defined Specs
22992 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
22993 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
22994 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
22995 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
22996 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
22997 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
22998 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
22999 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
23000 should protect against that.
23002 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
23003 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
23005 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
23006 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
23007 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
23008 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
23012 @node Formatting Fonts
23013 @subsection Formatting Fonts
23016 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
23017 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
23018 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
23019 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
23020 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
23024 @vindex gnus-face-0
23025 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
23026 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
23027 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
23028 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
23029 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
23030 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
23032 @cindex %<<, %>>, guillemets
23033 @c @cindex %<<, %>>, %«, %», guillemets
23034 @vindex gnus-balloon-face-0
23035 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
23036 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
23037 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
23038 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
23039 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
23040 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
23041 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
23042 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
23043 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
23044 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
23045 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
23048 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
23051 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
23052 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
23053 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
23055 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
23056 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
23057 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
23058 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
23059 ;; @r{Set the color.}
23060 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
23061 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
23063 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
23064 (setq gnus-group-line-format
23065 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
23068 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
23069 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
23071 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
23072 mode-line variables.
23074 @node Positioning Point
23075 @subsection Positioning Point
23077 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
23078 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
23079 line. You can customize this behavior in three different ways.
23081 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
23083 @findex gnus-goto-colon
23084 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
23085 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
23087 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
23088 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
23089 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
23094 @subsection Tabulation
23096 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
23097 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
23098 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
23099 about lining up the following text afterwards.
23101 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
23102 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
23104 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
23105 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
23106 This is the soft tabulator.
23108 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
23109 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
23110 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
23113 @node Wide Characters
23114 @subsection Wide Characters
23116 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
23117 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
23118 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
23120 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
23121 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
23122 these countries, that's not true.
23124 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
23125 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
23126 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
23127 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
23131 @node Window Layout
23132 @section Window Layout
23133 @cindex window layout
23135 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
23137 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
23138 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
23139 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
23140 @code{t} by default.
23142 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
23143 glitches. Use at your own peril.
23145 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
23146 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
23147 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
23150 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
23151 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
23152 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
23156 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
23157 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
23158 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
23159 possible names is listed below.
23161 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
23162 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
23165 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
23169 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
23170 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
23171 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
23172 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
23173 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
23174 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
23175 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
23176 size spec per split.
23178 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
23179 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
23180 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
23181 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
23182 present) gets focus.
23184 Here's a more complicated example:
23187 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
23188 (summary 0.25 point)
23189 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
23193 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
23194 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
23195 occupy, not a percentage.
23197 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
23198 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
23199 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
23200 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
23201 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
23204 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
23207 (article (horizontal 1.0
23212 (summary 0.25 point)
23217 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
23218 @code{horizontal} thingie?
23220 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
23221 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
23222 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
23223 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
23224 the screen is to be given to this strip.
23226 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
23227 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
23228 lines from the splits.
23230 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
23235 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
23236 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
23237 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
23238 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
23239 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
23240 size = number | frame-params
23241 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
23245 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
23246 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
23247 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
23248 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
23250 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
23251 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
23252 @cindex window height
23253 @cindex window width
23254 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
23255 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
23256 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
23257 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
23258 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
23259 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
23261 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
23262 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
23263 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
23264 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
23266 @findex gnus-configure-frame
23267 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
23268 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
23269 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
23270 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
23271 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
23272 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
23273 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
23274 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
23275 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
23276 configuration list.
23279 (gnus-configure-frame
23283 (article 0.3 point))
23291 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
23292 @code{frame} split:
23295 (gnus-configure-frame
23298 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
23300 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
23301 (user-position . t)
23302 (left . -1) (top . 1))
23307 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
23308 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
23309 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
23310 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
23311 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
23312 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
23313 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
23314 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
23316 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
23317 be found in its default value.
23319 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
23320 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
23321 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
23325 (message (horizontal 1.0
23326 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
23328 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
23333 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
23334 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
23335 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
23340 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
23341 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
23342 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
23343 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
23344 (name . "Message"))
23345 (message 1.0 point))))
23348 @findex gnus-add-configuration
23349 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
23350 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
23351 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
23352 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
23355 (gnus-add-configuration
23356 '(article (vertical 1.0
23358 (summary .25 point)
23362 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
23363 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
23364 Gnus has been loaded.
23366 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
23367 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
23368 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
23369 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
23370 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
23372 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
23373 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
23374 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
23377 @subsection Example Window Configurations
23381 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
23382 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
23397 (gnus-add-configuration
23400 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
23402 (summary 0.16 point)
23405 (gnus-add-configuration
23408 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
23409 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
23415 @node Faces and Fonts
23416 @section Faces and Fonts
23421 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
23422 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
23423 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
23428 @section Compilation
23429 @cindex compilation
23430 @cindex byte-compilation
23432 @findex gnus-compile
23434 Remember all those line format specification variables?
23435 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
23436 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
23437 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
23438 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
23439 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
23442 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
23443 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
23444 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
23445 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
23446 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
23447 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
23448 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
23452 @section Mode Lines
23455 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
23456 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
23457 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
23458 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
23459 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
23460 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
23461 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
23464 @cindex display-time
23466 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
23467 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
23468 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
23469 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
23470 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
23471 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
23472 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
23473 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
23476 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
23478 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
23479 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
23481 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
23482 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
23483 (length display-time-string)))))
23486 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
23487 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
23488 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
23489 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
23490 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
23493 @node Highlighting and Menus
23494 @section Highlighting and Menus
23496 @cindex highlighting
23499 @vindex gnus-visual
23500 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
23501 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
23502 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
23505 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
23506 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
23509 @item group-highlight
23510 Do highlights in the group buffer.
23511 @item summary-highlight
23512 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
23513 @item article-highlight
23514 Do highlights in the article buffer.
23516 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
23518 Create menus in the group buffer.
23520 Create menus in the summary buffers.
23522 Create menus in the article buffer.
23524 Create menus in the browse buffer.
23526 Create menus in the server buffer.
23528 Create menus in the score buffers.
23530 Create menus in all buffers.
23533 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
23534 buffers, you could say something like:
23537 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
23540 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
23543 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
23546 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
23547 in all Gnus buffers.
23549 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
23552 @item gnus-mouse-face
23553 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
23554 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
23555 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
23559 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
23563 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
23564 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
23565 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
23567 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
23568 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
23569 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
23571 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
23572 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
23573 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
23575 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
23576 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
23577 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
23579 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
23580 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
23581 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
23583 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
23584 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
23585 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
23596 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
23597 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
23598 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
23599 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
23600 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
23604 @vindex gnus-carpal
23605 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
23606 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
23607 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
23612 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
23613 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
23614 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
23616 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
23617 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
23618 Face used on buttons.
23620 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
23621 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
23622 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
23624 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
23625 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
23626 Buttons in the group buffer.
23628 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
23629 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
23630 Buttons in the summary buffer.
23632 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
23633 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
23634 Buttons in the server buffer.
23636 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
23637 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
23638 Buttons in the browse buffer.
23641 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
23642 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
23643 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
23651 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
23652 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
23653 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
23654 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
23655 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
23657 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
23658 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
23659 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
23661 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
23662 been idle for thirty minutes:
23665 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
23668 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
23672 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
23675 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
23676 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
23677 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
23679 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
23680 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
23681 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
23682 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
23684 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
23685 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
23686 @var{idle} minutes.
23688 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
23689 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
23692 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
23693 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
23694 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
23696 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
23697 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
23698 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
23699 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
23701 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
23702 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23704 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
23706 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
23709 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
23710 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
23711 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
23712 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
23713 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
23714 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
23715 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
23716 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
23717 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
23718 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
23719 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
23721 @findex gnus-demon-init
23722 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
23723 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
23724 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
23725 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
23726 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
23728 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
23729 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
23730 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
23739 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
23740 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
23742 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
23743 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
23744 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
23745 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
23748 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
23749 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
23750 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
23751 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
23753 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
23754 this will make spam disappear.
23756 There are some variables to customize, of course:
23759 @item gnus-use-nocem
23760 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
23761 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
23764 You can also set this variable to a positive number as a group level.
23765 In that case, Gnus scans NoCeM messages when checking new news if this
23766 value is not exceeding a group level that you specify as the prefix
23767 argument to some commands, e.g. @code{gnus},
23768 @code{gnus-group-get-new-news}, etc. Otherwise, Gnus does not scan
23769 NoCeM messages if you specify a group level to those commands. For
23770 example, if you use 1 or 2 on the mail groups and the levels on the news
23771 groups remain the default, 3 is the best choice.
23773 @item gnus-nocem-groups
23774 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
23775 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
23778 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
23779 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
23782 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
23783 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
23784 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
23785 people you want to listen to. The default is
23787 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
23788 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
23790 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
23792 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
23793 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
23795 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
23796 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
23797 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
23798 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
23799 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
23800 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
23801 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
23802 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
23803 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
23804 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
23806 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
23807 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
23810 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
23813 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
23814 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
23817 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
23820 The specs are applied left-to-right.
23823 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
23824 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
23826 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
23827 says she is. The default is @code{pgg-verify}, which returns
23828 non-@code{nil} if the verification is successful, otherwise (including
23829 the case the NoCeM message was not signed) returns @code{nil}. If this
23830 is too slow and you don't care for verification (which may be dangerous),
23831 you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
23833 Formerly the default was @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
23834 function. While you can still use it, you can change it into
23835 @code{pgg-verify} running with GnuPG if you are willing to add the
23836 @acronym{PGP} public keys to GnuPG's keyring.
23838 @item gnus-nocem-directory
23839 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
23840 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
23841 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
23843 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
23844 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
23845 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
23846 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
23847 might then see old spam.
23849 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
23850 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
23851 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
23852 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
23853 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
23856 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
23857 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
23858 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
23859 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
23863 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
23864 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
23865 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
23866 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
23873 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
23874 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
23875 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
23877 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
23878 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
23879 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
23880 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
23881 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
23882 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
23883 @code{undo} function.
23885 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
23886 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
23887 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
23888 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
23889 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
23890 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
23891 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
23892 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
23893 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
23894 never be totally undoable.
23896 @findex gnus-undo-mode
23897 @vindex gnus-use-undo
23899 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
23900 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
23901 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
23902 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
23906 @node Predicate Specifiers
23907 @section Predicate Specifiers
23908 @cindex predicate specifiers
23910 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
23911 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
23912 to type all that much.
23914 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
23919 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
23920 gnus-article-unread-p)
23923 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
23924 functions all take one parameter.
23926 @findex gnus-make-predicate
23927 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
23928 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
23929 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
23934 @section Moderation
23937 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
23938 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
23939 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
23942 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
23946 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
23949 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
23951 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
23956 You split your incoming mail by matching on
23957 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
23958 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
23961 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
23962 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
23965 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
23966 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
23970 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
23973 (setq gnus-moderated-list
23974 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
23978 @node Fetching a Group
23979 @section Fetching a Group
23980 @cindex fetching a group
23982 @findex gnus-fetch-group
23983 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
23984 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
23985 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
23986 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
23987 It takes the group name as a parameter.
23990 @node Image Enhancements
23991 @section Image Enhancements
23993 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
23994 support images, Emacs 22 does.} and up, are able to display pictures and
23995 stuff, so Gnus has taken advantage of that.
23998 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
23999 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
24000 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
24001 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
24002 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
24010 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
24011 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
24012 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
24016 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
24017 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
24018 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
24026 Viewing an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
24027 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions have), or that you
24028 have suitable conversion or display programs installed. If your Emacs
24029 has image support the default action is to display the face before the
24030 @code{From} header. If there's no native @code{X-Face} support, Gnus
24031 will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using external programs
24032 from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends, see below. For XEmacs it's
24033 faster if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support. The
24034 default action under Emacs without image support is to fork off the
24035 @code{display} program.
24037 On a GNU/Linux system, the @code{display} program is included in the
24038 ImageMagick package. For external conversion programs look for packages
24039 with names like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.
24040 On Windows, you may use the packages @code{netpbm} and @code{compface}
24041 from @url{http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net}. You need to add the
24042 @code{bin} directory to your @code{PATH} environment variable.
24043 @c In fact only the following DLLs and binaries seem to be required:
24044 @c compface1.dll uncompface.exe libnetpbm10.dll icontopbm.exe
24046 The variable @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} controls which programs
24047 are used to display the @code{X-Face} header. If this variable is a
24048 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
24049 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
24050 If @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches the
24051 @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
24053 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
24061 @vindex gnus-x-face
24062 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
24063 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
24064 default colors are black and white.
24066 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
24067 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
24068 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
24069 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
24070 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
24071 XEmacs. Here are examples:
24074 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
24075 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
24076 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
24077 (png . (:ascent 80))))
24079 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
24080 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
24081 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
24082 (png . (:relief -2))))
24085 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
24086 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
24087 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
24088 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
24089 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
24090 @samp{libcompface} library.
24093 If you use posting styles, you can use an @code{x-face-file} entry in
24094 @code{gnus-posting-styles}, @xref{Posting Styles}. If you don't, Gnus
24095 provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow easier
24096 insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages. You also need the
24097 above mentioned ImageMagick, netpbm or other image conversion packages
24098 (depending the values of the variables below) for these functions.
24100 @findex gnus-random-x-face
24101 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
24102 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
24103 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
24104 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
24105 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
24106 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
24107 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
24108 header data as a string.
24110 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
24111 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
24112 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
24113 randomly generated data.
24115 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
24116 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
24117 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
24118 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
24119 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
24121 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
24122 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24125 (setq message-required-news-headers
24126 (nconc message-required-news-headers
24127 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
24130 Using the last function would be something like this:
24133 (setq message-required-news-headers
24134 (nconc message-required-news-headers
24135 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
24136 (gnus-x-face-from-file
24137 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
24145 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces' implementations should really be harmonized.
24147 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
24148 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
24149 represent the author of the message.
24152 @findex gnus-article-display-face
24153 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
24154 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
24157 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
24158 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
24160 Viewing an @code{Face} header requires an Emacs that is able to display
24163 @c (if (featurep 'xemacs)
24165 @c (image-type-available-p 'png))
24167 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
24168 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
24170 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
24171 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
24172 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
24174 @findex gnus-face-from-file
24175 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
24176 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
24177 converts the file to Face format by using the
24178 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
24180 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
24181 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24184 (setq message-required-news-headers
24185 (nconc message-required-news-headers
24186 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
24187 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
24192 @subsection Smileys
24197 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
24202 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
24203 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
24205 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
24206 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24209 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
24212 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
24213 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
24214 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
24215 text and maps that to file names.
24217 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
24218 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
24219 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
24220 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
24221 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
24224 The following variables customize the appearance of the smileys:
24229 @vindex smiley-style
24230 Specifies the smiley style. Predefined smiley styles include
24231 @code{low-color} (small 13x14 pixel, three-color images), @code{medium}
24232 (more colorful images, 16x16 pixel), and @code{grayscale} (grayscale
24233 images, 14x14 pixel). The default depends on the height of the default
24236 @item smiley-data-directory
24237 @vindex smiley-data-directory
24238 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files. You shouldn't set this
24239 variable anymore. Customize @code{smiley-style} instead.
24241 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
24242 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
24243 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
24257 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
24258 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
24259 over your shoulder as you read news.
24261 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
24270 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
24271 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
24272 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
24273 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
24274 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
24275 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
24276 @code{GIF} formats.
24279 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
24280 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
24281 point your Web browser at
24282 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
24284 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
24285 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
24287 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
24288 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
24291 @vindex gnus-picon-style
24292 The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
24293 If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
24294 @code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
24296 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
24300 @item gnus-picon-databases
24301 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
24302 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
24303 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
24304 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
24305 "/usr/local/faces")}.
24307 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
24308 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
24309 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
24310 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
24312 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
24313 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
24314 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
24315 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
24317 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
24318 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
24319 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
24320 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
24321 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
24323 @item gnus-picon-file-types
24324 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
24325 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
24326 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
24332 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
24335 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
24336 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
24337 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
24338 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
24339 unusual directory structure.
24341 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
24342 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
24343 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
24348 @subsubsection Toolbar
24352 @item gnus-use-toolbar
24353 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
24354 This variable specifies the position to display the toolbar. If
24355 @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If it is non-@code{nil}, it should
24356 be one of the symbols @code{default}, @code{top}, @code{bottom},
24357 @code{right}, and @code{left}. @code{default} means to use the default
24358 toolbar, the rest mean to display the toolbar on the place which those
24359 names show. The default is @code{default}.
24361 @item gnus-toolbar-thickness
24362 @vindex gnus-toolbar-thickness
24363 Cons of the height and the width specifying the thickness of a toolbar.
24364 The height is used for the toolbar displayed on the top or the bottom,
24365 the width is used for the toolbar displayed on the right or the left.
24366 The default is that of the default toolbar.
24368 @item gnus-group-toolbar
24369 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
24370 The toolbar in the group buffer.
24372 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
24373 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
24374 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
24376 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
24377 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
24378 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
24389 @node Fuzzy Matching
24390 @section Fuzzy Matching
24391 @cindex fuzzy matching
24393 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
24394 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
24396 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
24397 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
24398 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
24400 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
24401 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
24402 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
24403 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
24404 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
24407 @node Thwarting Email Spam
24408 @section Thwarting Email Spam
24412 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
24414 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
24415 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
24416 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
24417 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
24418 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
24419 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
24420 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
24421 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
24424 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
24425 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
24426 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
24427 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
24428 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
24429 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
24431 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
24434 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
24435 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
24436 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
24437 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
24440 @node The problem of spam
24441 @subsection The problem of spam
24443 @cindex spam filtering approaches
24444 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
24446 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
24448 First, some background on spam.
24450 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
24451 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
24452 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
24453 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
24454 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
24455 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
24456 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
24457 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
24458 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
24460 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
24461 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
24462 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
24463 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
24464 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
24465 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
24466 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
24467 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
24468 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
24471 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
24472 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
24473 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
24474 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
24475 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
24476 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
24477 from Bulgarian IPs.
24479 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
24480 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
24481 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
24482 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
24484 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
24485 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
24486 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
24487 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
24489 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
24490 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
24491 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
24492 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
24493 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
24494 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
24495 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
24496 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
24497 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
24499 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
24500 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
24501 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
24502 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
24503 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
24504 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
24505 down for some time because of the incident.
24507 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
24508 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
24509 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
24510 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
24511 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
24512 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
24513 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
24514 to store the database of spam analysis. Statistical analysis on the
24515 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
24516 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
24517 the server that it has misclassified mail.
24519 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
24520 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
24521 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
24522 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
24523 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
24524 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
24525 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
24528 @node Anti-Spam Basics
24529 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
24533 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
24535 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
24536 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
24538 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
24539 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
24540 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
24541 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
24542 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
24543 part of the mail address.)
24546 (setq message-default-news-headers
24547 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
24550 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
24551 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
24555 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
24556 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
24557 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
24562 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
24563 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
24564 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
24565 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
24567 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
24568 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
24569 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
24570 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
24571 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
24572 your fancy split rule in this way:
24577 (to "larsi" "misc")
24581 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
24582 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
24583 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
24584 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
24585 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
24587 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
24588 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
24589 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
24590 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
24592 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
24596 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
24597 @cindex SpamAssassin
24598 @cindex Vipul's Razor
24601 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
24602 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
24603 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
24604 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
24605 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
24606 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
24607 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
24609 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
24610 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
24611 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
24614 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
24615 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
24616 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
24617 Specifiers}) follow.
24621 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
24625 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
24628 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
24629 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
24630 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
24633 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
24637 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
24640 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
24641 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
24645 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
24646 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
24647 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
24648 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
24651 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
24653 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
24657 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
24658 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
24662 Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
24663 downloaded by default. You need to set
24664 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
24665 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
24667 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
24668 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
24669 spam. And here is the nifty function:
24672 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
24673 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
24675 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
24676 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
24677 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
24681 @subsection Hashcash
24684 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
24685 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
24686 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
24687 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
24688 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
24690 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
24691 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
24692 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
24693 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
24694 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
24695 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
24696 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
24697 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
24698 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
24699 one of them separately.
24702 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
24703 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
24704 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
24705 For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
24706 need to install to use this feature, see
24707 @uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
24708 at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
24710 If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
24711 customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
24712 Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
24715 (setq message-generate-hashcash t)
24718 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
24722 @item hashcash-default-payment
24723 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
24724 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
24725 should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
24728 @item hashcash-payment-alist
24729 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
24730 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
24731 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
24732 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
24733 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
24734 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
24735 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
24736 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
24738 @item hashcash-path
24739 @vindex hashcash-path
24740 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
24741 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
24742 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
24743 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
24744 when you generate hashcash payments.
24748 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
24749 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
24750 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
24751 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
24752 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
24753 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
24754 Hashcash Payments}).
24757 @section Spam Package
24758 @cindex spam filtering
24761 The Spam package provides Gnus with a centralized mechanism for
24762 detecting and filtering spam. It filters new mail, and processes
24763 messages according to whether they are spam or ham. (@dfn{Ham} is the
24764 name used throughout this manual to indicate non-spam messages.)
24767 * Spam Package Introduction::
24768 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
24769 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
24770 * Spam and Ham Processors::
24771 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
24773 * Extending the Spam package::
24774 * Spam Statistics Package::
24777 @node Spam Package Introduction
24778 @subsection Spam Package Introduction
24779 @cindex spam filtering
24780 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
24783 You must read this section to understand how the Spam package works.
24784 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
24786 Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
24787 events. See @xref{Extending the Spam package}.
24789 @cindex spam-initialize
24790 @vindex spam-use-stat
24791 To use the Spam package, you @strong{must} first run the function
24792 @code{spam-initialize}:
24798 This autoloads @code{spam.el} and installs the various hooks necessary
24799 to let the Spam package do its job. In order to make use of the Spam
24800 package, you have to set up certain group parameters and variables,
24801 which we will describe below. All of the variables controlling the
24802 Spam package can be found in the @samp{spam} customization group.
24804 There are two ``contact points'' between the Spam package and the rest
24805 of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and leaving a group.
24807 Checking new mail for spam is done in one of two ways: while splitting
24808 incoming mail, or when you enter a group.
24810 The first way, checking for spam while splitting incoming mail, is
24811 suited to mail back ends such as @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap}, where
24812 new mail appears in a single spool file. The Spam package processes
24813 incoming mail, and sends mail considered to be spam to a designated
24814 ``spam'' group. @xref{Filtering Incoming Mail}.
24816 The second way is suited to back ends such as @code{nntp}, which have
24817 no incoming mail spool, or back ends where the server is in charge of
24818 splitting incoming mail. In this case, when you enter a Gnus group,
24819 the unseen or unread messages in that group are checked for spam.
24820 Detected spam messages are marked as spam. @xref{Detecting Spam in
24823 @cindex spam back ends
24824 In either case, you have to tell the Spam package what method to use
24825 to detect spam messages. There are several methods, or @dfn{spam back
24826 ends} (not to be confused with Gnus back ends!) to choose from: spam
24827 ``blacklists'' and ``whitelists'', dictionary-based filters, and so
24828 forth. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
24830 In the Gnus summary buffer, messages that have been identified as spam
24831 always appear with a @samp{$} symbol.
24833 The Spam package divides Gnus groups into three categories: ham
24834 groups, spam groups, and unclassified groups. You should mark each of
24835 the groups you subscribe to as either a ham group or a spam group,
24836 using the @code{spam-contents} group parameter (@pxref{Group
24837 Parameters}). Spam groups have a special property: when you enter a
24838 spam group, all unseen articles are marked as spam. Thus, mail split
24839 into a spam group is automatically marked as spam.
24841 Identifying spam messages is only half of the Spam package's job. The
24842 second half comes into play whenever you exit a group buffer. At this
24843 point, the Spam package does several things:
24845 First, it calls @dfn{spam and ham processors} to process the articles
24846 according to whether they are spam or ham. There is a pair of spam
24847 and ham processors associated with each spam back end, and what the
24848 processors do depends on the back end. At present, the main role of
24849 spam and ham processors is for dictionary-based spam filters: they add
24850 the contents of the messages in the group to the filter's dictionary,
24851 to improve its ability to detect future spam. The @code{spam-process}
24852 group parameter specifies what spam processors to use. @xref{Spam and
24855 If the spam filter failed to mark a spam message, you can mark it
24856 yourself, so that the message is processed as spam when you exit the
24866 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
24867 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
24868 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark
24869 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}).
24873 Similarly, you can unmark an article if it has been erroneously marked
24874 as spam. @xref{Setting Marks}.
24876 Normally, a ham message found in a non-ham group is not processed as
24877 ham---the rationale is that it should be moved into a ham group for
24878 further processing (see below). However, you can force these articles
24879 to be processed as ham by setting
24880 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
24881 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups}.
24883 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
24884 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
24885 The second thing that the Spam package does when you exit a group is
24886 to move ham articles out of spam groups, and spam articles out of ham
24887 groups. Ham in a spam group is moved to the group specified by the
24888 variable @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}, or the group parameter
24889 @code{ham-process-destination}. Spam in a ham group is moved to the
24890 group specified by the variable @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations},
24891 or the group parameter @code{spam-process-destination}. If these
24892 variables are not set, the articles are left in their current group.
24893 If an article cannot be moved (e.g., with a read-only backend such
24894 as @acronym{NNTP}), it is copied.
24896 If an article is moved to another group, it is processed again when
24897 you visit the new group. Normally, this is not a problem, but if you
24898 want each article to be processed only once, load the
24899 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and set the variable
24900 @code{spam-log-to-registry} to @code{t}. @xref{Spam Package
24901 Configuration Examples}.
24903 Normally, spam groups ignore @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations}.
24904 However, if you set @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only} to
24905 @code{nil}, spam will also be moved out of spam groups, depending on
24906 the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter.
24908 The final thing the Spam package does is to mark spam articles as
24909 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
24911 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
24912 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
24913 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
24915 @node Filtering Incoming Mail
24916 @subsection Filtering Incoming Mail
24917 @cindex spam filtering
24918 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
24921 To use the Spam package to filter incoming mail, you must first set up
24922 fancy mail splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}. The Spam package
24923 defines a special splitting function that you can add to your fancy
24924 split variable (either @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
24925 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on your mail back end):
24931 @vindex spam-split-group
24933 The @code{spam-split} function scans incoming mail according to your
24934 chosen spam back end(s), and sends messages identified as spam to a
24935 spam group. By default, the spam group is a group named @samp{spam},
24936 but you can change this by customizing @code{spam-split-group}. Make
24937 sure the contents of @code{spam-split-group} are an unqualified group
24938 name. For instance, in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server},
24939 the value @samp{spam} means @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The value
24940 @samp{nnimap+server:spam} is therefore wrong---it gives the group
24941 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam}.
24943 @code{spam-split} does not modify the contents of messages in any way.
24945 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
24946 Note for IMAP users: if you use the @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
24947 @code{spam-check-ifile}, and @code{spam-check-stat} spam back ends,
24948 you should also set set the variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body}
24949 to @code{t}. These spam back ends are most useful when they can
24950 ``scan'' the full message body. By default, the nnimap back end only
24951 retrieves the message headers; @code{nnimap-split-download-body} tells
24952 it to retrieve the message bodies as well. We don't set this by
24953 default because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and that is not an
24954 appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user. @xref{Splitting
24957 You have to specify one or more spam back ends for @code{spam-split}
24958 to use, by setting the @code{spam-use-*} variables. @xref{Spam Back
24959 Ends}. Normally, @code{spam-split} simply uses all the spam back ends
24960 you enabled in this way. However, you can tell @code{spam-split} to
24961 use only some of them. Why this is useful? Suppose you are using the
24962 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and @code{spam-use-blackholes} spam back
24963 ends, and the following split rule:
24966 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
24967 (any "ding" "ding")
24969 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24974 The problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the ding
24975 folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam detected by
24976 SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through, when it's
24977 sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to the ding
24978 list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the invocation
24979 of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
24981 The solution is to let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, and
24982 perform the other @code{spam-split} rules (including a second
24983 invocation of the regex-headers check) after the ding rule. This is
24984 done by passing a parameter to @code{spam-split}:
24989 ;; @r{spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
24990 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
24991 (any "ding" "ding")
24992 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
24994 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24999 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
25000 your particular needs, and target the results of those checks to a
25001 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
25002 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
25003 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
25004 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
25005 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
25007 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
25008 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
25009 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
25010 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
25012 @c @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
25013 @c statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
25016 @node Detecting Spam in Groups
25017 @subsection Detecting Spam in Groups
25019 To detect spam when visiting a group, set the group's
25020 @code{spam-autodetect} and @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group
25021 parameters. These are accessible with @kbd{G c} or @kbd{G p}, as
25022 usual (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
25024 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
25025 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
25026 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
25027 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set.
25029 By default, only unseen articles are processed for spam. You can
25030 force Gnus to recheck all messages in the group by setting the
25031 variable @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages} to @code{t}.
25033 If you use the @code{spam-autodetect} method of checking for spam, you
25034 can specify different spam detection methods for different groups.
25035 For instance, the @samp{ding} group may have @code{spam-use-BBDB} as
25036 the autodetection method, while the @samp{suspect} group may have the
25037 @code{spam-use-blacklist} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods
25038 enabled. Unlike with @code{spam-split}, you don't have any control
25039 over the @emph{sequence} of checks, but this is probably unimportant.
25041 @node Spam and Ham Processors
25042 @subsection Spam and Ham Processors
25043 @cindex spam filtering
25044 @cindex spam filtering variables
25045 @cindex spam variables
25048 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
25049 Spam and ham processors specify special actions to take when you exit
25050 a group buffer. Spam processors act on spam messages, and ham
25051 processors on ham messages. At present, the main role of these
25052 processors is to update the dictionaries of dictionary-based spam back
25053 ends such as Bogofilter (@pxref{Bogofilter}) and the Spam Statistics
25054 package (@pxref{Spam Statistics Filtering}).
25056 The spam and ham processors that apply to each group are determined by
25057 the group's@code{spam-process} group parameter. If this group
25058 parameter is not defined, they are determined by the variable
25059 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups}.
25061 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
25062 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
25063 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
25064 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
25065 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
25066 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
25067 by customizing the corresponding variable
25068 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
25069 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
25070 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
25071 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
25072 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
25073 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
25074 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
25077 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
25079 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
25080 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
25081 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
25082 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
25083 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
25084 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
25085 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
25086 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
25087 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
25088 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
25089 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
25090 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
25091 processor which will study them as spam samples.
25093 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
25094 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
25095 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
25096 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
25097 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
25098 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
25099 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
25100 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
25103 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
25104 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
25105 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
25106 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
25107 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
25108 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
25109 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
25114 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
25115 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
25116 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
25117 you really want to.
25120 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
25121 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
25122 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
25123 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
25124 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
25125 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
25128 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
25129 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
25130 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
25131 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
25132 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
25133 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
25134 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
25135 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
25136 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
25137 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
25138 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
25139 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
25140 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
25141 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
25142 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
25144 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
25145 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
25147 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
25148 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
25149 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
25151 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
25152 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
25154 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
25155 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
25156 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
25157 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
25158 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
25160 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
25161 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
25162 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
25163 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
25164 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
25167 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
25168 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
25169 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
25170 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
25171 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
25172 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
25173 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
25174 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
25175 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
25176 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
25177 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
25178 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
25179 group buffer then you need it here as well.
25181 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
25182 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
25184 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
25185 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
25188 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
25189 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
25190 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
25191 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
25192 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
25193 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
25194 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
25196 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
25197 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
25198 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
25199 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
25201 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
25202 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
25203 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
25204 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
25205 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
25206 from the mail server.
25208 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
25209 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
25210 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
25211 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
25213 @node Spam Package Configuration Examples
25214 @subsection Spam Package Configuration Examples
25215 @cindex spam filtering
25216 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
25217 @cindex spam configuration examples
25220 @subsubheading Ted's setup
25222 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
25224 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
25225 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
25226 (gnus-registry-initialize)
25230 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
25232 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
25233 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
25234 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
25235 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
25236 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
25237 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
25238 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
25239 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
25240 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
25241 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
25242 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
25243 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
25244 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
25245 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
25246 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
25247 (any "ding" "ding")
25248 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
25250 ;; @r{default mailbox}
25253 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
25255 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
25256 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
25257 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
25258 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
25260 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
25262 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
25263 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
25264 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
25265 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
25266 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
25268 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
25269 ((spam-autodetect . t))
25271 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
25273 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
25274 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
25276 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
25277 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
25278 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
25280 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
25282 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
25283 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
25285 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
25286 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
25287 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
25289 (gnus-ticked-mark))
25290 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
25291 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
25292 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
25294 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
25295 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
25296 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
25300 @subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
25301 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
25303 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
25304 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
25305 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
25306 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
25307 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
25308 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
25309 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
25310 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
25311 @samp{training.spam} folders.
25313 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
25314 does most of the job for me:
25317 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
25318 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
25319 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
25320 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
25321 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
25322 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
25323 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
25328 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
25330 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
25331 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
25332 bogofilter or DCC).
25334 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
25335 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
25336 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark
25337 (@code{ham-marks}, @ref{Spam and Ham Processors}). On group exit,
25338 those messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want
25339 to have the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter)
25340 and deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
25342 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
25343 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
25344 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
25345 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
25346 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
25347 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
25349 @item @b{Ham folders:}
25351 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
25352 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
25353 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
25354 @samp{training.spam}.
25357 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
25359 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
25361 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
25362 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
25363 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
25367 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
25370 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
25371 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
25372 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
25373 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
25374 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
25376 @node Spam Back Ends
25377 @subsection Spam Back Ends
25378 @cindex spam back ends
25380 The spam package offers a variety of back ends for detecting spam.
25381 Each back end defines a set of methods for detecting spam
25382 (@pxref{Filtering Incoming Mail}, @pxref{Detecting Spam in Groups}),
25383 and a pair of spam and ham processors (@pxref{Spam and Ham
25387 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
25388 * BBDB Whitelists::
25389 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
25390 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
25392 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
25394 * SpamAssassin back end::
25395 * ifile spam filtering::
25396 * Spam Statistics Filtering::
25400 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
25401 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
25402 @cindex spam filtering
25403 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
25404 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
25407 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
25409 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
25410 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
25411 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
25412 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
25417 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
25419 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
25420 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
25421 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
25422 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
25423 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
25427 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
25429 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
25430 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
25431 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
25435 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
25437 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25438 customizing the group parameters or the
25439 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25440 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
25441 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
25445 Instead of the obsolete
25446 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
25447 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
25448 the same way, we promise.
25452 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
25454 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25455 customizing the group parameters or the
25456 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25457 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
25458 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
25463 Instead of the obsolete
25464 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
25465 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
25466 the same way, we promise.
25470 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
25471 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
25472 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
25473 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
25474 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
25476 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
25477 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
25478 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
25479 Emacs regular expression syntax.
25481 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
25482 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
25483 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
25484 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
25485 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
25486 @file{blacklist} respectively.
25488 @node BBDB Whitelists
25489 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
25490 @cindex spam filtering
25491 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
25492 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
25495 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
25497 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
25498 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
25499 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
25500 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
25501 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
25502 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
25503 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
25507 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
25509 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
25510 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
25511 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
25512 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
25513 classified as spammers.
25515 While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
25516 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
25517 @emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
25518 @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to t, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
25523 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
25525 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25526 customizing the group parameters or the
25527 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25528 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
25529 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
25534 Instead of the obsolete
25535 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
25536 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
25537 the same way, we promise.
25541 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
25542 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
25543 @cindex spam reporting
25544 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
25545 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
25548 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
25550 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25551 customizing the group parameters or the
25552 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25553 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
25554 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
25557 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
25561 Instead of the obsolete
25562 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
25563 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
25564 same way, we promise.
25568 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
25570 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
25571 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
25572 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
25573 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
25574 @code{spam-report.el} will fetch the number from the article headers.
25578 @defvar spam-report-user-mail-address
25580 Mail address exposed in the User-Agent spam reports to Gmane. It allows
25581 the Gmane administrators to contact you in case of misreports. The
25582 default is @code{user-mail-address}.
25586 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
25587 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
25588 @cindex spam filtering
25589 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
25592 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
25594 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
25595 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
25596 instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
25597 token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
25598 filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
25599 are not assumed to be spam or ham.
25604 @subsubsection Blackholes
25605 @cindex spam filtering
25606 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
25609 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
25611 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
25612 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
25613 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
25614 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
25615 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
25616 contains outdated servers.
25618 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
25619 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
25620 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
25621 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
25622 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
25623 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
25627 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
25629 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
25633 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
25635 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
25636 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
25640 @defvar spam-use-dig
25642 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
25643 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
25647 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
25648 ham processor for blackholes.
25650 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
25651 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
25652 @cindex spam filtering
25653 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
25656 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
25658 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
25659 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
25660 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
25661 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
25662 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
25663 message is spam or ham, respectively.
25667 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
25669 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
25670 the message, positively identify it as spam.
25674 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
25676 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
25677 the message, positively identify it as ham.
25681 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
25682 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
25685 @subsubsection Bogofilter
25686 @cindex spam filtering
25687 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
25690 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
25692 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
25695 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
25696 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
25697 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
25698 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
25699 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
25700 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
25702 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
25703 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
25706 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
25707 processing will be turned off.
25709 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
25718 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
25719 Get the Bogofilter spamicity score (@code{spam-bogofilter-score}).
25722 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
25724 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
25725 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
25726 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
25727 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
25728 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
25729 installation documents for details.
25731 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
25735 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
25736 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25737 customizing the group parameters or the
25738 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25739 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
25740 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
25744 Instead of the obsolete
25745 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
25746 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
25747 the same way, we promise.
25750 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
25751 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25752 customizing the group parameters or the
25753 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25754 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
25755 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
25756 of non-spam messages.
25760 Instead of the obsolete
25761 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
25762 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
25763 the same way, we promise.
25766 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
25768 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
25769 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
25770 database directory.
25774 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
25775 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
25776 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
25777 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
25778 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
25779 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
25781 @node SpamAssassin back end
25782 @subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
25783 @cindex spam filtering
25784 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
25787 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
25789 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
25791 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
25792 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
25793 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
25794 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
25797 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
25798 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
25799 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
25800 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
25803 You should not enable this if you use
25804 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
25808 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
25810 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
25811 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
25813 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
25817 @defvar spam-spamassassin-program
25819 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
25820 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
25821 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
25822 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
25826 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
25827 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
25828 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
25829 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
25830 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
25831 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
25832 to test this functionality.
25834 @node ifile spam filtering
25835 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
25836 @cindex spam filtering
25837 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
25840 @defvar spam-use-ifile
25842 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
25843 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
25847 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
25849 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
25850 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
25851 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
25855 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
25857 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
25858 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
25859 the default value of @samp{spam}.
25862 @defvar spam-ifile-database
25864 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
25865 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
25869 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
25870 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
25871 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
25872 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
25875 @node Spam Statistics Filtering
25876 @subsubsection Spam Statistics Filtering
25877 @cindex spam filtering
25878 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
25882 This back end uses the Spam Statistics Emacs Lisp package to perform
25883 statistics-based filtering (@pxref{Spam Statistics Package}). Before
25884 using this, you may want to perform some additional steps to
25885 initialize your Spam Statistics dictionary. @xref{Creating a
25886 spam-stat dictionary}.
25888 @defvar spam-use-stat
25892 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
25893 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25894 customizing the group parameters or the
25895 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25896 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
25897 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
25901 Instead of the obsolete
25902 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
25903 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
25904 the same way, we promise.
25907 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
25908 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25909 customizing the group parameters or the
25910 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25911 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
25912 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
25913 of non-spam messages.
25917 Instead of the obsolete
25918 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
25919 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
25920 the same way, we promise.
25923 This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
25924 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
25925 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
25926 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
25927 @code{spam-split} are provided.
25930 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
25931 @cindex spam filtering
25935 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
25936 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
25937 installed separately.
25939 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
25940 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
25941 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
25942 mail as a spam mail or not.
25944 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
25945 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
25946 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
25948 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Spam Package})
25951 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
25952 To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
25953 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
25954 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}. @xref{Spam
25955 Package}. In this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is
25956 filtered using SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be
25957 moved to @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham
25958 messages stay in @samp{INBOX}:
25961 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
25962 spam-split-group "Junk"
25963 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
25964 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
25965 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
25968 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
25969 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
25973 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
25974 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
25975 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
25979 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
25980 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
25981 store its analysis. This is controlled by the variable
25982 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
25983 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
25984 database to live somewhere special, set
25985 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
25988 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
25989 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
25990 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns
25991 the characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
25992 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
25993 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary
25994 buffer and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using
25995 @file{spam.el}'s spam- and ham-processors, which is much more
25996 convenient. For a detailed description of spam- and ham-processors,
25997 @xref{Spam Package}.
25999 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
26000 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
26001 customizing the group parameter or the
26002 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
26003 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
26004 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
26008 Instead of the obsolete
26009 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
26010 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
26011 the same way, we promise.
26014 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
26015 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
26016 customizing the group parameter or the
26017 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
26018 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
26019 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
26024 Instead of the obsolete
26025 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
26026 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
26027 the same way, we promise.
26030 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
26031 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
26034 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
26035 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
26036 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
26038 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
26039 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
26040 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
26041 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
26042 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
26043 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
26045 @node Extending the Spam package
26046 @subsection Extending the Spam package
26047 @cindex spam filtering
26048 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
26049 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
26051 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
26052 incoming mail, provide the following:
26060 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
26061 "True if blackbox should be used.")
26064 Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
26066 Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
26067 @code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
26068 register/unregister routines as a start, or other restister/unregister
26069 routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
26070 register/unregister spam and ham.
26075 The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
26076 @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
26077 existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
26078 do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
26083 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
26090 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
26091 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
26093 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
26094 variables. Instead the form @code{(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
26095 @code{(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
26096 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
26099 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
26100 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
26101 Only applicable to spam groups.")
26103 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
26104 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
26105 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
26114 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
26115 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
26117 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
26118 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
26119 variable customization.
26123 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
26125 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
26126 @code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
26128 Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
26129 @code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
26135 @code{spam-install-backend-alias}
26137 This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
26138 everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
26139 make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
26142 @code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
26144 This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
26145 register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
26149 @code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
26151 This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
26152 for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
26153 @code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
26157 @code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
26159 This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
26160 full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
26161 for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
26164 @code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
26166 This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
26167 registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
26171 @code{spam-install-backend}
26173 This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
26174 check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
26175 abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
26178 @code{spam-install-mover-backend}
26180 Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
26181 articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
26182 never install such a back end.
26187 @node Spam Statistics Package
26188 @subsection Spam Statistics Package
26189 @cindex Paul Graham
26190 @cindex Graham, Paul
26191 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
26192 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
26193 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
26195 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
26196 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
26197 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
26198 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
26199 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
26200 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
26201 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
26202 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
26203 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
26206 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
26207 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
26208 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
26209 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
26210 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
26211 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
26212 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
26213 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
26215 The Spam Statistics package adds support to Gnus for this kind of
26216 filtering. It can be used as one of the back ends of the Spam package
26217 (@pxref{Spam Package}), or by itself.
26219 Before using the Spam Statistics package, you need to set it up.
26220 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
26221 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
26222 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
26223 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
26226 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
26227 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
26228 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
26231 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
26232 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
26234 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
26235 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
26236 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
26237 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
26238 need several hundred emails in both collections.
26240 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
26241 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
26242 per mail. Use the following:
26244 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
26245 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
26246 is treated as one spam mail.
26249 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
26250 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
26251 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
26254 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
26255 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds to
26256 the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
26257 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
26258 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds to the group
26259 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
26261 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
26262 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
26263 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
26264 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
26265 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
26268 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
26269 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
26270 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
26271 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
26274 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
26275 reset the dictionary.
26277 @defun spam-stat-reset
26278 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
26281 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
26282 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
26283 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
26284 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
26285 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
26286 only non-spam mails.
26288 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
26289 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
26290 to update the dictionary incrementally.
26293 @defun spam-stat-save
26294 Save the dictionary.
26297 @defvar spam-stat-file
26298 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
26299 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
26302 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
26303 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
26305 This section describes how to use the Spam statistics
26306 @emph{independently} of the @xref{Spam Package}.
26308 First, add the following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
26311 (require 'spam-stat)
26315 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
26318 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
26319 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
26320 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
26321 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
26323 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
26324 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
26325 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
26326 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
26329 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26330 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26334 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
26335 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
26338 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
26339 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
26340 expression are considered potential spam.
26343 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26344 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
26345 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26349 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
26350 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
26351 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
26352 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
26353 mails, when creating the dictionary!
26356 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26357 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26358 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
26362 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
26363 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
26364 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
26365 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
26366 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
26370 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26371 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
26372 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26373 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
26378 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
26379 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
26381 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
26383 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
26384 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
26385 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
26388 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
26389 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
26390 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
26393 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
26394 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
26395 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
26396 already been processed as non-spam.
26399 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
26400 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
26401 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
26402 been processed as spam.
26405 @defun spam-stat-save
26406 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
26407 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
26410 @defun spam-stat-load
26411 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
26412 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
26415 @defun spam-stat-score-word
26416 Return the spam score for a word.
26419 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
26420 Return the spam score for a buffer.
26423 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
26424 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
26425 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
26428 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
26429 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
26432 (require 'spam-stat)
26436 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
26439 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
26440 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26441 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26442 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
26443 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
26444 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
26445 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26446 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26447 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
26448 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
26449 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
26450 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
26451 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26452 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26455 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
26458 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
26459 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26460 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26461 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
26462 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
26463 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
26467 @section Interaction with other modes
26472 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provides some useful functions for dired
26473 buffers. It is enabled with
26475 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
26480 @findex gnus-dired-attach
26481 @cindex attachments, selection via dired
26482 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
26483 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
26486 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
26487 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
26488 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
26492 @findex gnus-dired-print
26493 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
26494 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
26497 @node Various Various
26498 @section Various Various
26504 @item gnus-home-directory
26505 @vindex gnus-home-directory
26506 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
26507 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
26509 @item gnus-directory
26510 @vindex gnus-directory
26511 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
26512 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
26513 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
26515 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
26516 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
26517 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
26518 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
26520 @item gnus-default-directory
26521 @vindex gnus-default-directory
26522 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
26523 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
26524 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
26525 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
26526 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
26527 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
26530 @vindex gnus-verbose
26531 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
26532 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
26533 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
26534 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
26535 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
26537 @item gnus-verbose-backends
26538 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
26539 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
26540 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
26542 @item gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
26543 @vindex gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
26544 This variable controls whether to add timestamps to messages that are
26545 controlled by @code{gnus-verbose} and @code{gnus-verbose-backends} and
26546 are issued. The default value is @code{nil} which means never to add
26547 timestamp. If it is @code{log}, add timestamps to only the messages
26548 that go into the @samp{*Messages*} buffer (in XEmacs, it is the
26549 @w{@samp{ *Message-Log*}} buffer). If it is neither @code{nil} nor
26550 @code{log}, add timestamps not only to log messages but also to the ones
26551 displayed in the echo area.
26553 @item nnheader-max-head-length
26554 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
26555 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
26556 as little as possible. This variable (default 8192) specifies
26557 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
26558 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
26559 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
26560 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
26561 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
26562 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
26564 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
26565 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
26566 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
26567 read when doing the operation described above.
26569 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26570 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26572 @cindex invalid characters in file names
26573 @cindex characters in file names
26574 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
26575 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
26576 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
26580 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26585 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
26586 Windows (phooey) systems.
26588 @item gnus-hidden-properties
26589 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
26590 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
26591 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
26592 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
26594 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
26595 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
26596 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
26597 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
26598 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
26600 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
26601 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
26602 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
26604 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
26605 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
26607 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
26608 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
26609 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
26610 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
26613 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
26621 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
26622 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
26624 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
26626 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
26632 Not because of victories @*
26635 but for the common sunshine,@*
26637 the largess of the spring.
26641 but for the day's work done@*
26642 as well as I was able;@*
26643 not for a seat upon the dais@*
26644 but at the common table.@*
26649 @chapter Appendices
26652 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
26653 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
26654 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
26655 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
26656 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
26657 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
26658 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
26659 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
26660 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
26667 @cindex installing under XEmacs
26669 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
26670 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
26671 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
26672 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
26673 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{W3},
26674 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
26681 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
26682 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
26684 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
26685 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
26686 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
26687 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
26688 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
26690 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
26691 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
26692 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
26693 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
26694 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
26695 appropriate name, don't you think?)
26697 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
26698 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
26699 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
26700 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
26703 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
26704 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
26705 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
26706 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
26707 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
26708 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
26709 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
26710 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
26711 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
26715 @node Gnus Versions
26716 @subsection Gnus Versions
26718 @cindex September Gnus
26720 @cindex Quassia Gnus
26721 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
26724 @cindex Gnus versions
26726 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
26727 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
26728 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
26730 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
26731 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
26733 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
26734 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
26736 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
26737 It was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
26739 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
26740 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
26743 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun and was released as
26744 Gnus 5.10 on May 1st 2003 (24 releases).
26746 On the January 4th 2004, No Gnus was begun.
26748 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
26749 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
26750 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'' -- don't panic.
26751 Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever
26752 you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach.
26753 Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
26756 @node Other Gnus Versions
26757 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
26760 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
26761 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
26762 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
26763 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
26765 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
26766 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
26767 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
26768 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
26775 What's the point of Gnus?
26777 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
26778 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
26779 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
26780 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
26781 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
26782 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
26783 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
26784 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
26785 keep track of millions of people who post?
26787 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
26788 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
26789 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
26790 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
26791 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
26792 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
26793 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
26794 every one of you to explore and invent.
26796 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
26797 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
26800 @node Compatibility
26801 @subsection Compatibility
26803 @cindex compatibility
26804 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
26805 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
26806 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
26811 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
26815 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
26818 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
26821 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
26822 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
26823 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
26824 important variables have their values copied into their global
26825 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
26826 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
26828 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
26829 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
26830 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
26831 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
26832 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
26836 @cindex highlighting
26837 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
26838 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
26839 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
26840 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
26841 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
26842 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
26845 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
26846 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
26847 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
26848 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
26850 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
26851 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
26852 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
26853 to stop doing it the old way.
26855 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
26857 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
26859 @cindex reporting bugs
26861 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
26862 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
26863 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
26865 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
26866 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
26867 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
26868 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
26873 @subsection Conformity
26875 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
26876 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
26884 There are no known breaches of this standard.
26888 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
26890 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
26891 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
26892 We do have some breaches to this one.
26898 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
26899 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
26900 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
26901 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
26902 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
26907 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
26908 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
26909 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
26910 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
26912 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
26913 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
26914 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
26916 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
26917 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
26919 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
26922 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
26923 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
26924 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
26925 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
26926 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
26929 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
26930 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
26931 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RFC 1991/2440 format.
26932 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
26934 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
26935 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
26937 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
26938 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
26939 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
26940 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
26941 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
26942 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
26943 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
26944 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
26948 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
26949 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
26954 @subsection Emacsen
26960 This version of Gnus should work on:
26968 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
26972 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
26973 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
26974 Emacs versions. Particularly, Gnus 5.10.8 should also work on Emacs
26975 20.7 and XEmacs 21.1.
26977 @c No-merge comment: The paragraph added in v5-10 here must not be
26980 @node Gnus Development
26981 @subsection Gnus Development
26983 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
26984 discussion on the development mailing list @samp{ding@@gnus.org}, where people
26985 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
26986 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
26987 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
26988 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
26989 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
26990 have names like ``Oort Gnus'' and ``No Gnus''. @xref{Gnus Versions}.
26992 After futzing around for 10-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
26993 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
26994 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.10.1'' instead. Normal people are
26995 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
26996 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup. This newgroup is mirrored to the
26997 mailing list @samp{info-gnus-english@@gnu.org} which is carried on Gmane
26998 as @samp{gmane.emacs.gnus.user}. These releases are finally integrated
27002 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
27003 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae,
27004 in particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming}. This is to prevent
27005 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
27006 @xref{Mail Source Customization}.
27008 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
27009 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
27010 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
27011 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
27012 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
27013 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
27014 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
27015 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
27016 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
27017 can't be assumed to do so.
27019 So if you have problems with or questions about the alpha versions,
27020 direct those to the ding mailing list @samp{ding@@gnus.org}. This list
27021 is also available on Gmane as @samp{gmane.emacs.gnus.general}.
27024 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
27025 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae,
27026 in particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming}. This is to prevent
27027 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
27028 @xref{Mail Source Customization}.
27031 @subsection Contributors
27032 @cindex contributors
27034 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
27035 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
27036 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
27037 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
27038 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
27039 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
27040 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
27041 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
27042 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
27043 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
27045 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
27051 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
27054 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
27055 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
27056 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
27057 functionality and stuff.
27060 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
27061 well as numerous other things).
27064 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
27067 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
27070 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
27073 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
27076 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
27077 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
27080 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
27083 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
27086 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
27089 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
27092 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
27095 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
27098 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
27099 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
27102 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
27105 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
27108 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
27111 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
27115 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
27118 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
27121 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
27124 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
27125 well as autoconf support.
27129 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
27130 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
27132 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
27147 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
27149 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
27153 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
27163 Alexei V. Barantsev,
27178 Massimo Campostrini,
27183 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
27184 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
27188 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
27191 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
27197 Michael Welsh Duggan,
27202 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
27206 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
27214 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
27216 Michelangelo Grigni,
27220 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
27222 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
27224 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
27232 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
27233 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
27234 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
27236 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
27246 Peter Skov Knudsen,
27247 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
27249 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
27250 Thor Kristoffersen,
27253 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
27271 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
27272 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
27279 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
27284 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
27288 John McClary Prevost,
27294 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
27299 Christian von Roques,
27302 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
27309 Philippe Schnoebelen,
27311 Randal L. Schwartz,
27325 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
27330 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
27350 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
27351 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
27352 (550kB and counting).
27354 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
27357 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
27358 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
27362 @subsection New Features
27363 @cindex new features
27366 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
27367 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
27368 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
27369 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
27370 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
27371 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
27372 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
27375 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
27376 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
27377 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
27380 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
27382 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
27387 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
27388 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
27391 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
27392 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
27395 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
27398 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
27399 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
27400 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
27403 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
27404 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
27405 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
27406 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
27409 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
27410 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27413 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
27414 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
27415 (@pxref{The Active File}).
27418 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
27419 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
27422 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
27423 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
27424 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
27427 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
27428 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
27429 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
27432 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
27433 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
27436 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
27437 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
27440 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
27441 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
27444 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
27445 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27448 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
27449 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
27452 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
27453 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
27456 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
27459 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
27460 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
27463 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
27464 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
27467 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
27468 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
27471 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
27474 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
27475 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
27478 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
27482 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
27486 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
27487 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
27490 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
27496 @node September Gnus
27497 @subsubsection September Gnus
27501 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
27505 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
27510 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
27511 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
27515 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
27516 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
27520 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
27524 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
27525 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
27528 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
27532 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
27535 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
27538 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
27541 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
27545 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
27546 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
27549 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
27553 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
27557 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
27561 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
27565 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
27568 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
27569 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
27572 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
27576 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
27577 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
27580 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
27583 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
27584 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
27585 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
27588 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
27592 The Gnus cache is much faster.
27595 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
27599 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
27600 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
27603 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
27604 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
27607 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
27608 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
27611 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
27612 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
27613 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
27616 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
27617 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
27620 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
27623 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
27626 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
27629 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
27632 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
27633 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
27636 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
27640 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
27643 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
27648 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
27651 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
27655 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27658 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
27662 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
27665 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
27668 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
27669 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
27672 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
27673 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
27677 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
27678 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
27681 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
27685 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
27686 buffer to allow easier treatment.
27689 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
27692 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
27696 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
27700 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
27701 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
27704 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
27708 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
27709 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
27712 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
27713 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
27716 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
27720 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
27723 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
27726 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
27732 @subsubsection Red Gnus
27734 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
27738 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
27745 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
27748 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
27749 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
27752 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
27753 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
27757 Article washing status can be displayed in the
27758 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
27761 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
27764 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
27765 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
27768 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
27772 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
27773 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
27777 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
27778 Server Internals}).
27781 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
27785 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
27788 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
27789 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
27792 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
27793 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
27794 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
27797 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
27798 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
27801 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
27802 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
27805 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
27809 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
27810 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
27813 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
27814 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
27817 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
27821 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
27824 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
27828 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
27829 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
27832 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
27833 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
27836 A new command for reading collections of documents
27837 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
27838 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
27841 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
27845 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
27846 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
27849 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
27850 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
27851 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
27854 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
27855 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
27859 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
27863 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
27867 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
27872 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
27876 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
27880 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
27881 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
27884 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
27890 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
27892 New features in Gnus 5.6:
27897 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
27898 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
27899 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
27902 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
27903 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
27904 group, which is created automatically.
27907 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
27911 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
27914 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
27915 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
27918 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
27922 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
27925 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
27926 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
27929 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
27932 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
27936 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
27937 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
27940 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
27941 control over simplification.
27944 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
27947 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
27951 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
27954 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
27957 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
27958 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
27959 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
27962 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
27963 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
27966 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
27970 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
27971 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
27974 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
27975 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
27978 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
27982 A history of where mails have been split is available.
27985 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
27988 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
27989 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
27992 A new function for citing in Message has been
27993 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
27996 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
27999 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
28003 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
28004 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
28007 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
28008 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
28011 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
28014 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
28018 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
28019 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
28021 New features in Gnus 5.8:
28026 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
28027 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
28029 If you used procmail like in
28032 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
28033 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
28034 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
28035 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
28038 this now has changed to
28042 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
28046 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
28049 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
28050 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
28053 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
28054 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
28057 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
28058 called to position point.
28061 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
28062 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
28065 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
28066 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
28069 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
28070 subtly different manner.
28073 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
28074 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
28075 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
28078 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
28083 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
28086 New features in Gnus 5.10:
28090 @item Installation changes
28091 @c ***********************
28095 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
28097 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
28098 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
28099 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
28100 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
28101 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
28102 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
28103 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
28104 isn't save in general.
28107 Lisp files are now installed in @file{.../site-lisp/gnus/} by default.
28108 It defaulted to @file{.../site-lisp/} formerly. In addition to this,
28109 the new installer issues a warning if other Gnus installations which
28110 will shadow the latest one are detected. You can then remove those
28111 shadows manually or remove them using @code{make
28112 remove-installed-shadows}.
28115 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
28117 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
28118 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
28119 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, if you want
28120 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
28121 the second parameter.
28123 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
28124 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
28125 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
28126 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
28127 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
28128 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
28129 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
28130 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
28131 cycle used under Unix systems.
28133 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} and @file{xemacs.mak}
28134 superfluous, so they have been removed.
28137 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
28139 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
28140 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
28143 @c FIXME: `gnus-load' is mentioned in README, which is not included in
28144 @c CVS. We should find a better place for this item.
28146 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
28148 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
28149 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
28150 lisp directory into load-path.
28152 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
28153 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
28157 @item New packages and libraries within Gnus
28158 @c *****************************************
28163 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
28164 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
28167 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
28169 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
28170 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
28171 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
28172 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
28175 Improved anti-spam features.
28177 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
28178 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
28179 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
28180 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
28181 are also new. @ref{Thwarting Email Spam} and @ref{Spam Package}.
28182 @c FIXME: @xref{Spam Package}?. Should this be under Misc?
28185 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
28187 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
28188 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
28189 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
28190 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
28191 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
28195 @item Changes in group mode
28196 @c ************************
28201 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
28205 Retrieval of charters and control messages
28207 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
28208 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
28211 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
28213 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
28214 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
28215 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
28216 variable in @file{~/.gnus.el} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
28217 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
28220 (setq gnus-parameters
28222 (gnus-show-threads nil)
28223 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
28224 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
28225 (to-group . "\\1"))))
28229 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
28231 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
28232 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
28233 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
28234 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
28235 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
28236 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
28237 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
28238 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
28239 when getting new mail, remove the function.
28242 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
28244 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
28245 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
28246 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
28249 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
28250 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
28252 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
28253 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
28254 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
28256 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
28260 Old intermediate incoming mail files (@file{Incoming*}) are deleted
28261 after a couple of days, not immediately. @xref{Mail Source
28262 Customization}. (New in Gnus 5.10.10 / Emacs 22.2)
28266 @item Changes in summary and article mode
28267 @c **************************************
28272 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
28273 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
28274 region if the region is active.
28277 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
28278 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
28283 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
28284 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
28285 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
28286 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
28289 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
28294 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
28295 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
28297 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
28298 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
28302 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
28303 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
28306 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
28309 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
28310 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
28313 Warn about email replies to news
28315 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
28316 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
28320 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
28321 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
28325 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
28326 opposed to old but unread messages).
28329 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
28330 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
28333 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
28334 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
28337 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
28338 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
28341 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
28343 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
28344 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
28345 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
28346 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
28349 The new command @kbd{W Y f}
28350 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}) allows deuglifying broken
28351 Outlook (Express) articles.
28354 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
28356 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
28357 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
28358 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
28359 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
28361 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
28362 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
28363 message cited below.
28366 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now displayed graphically in
28369 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.gnus.el} to
28373 Face headers handling. @xref{Face}.
28376 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
28377 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
28380 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
28383 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
28385 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
28386 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
28387 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
28388 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
28389 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
28393 Deleting of attachments.
28395 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
28396 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
28397 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
28398 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
28399 that support editing.
28402 @code{gnus-default-charset}
28404 The default value is determined from the
28405 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
28406 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
28407 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
28410 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
28412 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
28413 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
28414 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
28417 Extended format specs.
28419 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
28420 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
28421 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
28422 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
28423 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
28424 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
28427 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
28428 @c FIXME: Was this a user-visible change?
28430 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
28431 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
28432 out other articles.
28435 Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
28437 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
28438 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
28439 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
28440 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
28443 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
28447 @item Changes in Message mode and related Gnus features
28448 @c ****************************************************
28455 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
28456 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
28457 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
28460 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
28461 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
28464 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
28465 Gcc articles as read.
28468 Externalizing of attachments
28470 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
28471 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
28472 local files as external parts.
28475 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
28476 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
28479 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
28481 Earlier it was generated when the user configurable email address was
28482 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
28483 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
28484 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
28485 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
28486 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
28487 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
28488 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
28489 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
28492 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
28494 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
28495 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
28496 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
28497 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
28498 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
28499 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
28502 References and X-Draft-From headers are no longer generated when you
28503 start composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
28507 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers. @xref{X-Face}.
28510 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
28512 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
28513 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
28514 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
28515 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
28516 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
28517 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
28518 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
28519 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
28520 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
28521 was inserted directly.
28524 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
28526 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
28527 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
28528 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
28529 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
28532 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
28534 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
28536 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
28537 'bbdb-complete-name)
28541 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
28543 Add a new format of match like
28545 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
28546 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
28548 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
28550 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
28551 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
28555 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
28557 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
28558 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
28559 need add those two headers too.
28562 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
28563 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
28564 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
28568 The option @code{mm-fill-flowed} can be used to disable treatment of
28569 ``format=flowed'' messages. Also, flowed text is disabled when sending
28570 inline PGP signed messages. @xref{Flowed text, , Flowed text,
28571 emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
28572 @c This entry is also present in the node "No Gnus".
28575 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
28577 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
28580 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
28582 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
28586 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
28588 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
28589 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
28590 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
28591 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
28592 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
28593 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
28594 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
28595 The behavior can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
28598 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
28599 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
28601 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
28602 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
28603 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
28604 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
28607 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
28610 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
28611 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
28614 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to the symbol
28617 The behavior for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
28618 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
28619 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
28620 invalidate the digital signature.
28623 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
28624 decompressed when activated.
28625 @c FIXME: Does this affect article or message mode?
28628 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
28630 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
28631 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
28632 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
28633 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
28634 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
28637 @item You can now drag and drop attachments to the Message buffer.
28638 See @code{mml-dnd-protocol-alist} and @code{mml-dnd-attach-options}.
28639 @xref{MIME, ,MIME, message, Message Manual}.
28640 @c New in 5.10.9 / 5.11 (Emacs 21.1)
28642 @item @code{auto-fill-mode} is enabled by default in Message mode.
28643 See @code{message-fill-column}. @xref{Various Message Variables, ,
28644 Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
28645 @c New in Gnus 5.10.12 / 5.11 (Emacs 22.3)
28649 @item Changes in back ends
28650 @c ***********************
28654 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
28657 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
28660 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
28662 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
28665 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
28667 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
28668 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
28669 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
28670 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
28671 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
28672 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
28673 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
28674 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
28675 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
28676 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
28677 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
28687 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
28688 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
28691 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
28692 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
28693 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
28694 message, Message Manual}).
28697 The tool bars have been updated to use GNOME icons in Group, Summary and
28698 Message mode. You can also customize the tool bars: @kbd{M-x
28699 customize-apropos RET -tool-bar$} should get you started. This is a new
28700 feature in Gnus 5.10.10. (Only for Emacs, not in XEmacs.)
28702 @item The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly
28703 in the group buffer, see the variable @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}.
28704 Its default value depends on your Emacs version. This is a new feature
28709 @item Miscellaneous changes
28710 @c ************************
28717 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
28718 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
28719 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
28720 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
28721 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
28722 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
28723 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
28724 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
28725 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
28726 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
28727 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
28728 behavior of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
28729 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
28730 is not needed any more.
28733 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
28735 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
28736 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
28737 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
28742 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
28743 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
28744 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
28748 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
28751 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
28753 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
28760 @subsubsection No Gnus
28763 New features in No Gnus:
28764 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
28766 @include gnus-news.texi
28772 @section The Manual
28776 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
28777 either @code{texi2dvi}
28779 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
28780 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
28782 to get what you hold in your hands now.
28784 The following conventions have been used:
28789 This is a @samp{string}
28792 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
28795 This is a @file{file}
28798 This is a @code{symbol}
28802 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
28806 (setq flargnoze "yes")
28809 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
28812 (setq flumphel 'yes)
28815 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
28816 ever get them confused.
28820 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
28821 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
28822 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
28823 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
28824 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
28825 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
28826 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
28832 @node On Writing Manuals
28833 @section On Writing Manuals
28835 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
28836 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
28837 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
28838 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
28839 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
28840 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code go hand
28843 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
28844 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
28845 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
28848 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
28849 reference manual as source material. It would look quite different.
28854 @section Terminology
28856 @cindex terminology
28861 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
28862 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
28863 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
28864 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
28865 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
28869 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
28870 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
28871 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
28872 not posting, and replying is not following up.
28876 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
28880 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
28885 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
28886 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
28887 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
28888 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
28889 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
28890 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
28891 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
28892 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
28893 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
28896 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
28897 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
28898 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
28899 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
28900 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
28901 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
28903 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
28904 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
28905 access the articles.
28907 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
28908 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
28909 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
28914 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
28915 default, way of getting news.
28919 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
28920 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
28925 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
28926 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
28930 A message that has been posted as news.
28933 @cindex mail message
28934 A message that has been mailed.
28938 A mail message or news article
28942 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
28947 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
28952 A line from the head of an article.
28956 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
28957 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
28959 @item @acronym{NOV}
28960 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
28961 @acronym{NOV} stands for News OverView, which is a type of news server
28962 header which provide datas containing the condensed header information
28963 of articles. They are produced by the server itself; in the @code{nntp}
28964 back end Gnus uses the ones that the @acronym{NNTP} server makes, but
28965 Gnus makes them by itself for some backends (in particular, @code{nnml}).
28967 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
28968 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
28969 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
28970 normal @sc{head} format.
28972 The @acronym{NOV} data consist of one or more text lines (@pxref{Text
28973 Lines, ,Motion by Text Lines, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual})
28974 where each line has the header information of one article. The header
28975 information is a tab-separated series of the header's contents including
28976 an article number, a subject, an author, a date, a message-id,
28979 Those data enable Gnus to generate summary lines quickly. However, if
28980 the server does not support @acronym{NOV} or you disable it purposely or
28981 for some reason, Gnus will try to generate the header information by
28982 parsing each article's headers one by one. It will take time.
28983 Therefore, it is not usually a good idea to set nn*-nov-is-evil
28984 (@pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}) to a non-@code{nil} value unless you
28985 know that the server makes wrong @acronym{NOV} data.
28989 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
28990 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
28991 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
28992 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
28993 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
28994 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
28996 @item killed groups
28997 @cindex killed groups
28998 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
28999 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
29001 @item zombie groups
29002 @cindex zombie groups
29003 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
29006 @cindex active file
29007 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
29008 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
29009 is rather large, as you might surmise.
29012 @cindex bogus groups
29013 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
29014 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
29015 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
29018 @cindex activating groups
29019 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
29020 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
29021 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
29025 News servers store their articles locally in one fashion or other.
29026 One old-fashioned storage method is to have just one file per
29027 article. That's called a ``traditional spool''.
29031 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
29033 @item select method
29034 @cindex select method
29035 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
29038 @item virtual server
29039 @cindex virtual server
29040 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
29041 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
29042 whole is a virtual server.
29046 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
29047 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
29050 @item ephemeral groups
29051 @cindex ephemeral groups
29052 @cindex temporary groups
29053 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
29054 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
29055 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
29058 @cindex solid groups
29059 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
29060 group buffer are solid groups.
29062 @item sparse articles
29063 @cindex sparse articles
29064 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
29065 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
29069 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
29070 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
29074 @cindex thread root
29075 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
29076 articles in the thread.
29080 An article that has responses.
29084 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
29088 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
29089 specified by RFC 1153.
29092 @cindex splitting, terminology
29093 @cindex mail sorting
29094 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
29095 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
29096 incorrectly called mail filtering.
29102 @node Customization
29103 @section Customization
29104 @cindex general customization
29106 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
29107 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
29108 for some quite common situations.
29111 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
29112 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
29113 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
29114 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
29118 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
29119 @subsection Slow/Expensive Connection
29121 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
29122 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
29123 Gnus has to get from the server.
29127 @item gnus-read-active-file
29128 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
29129 entire active file from the server. This file is often very large. You
29130 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
29131 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
29132 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
29134 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
29135 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
29136 Usually this one must @emph{always} be @code{nil} (which is the
29137 default). If, for example, you wish to not use @acronym{NOV}
29138 (@pxref{Terminology}) with the @code{nntp} back end (@pxref{Crosspost
29139 Handling}), set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to a non-@code{nil} value
29140 instead of setting this. But you normally do not need to set
29141 @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} since Gnus by itself will detect whether the
29142 @acronym{NNTP} server supports @acronym{NOV}. Anyway, grabbing article
29143 headers from the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast if you tell
29144 Gnus not to use @acronym{NOV}.
29146 As the variables for the other back ends, there are
29147 @code{nndiary-nov-is-evil}, @code{nndir-nov-is-evil},
29148 @code{nnfolder-nov-is-evil}, @code{nnimap-nov-is-evil},
29149 @code{nnml-nov-is-evil}, @code{nnspool-nov-is-evil}, and
29150 @code{nnwarchive-nov-is-evil}. Note that a non-@code{nil} value for
29151 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} overrides all those variables.@footnote{Although
29152 the back ends @code{nnkiboze}, @code{nnslashdot}, @code{nnultimate}, and
29153 @code{nnwfm} don't have their own nn*-nov-is-evil.}
29157 @node Slow Terminal Connection
29158 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
29160 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
29161 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
29162 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
29166 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
29167 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
29168 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
29169 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
29170 horizontal and vertical recentering.
29172 @item gnus-visible-headers
29173 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
29174 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
29175 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
29176 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
29178 Use the following to enable all the available hiding features:
29180 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
29181 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
29182 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
29185 @item gnus-use-full-window
29186 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
29187 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
29188 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
29189 want to read them anyway.
29191 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
29192 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
29196 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
29197 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
29198 lines, which might save some time.
29202 @node Little Disk Space
29203 @subsection Little Disk Space
29206 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
29207 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
29211 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
29212 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
29213 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
29214 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
29217 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
29218 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
29219 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
29220 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
29223 @item gnus-save-killed-list
29224 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
29225 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
29226 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
29227 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
29233 @subsection Slow Machine
29234 @cindex slow machine
29236 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
29237 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
29239 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
29240 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
29242 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
29243 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
29244 summary buffer faster. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
29248 @node Troubleshooting
29249 @section Troubleshooting
29250 @cindex troubleshooting
29252 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
29260 Make sure your computer is switched on.
29263 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
29264 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
29268 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
29270 @samp{No Gnus v0.10} @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change this line!
29272 you have the right files loaded. Otherwise you have some old @file{.el}
29273 files lying around. Delete these.
29276 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
29277 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
29280 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
29281 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
29282 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
29283 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
29284 something like that.
29287 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
29290 @cindex reporting bugs
29292 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
29294 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
29295 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
29296 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
29297 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
29299 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
29300 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
29301 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
29302 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
29305 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
29306 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
29307 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
29308 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
29309 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
29310 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
29312 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
29313 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
29314 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
29318 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
29319 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
29322 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
29323 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
29324 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
29325 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
29326 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
29327 you discover some weird behavior when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
29328 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
29329 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
29330 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
29331 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
29332 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
29333 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
29334 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
29335 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
29340 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
29341 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
29342 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
29343 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
29344 helps isolating the real problem areas).
29346 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
29347 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
29348 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
29349 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
29350 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
29351 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
29352 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
29353 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
29354 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
29355 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
29356 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
29357 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
29358 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
29361 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
29362 @cindex ding mailing list
29363 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
29364 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
29365 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
29366 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
29370 @node Gnus Reference Guide
29371 @section Gnus Reference Guide
29373 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
29374 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
29375 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
29376 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
29379 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
29380 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
29381 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
29382 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
29383 and general methods of operation.
29386 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
29387 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
29388 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
29389 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
29390 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
29391 * Group Info:: The group info format.
29392 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
29393 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
29394 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
29398 @node Gnus Utility Functions
29399 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
29400 @cindex Gnus utility functions
29401 @cindex utility functions
29403 @cindex internal variables
29405 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
29406 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
29407 Below is a list of the most common ones.
29411 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
29412 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
29413 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
29415 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
29416 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
29417 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
29419 @item gnus-group-real-name
29420 @findex gnus-group-real-name
29421 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
29424 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
29425 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
29426 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
29427 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
29429 @item gnus-get-info
29430 @findex gnus-get-info
29431 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
29433 @item gnus-group-unread
29434 @findex gnus-group-unread
29435 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
29439 @findex gnus-active
29440 The active entry for @var{group}.
29442 @item gnus-set-active
29443 @findex gnus-set-active
29444 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
29446 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
29447 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
29448 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
29451 @item gnus-continuum-version
29452 @findex gnus-continuum-version
29453 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
29454 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
29457 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
29458 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
29459 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
29461 @item gnus-news-group-p
29462 @findex gnus-news-group-p
29463 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
29465 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
29466 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
29467 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
29469 @item gnus-server-to-method
29470 @findex gnus-server-to-method
29471 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
29473 @item gnus-server-equal
29474 @findex gnus-server-equal
29475 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
29477 @item gnus-group-native-p
29478 @findex gnus-group-native-p
29479 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
29481 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
29482 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
29483 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
29485 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
29486 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
29487 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
29489 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
29490 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
29491 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
29492 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
29494 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
29495 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
29496 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
29498 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
29499 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
29500 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
29502 @item gnus-check-backend-function
29503 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
29504 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
29505 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
29508 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
29512 @item gnus-read-method
29513 @findex gnus-read-method
29514 Prompts the user for a select method.
29519 @node Back End Interface
29520 @subsection Back End Interface
29522 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
29523 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
29524 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
29525 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
29526 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
29527 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
29529 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
29530 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
29531 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
29532 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
29533 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
29534 been opened, the function should fail.
29536 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
29537 name. Take this example:
29541 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
29542 (nntp-port-number 4324))
29545 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
29546 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
29548 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
29549 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
29550 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
29552 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
29553 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
29554 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
29556 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
29557 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
29558 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
29559 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
29560 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
29561 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
29564 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
29565 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
29566 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
29567 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
29570 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
29571 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
29572 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
29573 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
29574 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
29575 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
29576 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
29577 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
29578 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
29579 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
29581 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
29582 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
29583 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
29584 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
29585 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
29586 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
29587 of numbers as long as possible.
29589 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
29590 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
29591 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
29593 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
29596 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
29599 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
29600 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
29601 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
29602 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
29603 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
29604 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
29608 @node Required Back End Functions
29609 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
29613 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
29615 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
29616 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
29617 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
29618 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
29620 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
29621 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
29622 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
29623 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
29625 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
29626 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
29627 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
29628 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
29629 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
29630 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
29631 number, do maximum fetches.
29633 Here's an example HEAD:
29636 221 1056 Article retrieved.
29637 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
29638 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
29639 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
29640 Subject: Re: Something very droll
29641 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
29642 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
29644 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
29645 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
29646 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
29650 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
29651 these in the data buffer.
29653 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
29657 head = error / valid-head
29658 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
29659 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
29660 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
29661 header = <text> eol
29665 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
29667 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
29668 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
29672 nov-buffer = *nov-line
29673 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
29674 field = <text except TAB>
29677 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
29681 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
29683 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
29684 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
29686 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
29687 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
29688 server. In fact, it should do so.
29690 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
29691 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
29694 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
29696 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
29697 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
29700 There should be no data returned.
29703 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
29705 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
29706 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
29707 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
29708 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
29710 There should be no data returned.
29713 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
29715 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
29716 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
29717 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
29718 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
29720 There should be no data returned.
29723 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
29725 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
29727 There should be no data returned.
29730 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
29732 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
29733 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
29734 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
29735 it would be nice if that were possible.
29737 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
29738 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
29739 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
29740 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
29741 into its article buffer.
29743 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
29744 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
29745 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
29746 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
29747 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
29748 on successful article retrieval.
29751 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
29753 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
29754 making @var{group} the current group.
29756 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
29759 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
29762 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
29765 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
29766 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
29767 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
29768 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
29769 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
29770 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
29771 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
29772 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
29773 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
29777 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
29778 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
29779 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
29783 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
29785 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
29786 a no-op on most back ends.
29788 There should be no data returned.
29791 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
29793 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
29796 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
29799 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
29800 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
29803 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
29804 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
29805 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
29806 and the highest as 0.
29809 active-file = *active-line
29810 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
29812 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
29815 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
29816 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
29817 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
29820 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
29822 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
29823 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
29824 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
29825 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
29826 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
29827 clear if the posting could not be completed.
29829 There should be no result data from this function.
29834 @node Optional Back End Functions
29835 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
29839 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
29841 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
29842 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
29843 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
29845 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
29846 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
29847 former is in the same format as the data from
29848 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
29849 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
29852 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
29856 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
29858 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
29859 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
29860 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
29861 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
29862 should return a non-@code{nil} value (exceptionally,
29863 @code{nntp-request-update-info} always returns @code{nil} not to waste
29864 the network resources).
29866 There should be no result data from this function.
29869 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
29871 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
29872 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
29873 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
29874 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
29875 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
29876 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
29877 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
29878 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
29880 There should be no result data from this function.
29883 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
29885 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
29886 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
29887 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
29888 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
29889 propagate the mark information to the server.
29891 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
29894 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
29897 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
29898 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
29899 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
29900 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
29901 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
29902 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
29903 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
29904 possible, not limit itself to these.
29906 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
29907 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
29908 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
29909 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
29911 An example action list:
29914 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
29915 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
29916 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
29919 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
29920 mark on (currently not used for anything).
29922 There should be no result data from this function.
29924 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
29926 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
29927 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
29928 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
29929 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
29930 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
29932 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
29933 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
29934 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
29937 There should be no result data from this function.
29940 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
29942 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
29943 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
29944 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
29945 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
29946 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
29947 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
29948 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
29949 local if that's practical.
29951 There should be no result data from this function.
29954 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
29956 The result data from this function should be a description of
29960 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
29962 description = <text>
29965 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
29967 The result data from this function should be the description of all
29968 groups available on the server.
29971 description-buffer = *description-line
29975 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
29977 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
29978 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
29979 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
29980 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
29981 in the active buffer format.
29983 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
29984 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
29985 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
29986 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
29987 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
29988 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
29989 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
29992 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
29994 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
29996 There should be no return data.
29999 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
30001 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
30002 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
30003 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
30004 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
30005 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
30008 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
30011 There should be no result data returned.
30014 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
30016 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
30017 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
30019 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
30020 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
30021 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
30022 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
30023 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
30024 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
30026 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
30027 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
30030 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
30031 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
30033 There should be no data returned.
30036 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
30038 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
30039 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
30040 this function in short order.
30042 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
30043 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
30045 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
30046 article for that group.
30048 There should be no data returned.
30051 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
30053 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
30054 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
30056 There should be no data returned.
30059 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
30061 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
30062 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
30063 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
30065 There should be no data returned.
30068 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
30070 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
30071 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
30073 There should be no data returned.
30078 @node Error Messaging
30079 @subsubsection Error Messaging
30081 @findex nnheader-report
30082 @findex nnheader-get-report
30083 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
30084 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
30085 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
30086 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
30087 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
30088 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
30091 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
30093 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
30096 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
30097 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
30098 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
30099 takes one argument---the server symbol.
30101 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
30102 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
30103 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
30106 @node Writing New Back Ends
30107 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
30109 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
30110 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
30111 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
30112 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
30113 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
30116 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
30117 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
30118 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
30120 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
30121 package called @code{nnoo}.
30123 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
30124 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
30130 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
30131 parameters. For instance:
30134 (nnoo-declare nndir
30138 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
30139 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
30142 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
30143 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
30144 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
30146 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
30147 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
30148 a function in those back ends.
30151 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
30152 "Where nndir will look for groups."
30153 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
30156 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
30157 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
30158 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
30160 @item nnoo-define-basics
30161 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
30165 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
30169 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
30170 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
30171 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
30173 @item nnoo-map-functions
30174 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
30175 functions from the parent back ends.
30178 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
30179 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
30180 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
30183 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
30184 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
30185 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
30186 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
30189 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
30190 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
30191 haven't already been defined.
30197 nnmh-request-newgroups)
30201 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
30202 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
30203 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
30208 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
30211 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
30212 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
30216 (require 'nnheader)
30220 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
30222 (nnoo-declare nndir
30225 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
30226 "Where nndir will look for groups."
30227 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
30229 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
30230 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
30233 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
30235 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
30236 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
30237 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
30239 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
30240 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
30242 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
30244 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
30246 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
30247 (setq nndir-directory
30248 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
30250 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
30251 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
30252 (push `(nndir-current-group
30253 ,(file-name-nondirectory
30254 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
30256 (push `(nndir-top-directory
30257 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
30259 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
30261 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
30262 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
30263 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
30264 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
30265 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
30269 nnmh-status-message
30271 nnmh-request-newgroups))
30277 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
30278 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
30280 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
30281 @findex gnus-declare-backend
30282 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
30283 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
30284 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
30286 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
30287 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
30292 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
30295 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
30297 The abilities can be:
30301 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
30303 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
30305 This back end supports both mail and news.
30307 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
30310 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
30311 articles and groups.
30313 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
30314 true for almost all back ends.
30315 @item prompt-address
30316 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
30317 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
30318 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
30322 @node Mail-like Back Ends
30323 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
30325 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
30326 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
30327 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
30328 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
30331 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
30332 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
30333 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
30336 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
30337 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
30340 This function takes four parameters.
30344 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
30347 @item exit-function
30348 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
30350 @item temp-directory
30351 Where the temporary files should be stored.
30354 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
30355 performed for one group only.
30358 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
30359 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
30360 find the article number assigned to this article.
30362 The function also uses the following variables:
30363 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
30364 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
30365 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
30366 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
30370 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
30371 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
30375 @node Score File Syntax
30376 @subsection Score File Syntax
30378 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
30379 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
30380 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
30382 Here's a typical score file:
30386 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
30393 BNF definition of a score file:
30396 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
30397 element = rule / atom
30398 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
30399 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
30400 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
30401 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
30403 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
30404 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
30405 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
30406 date-header = "date"
30407 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30408 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30409 score = "nil" / <integer>
30410 date = "nil" / <natural number>
30411 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
30412 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
30413 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
30414 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
30415 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30416 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30417 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
30418 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30419 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
30420 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
30421 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
30422 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
30423 exclude-files / read-only / touched
30424 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
30425 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
30426 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
30427 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
30428 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
30429 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
30430 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
30431 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
30432 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
30433 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
30434 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
30435 eval = "eval" space <form>
30436 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
30439 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
30442 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
30443 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
30444 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
30445 one looong line, then that's ok.
30447 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
30448 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
30452 @subsection Headers
30454 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
30455 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
30456 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
30457 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
30459 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
30460 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
30461 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
30462 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
30463 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
30464 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
30465 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
30467 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
30468 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
30469 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
30470 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
30471 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
30473 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
30474 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
30480 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
30481 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
30483 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
30484 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
30485 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
30486 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
30488 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
30492 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
30495 is transformed into
30498 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
30501 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
30502 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
30505 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
30508 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
30509 is slightly tricky:
30512 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
30518 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
30521 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
30527 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
30534 and is equal to the previous range.
30536 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
30537 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
30538 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
30542 range = simple-range / normal-range
30543 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
30544 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
30545 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
30546 number *[ " " contents ]
30549 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
30550 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
30551 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
30552 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
30553 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
30558 @subsection Group Info
30560 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
30561 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
30562 describes the group.
30564 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
30565 second is a more complex one:
30568 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
30570 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
30571 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
30573 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
30576 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
30577 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
30578 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
30579 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
30580 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
30581 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
30582 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
30583 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
30584 this section is about.
30586 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
30587 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
30588 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
30590 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
30593 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
30594 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
30595 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30596 group = quote <string> quote
30597 ralevel = rank / level
30598 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
30599 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
30600 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
30602 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
30603 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
30604 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
30605 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
30608 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
30609 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
30612 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
30613 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
30616 @item gnus-info-group
30617 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
30618 @findex gnus-info-group
30619 @findex gnus-info-set-group
30620 Get/set the group name.
30622 @item gnus-info-rank
30623 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
30624 @findex gnus-info-rank
30625 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
30626 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
30628 @item gnus-info-level
30629 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
30630 @findex gnus-info-level
30631 @findex gnus-info-set-level
30632 Get/set the group level.
30634 @item gnus-info-score
30635 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
30636 @findex gnus-info-score
30637 @findex gnus-info-set-score
30638 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
30640 @item gnus-info-read
30641 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
30642 @findex gnus-info-read
30643 @findex gnus-info-set-read
30644 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
30646 @item gnus-info-marks
30647 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
30648 @findex gnus-info-marks
30649 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
30650 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
30652 @item gnus-info-method
30653 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
30654 @findex gnus-info-method
30655 @findex gnus-info-set-method
30656 Get/set the group select method.
30658 @item gnus-info-params
30659 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
30660 @findex gnus-info-params
30661 @findex gnus-info-set-params
30662 Get/set the group parameters.
30665 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
30666 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
30668 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
30669 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
30670 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
30671 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
30674 @node Extended Interactive
30675 @subsection Extended Interactive
30676 @cindex interactive
30677 @findex gnus-interactive
30679 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
30680 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
30681 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
30684 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
30685 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
30690 The best thing to do would have been to implement
30691 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
30692 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
30693 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
30694 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
30695 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
30696 @code{interactive}.
30698 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
30703 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
30704 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
30708 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
30709 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
30710 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
30713 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
30717 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
30721 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
30727 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
30728 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
30732 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
30733 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
30734 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
30736 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
30737 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
30738 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
30739 Gnus, that's very useful.
30741 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
30742 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
30743 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
30744 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
30745 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
30746 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
30747 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
30748 following function:
30751 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
30755 (,function ,@@args))
30759 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
30760 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
30761 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
30764 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
30765 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
30766 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
30768 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
30769 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
30770 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
30773 @node Various File Formats
30774 @subsection Various File Formats
30777 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
30778 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
30782 @node Active File Format
30783 @subsubsection Active File Format
30785 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
30786 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
30789 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
30792 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
30793 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
30794 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
30795 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
30796 no.general 1000 900 y
30799 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
30802 active = *group-line
30803 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
30804 group = <non-white-space string>
30806 high-number = <non-negative integer>
30807 low-number = <positive integer>
30808 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
30811 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
30812 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
30815 @node Newsgroups File Format
30816 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
30818 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
30819 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
30820 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
30823 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
30824 Here's the definition:
30828 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
30829 group = <non-white-space string>
30831 description = <string>
30836 @node Emacs for Heathens
30837 @section Emacs for Heathens
30839 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
30840 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
30841 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
30842 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
30843 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
30844 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
30845 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
30849 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
30850 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
30855 @subsection Keystrokes
30859 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
30862 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
30865 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
30866 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
30867 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
30868 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
30869 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
30870 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
30872 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
30873 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
30874 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
30875 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
30876 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
30877 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
30878 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
30880 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
30881 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
30882 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
30883 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
30884 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
30885 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
30886 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
30888 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
30889 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
30890 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
30891 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
30892 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
30898 @subsection Emacs Lisp
30900 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
30901 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
30902 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
30903 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
30905 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
30906 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
30907 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
30908 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
30909 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
30910 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
30911 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{~/.gnus.el}
30912 file to customize Gnus. (You can also use the @file{~/.emacs} file, but
30913 in order to set things of Gnus up, it is much better to use the
30914 @file{~/.gnus.el} file, @xref{Startup Files}.)
30916 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
30917 write the following:
30920 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
30923 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
30924 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
30925 you can go and fill your @file{~/.gnus.el} file with lots of these to
30926 change how Gnus works.
30928 If you have put that thing in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, it will be
30929 read and @code{eval}ed (which is Lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
30930 start Gnus. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
30931 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
30932 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
30934 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
30935 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
30936 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
30940 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
30944 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
30947 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
30948 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
30951 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
30954 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
30955 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
30958 @include gnus-faq.texi
30960 @node GNU Free Documentation License
30961 @chapter GNU Free Documentation License
30962 @include doclicense.texi
30982 @c Local Variables:
30984 @c coding: iso-8859-1
30988 arch-tag: c9fa47e7-78ca-4681-bda9-9fef45d1c819