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4 @settitle Gnus 5.6.20 Manual
9 @c * Gnus: (gnus). The news reader Gnus.
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262 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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271 Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96,97 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
273 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
274 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
275 are preserved on all copies.
277 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
278 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
279 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
280 permission notice identical to this one.
282 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
283 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
292 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
294 Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
296 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
297 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
298 are preserved on all copies.
301 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
302 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
303 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
304 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
307 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
308 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
309 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
310 permission notice identical to this one.
312 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
313 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
319 @title Gnus 5.6.20 Manual
321 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
324 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
325 Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96,97 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
327 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
328 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
329 are preserved on all copies.
331 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
332 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
333 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
334 permission notice identical to this one.
336 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
337 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
346 @top The Gnus Newsreader
350 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
351 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
352 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
355 This manual corresponds to Gnus 5.6.20.
366 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
367 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
369 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
370 being accused of plagiarism:
372 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
373 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
374 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you can
375 even read news with it!
377 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
378 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
379 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
380 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
381 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
388 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
389 * The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
390 * The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
391 * The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
392 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
393 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
394 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
395 * Various:: General purpose settings.
396 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
397 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
398 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
399 * Key Index:: Key Index.
403 @chapter Starting Gnus
408 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
409 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
412 @findex gnus-other-frame
413 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
414 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
415 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
417 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
418 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
419 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
421 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
422 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
425 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
426 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
427 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
428 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
429 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
430 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
431 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
432 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
433 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
434 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
435 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
439 @node Finding the News
440 @section Finding the News
443 @vindex gnus-select-method
445 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
446 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
447 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
448 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
451 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
452 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
455 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
458 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
461 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
464 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
465 certainly be much faster.
467 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
469 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
470 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
471 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
472 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
473 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
474 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
476 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
477 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
478 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
479 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
481 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
482 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
483 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
484 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
485 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
486 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting.
488 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
490 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
491 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
492 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
493 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
494 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
495 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
497 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
499 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
500 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
501 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
502 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
503 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
504 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
507 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
508 would typically set this variable to
511 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
516 @section The First Time
517 @cindex first time usage
519 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
520 be subscribed by default.
522 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
523 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
524 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
525 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
528 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
529 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
530 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
532 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
533 help you with most common problems.
535 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
536 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
540 @node The Server is Down
541 @section The Server is Down
542 @cindex server errors
544 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
545 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
546 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
548 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
549 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
550 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
551 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
552 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
553 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
554 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
556 @findex gnus-no-server
557 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
559 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
560 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
561 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
562 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
563 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
564 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
569 @section Slave Gnusae
572 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
573 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
574 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
575 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
577 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
580 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
581 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
582 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
583 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
584 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
585 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
586 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
588 Anyways, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
589 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
590 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
591 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
592 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
593 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
594 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
595 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
597 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
598 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
601 @node Fetching a Group
602 @section Fetching a Group
603 @cindex fetching a group
605 @findex gnus-fetch-group
606 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
607 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
608 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
609 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
610 It takes the group name as a parameter.
618 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
619 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
620 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
621 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
622 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
623 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
624 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
625 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the backends for new groups even
626 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
629 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
630 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
631 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
635 @node Checking New Groups
636 @subsection Checking New Groups
638 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
639 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
640 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
641 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
642 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
643 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
644 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
645 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
646 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
647 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
649 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
650 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
651 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
652 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
653 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
654 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
655 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
656 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
657 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
658 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
659 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
661 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
662 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
663 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
664 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
665 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
666 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
669 @node Subscription Methods
670 @subsection Subscription Methods
672 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
673 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
674 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
676 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
677 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
679 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
683 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
684 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
685 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
686 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
687 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
689 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
690 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
691 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
692 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
694 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
695 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
696 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
698 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
699 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
700 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
701 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
702 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
703 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into it's
704 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
705 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
706 up. Or something like that.
708 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
709 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
710 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
711 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
712 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
714 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
715 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
720 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
721 A closely related variable is
722 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
723 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
724 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
725 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
728 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
729 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
730 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
731 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
734 @node Filtering New Groups
735 @subsection Filtering New Groups
737 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
738 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
739 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
742 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
745 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
746 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
747 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
748 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
749 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
750 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
751 subscribing these groups.
752 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
753 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
755 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
756 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
757 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
758 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
759 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
760 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
761 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
762 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
764 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
765 Yet another variable that meddles here is
766 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
767 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
768 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
769 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
770 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
771 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
772 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
773 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
775 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
776 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
779 @node Changing Servers
780 @section Changing Servers
781 @cindex changing servers
783 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
784 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
785 very flaky and you want to use another.
787 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
788 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
792 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
793 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
794 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
795 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
798 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
799 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
800 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
801 functions more than absolutely necessary.
803 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
804 @findex gnus-change-server
805 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
806 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
807 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
808 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
809 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
811 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
812 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
813 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
814 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
815 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
817 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
818 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
819 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
820 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
821 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
822 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
826 @section Startup Files
827 @cindex startup files
832 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
833 information is traditionally stored in this file.
835 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
836 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
837 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
838 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
839 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
840 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
841 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
843 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
844 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
845 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
846 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
847 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
848 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
850 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
851 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
852 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
853 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
854 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
855 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right?
857 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
858 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
859 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
860 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
861 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
862 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
863 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
864 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
865 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
866 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
867 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
868 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
870 @vindex gnus-startup-file
871 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
872 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
873 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
875 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
876 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
877 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
878 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
879 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
880 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
881 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
882 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
883 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
884 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
887 (defun turn-off-backup ()
888 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
890 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
891 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
894 @vindex gnus-init-file
895 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
896 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
897 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
898 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
899 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
900 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
901 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
902 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
903 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
912 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
913 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
914 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
915 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
916 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
919 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
920 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
923 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
924 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
925 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
927 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
928 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
929 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
930 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
931 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
932 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
934 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
935 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
936 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
939 @node The Active File
940 @section The Active File
942 @cindex ignored groups
944 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
945 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
946 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
948 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
949 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
950 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
951 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
952 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
953 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
954 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
957 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
958 @c if you set it to anything else.
960 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
962 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
963 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
964 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
966 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
967 you actually subscribe to.
969 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
970 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
971 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
972 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
974 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
975 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
976 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
977 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
978 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
979 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
981 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
982 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
983 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
984 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
985 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
986 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
988 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
989 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
991 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
992 secondary select methods.
995 @node Startup Variables
996 @section Startup Variables
1000 @item gnus-load-hook
1001 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1002 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1003 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1004 times you start Gnus.
1006 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1007 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1008 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1010 @item gnus-startup-hook
1011 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1012 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1014 @item gnus-started-hook
1015 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1016 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1019 @item gnus-started-hook
1020 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1021 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1022 generating the group buffer.
1024 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1025 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1026 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1027 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1028 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1029 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1030 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1031 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1033 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1034 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1035 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1036 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1037 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1038 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1040 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1041 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1042 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1044 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1045 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1046 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1048 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1049 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1050 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1051 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1056 @node The Group Buffer
1057 @chapter The Group Buffer
1058 @cindex group buffer
1060 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1061 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1062 long as Gnus is active.
1066 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1067 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
1068 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1069 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1070 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1071 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1072 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1073 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1079 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1080 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1081 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1082 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1083 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1084 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1085 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1086 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1087 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1088 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1089 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1090 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1091 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1092 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1093 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1094 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1095 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1099 @node Group Buffer Format
1100 @section Group Buffer Format
1103 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1104 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1105 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1109 @node Group Line Specification
1110 @subsection Group Line Specification
1111 @cindex group buffer format
1113 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1114 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1116 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1119 25: news.announce.newusers
1120 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1125 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1126 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1127 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1128 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1130 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1131 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1132 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1133 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1134 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1135 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1137 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1139 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1140 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1141 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1142 never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1145 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1146 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1147 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1149 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1154 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1157 Whether the group is subscribed.
1160 Level of subscribedness.
1163 Number of unread articles.
1166 Number of dormant articles.
1169 Number of ticked articles.
1172 Number of read articles.
1175 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1176 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1179 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1182 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1191 Newsgroup description.
1194 @samp{m} if moderated.
1197 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1206 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1210 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1213 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1214 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1215 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1216 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1217 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.emacs.gnus}.
1220 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1222 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1226 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1230 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1231 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1232 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1233 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1234 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1235 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1240 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1241 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1242 group, or a bogus native group.
1245 @node Group Modeline Specification
1246 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1247 @cindex group modeline
1249 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1250 The mode line can be changed by setting
1251 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1252 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1256 The native news server.
1258 The native select method.
1262 @node Group Highlighting
1263 @subsection Group Highlighting
1264 @cindex highlighting
1265 @cindex group highlighting
1267 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1268 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1269 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1270 that look like @var{(form . face)}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1271 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1273 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1277 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-1 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))))
1278 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-2 '((t (:foreground "SeaGreen" :bold t))))
1279 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-3 '((t (:foreground "SpringGreen" :bold t))))
1280 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-4 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))))
1281 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-5 '((t (:foreground "SkyBlue" :bold t))))
1283 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1284 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1285 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1286 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1287 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1288 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1291 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1293 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1300 The number of unread articles in the group.
1304 Whether the group is a mail group.
1306 The level of the group.
1308 The score of the group.
1310 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1312 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1313 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1315 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1316 topic being inserted.
1319 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1320 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1321 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1323 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1324 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1325 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1326 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1327 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1330 @node Group Maneuvering
1331 @section Group Maneuvering
1332 @cindex group movement
1334 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1335 expected, hopefully.
1341 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1342 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1343 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1349 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1350 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1351 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1355 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1356 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1360 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1361 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1365 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1366 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1367 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1371 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1372 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1373 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1376 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1382 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1383 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1384 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1389 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1390 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1391 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1395 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1396 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1397 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1400 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1401 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1402 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1403 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1407 @node Selecting a Group
1408 @section Selecting a Group
1409 @cindex group selection
1414 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1415 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1416 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1417 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1418 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1419 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1420 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1421 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1422 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1423 negative, Gnus fetches the @var{abs(N)} oldest articles.
1427 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1428 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1429 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1430 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1431 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1435 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1436 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1437 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1438 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1439 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1440 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1441 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1442 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
1443 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
1444 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
1447 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1448 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1449 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1450 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1451 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1454 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1455 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1456 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1457 doing any processing of its contents
1458 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1459 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1460 manner will have no permanent effects.
1464 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1465 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
1466 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1467 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
1468 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
1469 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
1470 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
1471 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
1474 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
1475 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
1476 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
1477 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
1482 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
1483 full summary buffer.
1486 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
1489 Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
1493 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
1494 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
1495 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
1499 @node Subscription Commands
1500 @section Subscription Commands
1501 @cindex subscription
1509 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
1510 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
1511 Toggle subscription to the current group
1512 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
1518 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
1519 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
1520 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
1521 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
1527 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
1528 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
1529 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
1535 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
1536 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
1539 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
1540 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
1541 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
1542 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
1543 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
1549 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
1550 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
1554 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
1555 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
1558 @kindex S C-k (Group)
1559 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
1560 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
1561 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
1562 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
1563 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
1564 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
1565 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
1566 @file{.newsrc} file.
1570 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1580 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
1581 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
1582 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
1583 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
1584 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
1585 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
1590 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
1591 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
1592 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
1596 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1597 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
1598 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1600 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1601 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1602 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1603 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
1604 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
1605 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
1612 @section Group Levels
1616 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
1617 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
1618 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
1619 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
1620 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1622 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
1628 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
1629 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
1630 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
1631 prompted for a level.
1634 @vindex gnus-level-killed
1635 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
1636 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
1637 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
1638 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
1639 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
1640 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
1641 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
1642 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
1643 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
1644 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
1645 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
1646 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
1647 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
1648 reasons of efficiency.
1650 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
1651 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
1653 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
1654 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
1655 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
1657 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
1658 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
1659 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
1660 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
1661 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
1662 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
1663 relevant valid ranges.
1665 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
1666 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
1667 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
1668 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
1669 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
1670 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
1673 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
1674 All groups with a level less than or equal to
1675 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
1678 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
1679 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
1680 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
1681 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
1684 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
1685 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
1686 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
1687 use this level as the ``work'' level.
1689 @vindex gnus-activate-level
1690 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
1691 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
1692 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
1693 to 5. The default is 6.
1697 @section Group Score
1702 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
1703 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
1704 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
1707 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can assign a score to each
1708 group. You can then sort the group buffer based on this score.
1709 Alternatively, you can sort on score and then level. (Taken together,
1710 the level and the score is called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group
1711 that is on level 4 and has a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group
1712 on level 5 that has a score of 300. (The level is the most significant
1713 part and the score is the least significant part.))
1715 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
1716 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
1717 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
1718 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
1719 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
1720 action after each summary exit, you can add
1721 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
1722 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
1723 slow things down somewhat.
1726 @node Marking Groups
1727 @section Marking Groups
1728 @cindex marking groups
1730 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
1731 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
1732 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
1733 bidding on those groups.
1735 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
1736 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
1737 with the process mark and then execute the command.
1745 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
1746 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
1752 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
1753 Remove the mark from the current group
1754 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
1758 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
1759 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
1763 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
1764 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
1768 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
1769 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
1773 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
1774 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
1775 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
1778 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
1780 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
1781 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
1782 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
1783 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
1784 the command to be executed.
1787 @node Foreign Groups
1788 @section Foreign Groups
1789 @cindex foreign groups
1791 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
1792 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
1793 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
1794 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
1801 @findex gnus-group-make-group
1802 @cindex making groups
1803 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
1804 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
1805 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
1809 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
1810 @cindex renaming groups
1811 Rename the current group to something else
1812 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
1813 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
1819 @findex gnus-group-customize
1820 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
1824 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
1825 @cindex renaming groups
1826 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
1827 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
1831 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
1832 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
1833 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
1837 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
1838 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
1839 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
1843 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
1845 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
1846 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
1851 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
1852 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
1856 @cindex (ding) archive
1857 @cindex archive group
1858 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
1859 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
1860 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
1861 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
1862 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
1863 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
1864 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
1868 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
1870 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
1871 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
1872 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
1873 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
1877 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
1879 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
1880 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
1881 @xref{Anything Groups}.
1885 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
1886 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
1888 Make a group based on some file or other
1889 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1890 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
1891 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
1892 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
1893 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, and @code{forward}. If you run
1894 this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file type.
1895 @xref{Document Groups}.
1899 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
1904 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
1905 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1906 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
1907 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
1908 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
1909 @xref{Web Searches}.
1911 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
1912 to a particular group by using a match string like
1913 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
1916 @kindex G DEL (Group)
1917 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
1918 This function will delete the current group
1919 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
1920 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
1921 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
1922 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
1923 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
1927 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
1928 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
1929 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
1933 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
1934 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
1935 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
1938 @xref{Select Methods} for more information on the various select
1941 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
1942 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
1943 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
1944 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
1945 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
1946 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
1950 @node Group Parameters
1951 @section Group Parameters
1952 @cindex group parameters
1954 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
1955 Here's an example group parameter list:
1958 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
1962 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
1963 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
1964 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
1965 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
1967 The following group parameters can be used:
1972 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
1975 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
1978 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
1979 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
1980 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
1981 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
1982 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
1984 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
1985 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
1986 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
1987 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
1988 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
1989 list address instead.
1993 Address used when doing a @kbd{a} in that group.
1996 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
1999 It is totally ignored
2000 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2001 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2003 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2004 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2005 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2006 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2007 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2009 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2010 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2011 sending the message.
2015 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2016 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2017 of whether it has any unread articles.
2019 @item broken-reply-to
2020 @cindex broken-reply-to
2021 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2022 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2023 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2024 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2025 broken behavior. So there!
2029 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2030 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2034 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2035 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2036 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2041 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2042 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2043 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2044 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2045 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2046 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2047 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2051 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2052 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2053 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2056 @cindex total-expire
2057 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2058 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2059 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2060 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2065 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2066 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2067 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2068 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2069 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2070 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2073 @cindex score file group parameter
2074 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2075 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2076 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2079 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2080 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2081 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2082 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2085 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2086 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2087 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2088 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2091 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2092 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2096 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2099 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2104 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2105 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2106 Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2109 @item @var{(variable form)}
2110 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2111 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2112 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2113 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2114 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2115 @code{eval}ed there.
2117 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2118 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2119 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2120 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2121 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2125 Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group. You
2126 might also be interested in reading about topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
2130 @node Listing Groups
2131 @section Listing Groups
2132 @cindex group listing
2134 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2142 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2143 List all groups that have unread articles
2144 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2145 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2146 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2147 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2154 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2155 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2156 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2157 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2158 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2159 unsubscribed groups).
2163 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2164 List all unread groups on a specific level
2165 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2166 with no unread articles.
2170 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2171 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2172 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2173 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2178 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2179 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2183 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2184 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2185 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2189 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2190 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2194 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2195 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2196 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2197 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2198 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2199 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2200 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2201 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2205 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2206 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2207 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2211 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2212 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2213 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2217 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2218 @cindex visible group parameter
2219 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2220 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2221 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2222 get the same effect.
2224 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2225 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2226 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2227 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2228 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2231 @node Sorting Groups
2232 @section Sorting Groups
2233 @cindex sorting groups
2235 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2236 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2237 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2238 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2239 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2240 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2245 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2246 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2247 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2249 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2250 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2251 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2253 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2254 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2255 Sort by group level.
2257 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2258 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2259 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
2261 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2262 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2263 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2264 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
2266 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2267 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2268 Sort by number of unread articles.
2270 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2271 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2272 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2277 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2278 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2282 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2283 some sorting criteria:
2287 @kindex G S a (Group)
2288 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2289 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2290 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2293 @kindex G S u (Group)
2294 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2295 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2296 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2299 @kindex G S l (Group)
2300 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2301 Sort the group buffer by group level
2302 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2305 @kindex G S v (Group)
2306 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2307 Sort the group buffer by group score
2308 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2311 @kindex G S r (Group)
2312 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2313 Sort the group buffer by group rank
2314 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2317 @kindex G S m (Group)
2318 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2319 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2320 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2324 When given a prefix, all these commands will sort in reverse order.
2326 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
2330 @kindex G P a (Group)
2331 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
2332 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
2333 group name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
2336 @kindex G P u (Group)
2337 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
2338 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by the number of
2339 unread articles (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
2342 @kindex G P l (Group)
2343 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
2344 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group level
2345 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
2348 @kindex G P v (Group)
2349 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
2350 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group score
2351 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2354 @kindex G P r (Group)
2355 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
2356 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group rank
2357 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2360 @kindex G P m (Group)
2361 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
2362 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
2363 backend name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
2369 @node Group Maintenance
2370 @section Group Maintenance
2371 @cindex bogus groups
2376 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
2377 Find bogus groups and delete them
2378 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
2382 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
2383 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
2384 If given a prefix, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
2388 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
2389 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
2390 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
2391 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
2394 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
2395 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
2396 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
2397 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
2402 @node Browse Foreign Server
2403 @section Browse Foreign Server
2404 @cindex foreign servers
2405 @cindex browsing servers
2410 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
2411 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
2412 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
2413 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
2416 @findex gnus-browse-mode
2417 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
2418 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
2419 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
2421 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
2426 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2427 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2431 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2432 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2435 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
2436 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
2437 Enter the current group and display the first article
2438 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
2441 @kindex RET (Browse)
2442 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
2443 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
2447 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
2448 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
2449 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2455 @findex gnus-browse-exit
2456 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
2460 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
2461 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
2462 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
2467 @section Exiting Gnus
2468 @cindex exiting Gnus
2470 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
2475 @findex gnus-group-suspend
2476 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
2477 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
2478 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
2482 @findex gnus-group-exit
2483 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
2484 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
2488 @findex gnus-group-quit
2489 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
2490 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
2493 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
2494 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
2495 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
2496 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
2497 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
2502 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
2503 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
2504 trying to customize meta-variables.
2509 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
2510 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
2511 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
2517 @section Group Topics
2520 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
2521 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
2522 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
2523 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
2524 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
2525 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
2529 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
2530 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
2541 2: alt.religion.emacs
2544 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2546 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2547 13: comp.sources.unix
2550 @findex gnus-topic-mode
2552 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
2553 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
2554 is a toggling command.)
2556 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
2557 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
2558 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
2559 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
2562 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
2563 the hook for the group mode:
2566 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
2570 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
2571 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
2572 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
2573 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
2574 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
2578 @node Topic Variables
2579 @subsection Topic Variables
2580 @cindex topic variables
2582 Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
2583 really neat, I think.
2585 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
2586 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
2587 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
2600 Number of groups in the topic.
2602 Number of unread articles in the topic.
2604 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
2607 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
2608 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
2609 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
2612 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
2613 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
2615 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
2616 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
2617 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
2620 @node Topic Commands
2621 @subsection Topic Commands
2622 @cindex topic commands
2624 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
2625 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
2626 definitions slightly.
2632 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
2633 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
2634 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
2638 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
2639 Move the current group to some other topic
2640 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2641 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2645 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
2646 Copy the current group to some other topic
2647 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2648 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2652 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
2653 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
2654 This command uses the process/prefix convention
2655 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2659 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
2660 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2661 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
2665 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
2666 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2667 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
2671 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
2672 Toggle hiding empty topics
2673 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
2677 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
2678 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
2679 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
2682 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
2683 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
2684 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
2685 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
2689 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
2691 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
2692 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
2693 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
2694 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
2695 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
2696 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
2699 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
2700 @findex gnus-topic-indent
2701 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
2702 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
2703 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
2707 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
2708 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
2709 topic will be removed along with the topic.
2713 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
2714 Yank the previously killed group or topic
2715 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
2720 @findex gnus-topic-rename
2721 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
2724 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
2725 @findex gnus-topic-delete
2726 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
2730 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
2731 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
2732 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
2736 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
2737 @cindex group parameters
2738 @cindex topic parameters
2740 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
2741 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
2747 @subsection Topic Sorting
2748 @cindex topic sorting
2750 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
2756 @kindex T S a (Topic)
2757 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2758 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
2759 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2762 @kindex T S u (Topic)
2763 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
2764 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
2765 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2768 @kindex T S l (Topic)
2769 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
2770 Sort the current topic by group level
2771 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
2774 @kindex T S v (Topic)
2775 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
2776 Sort the current topic by group score
2777 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2780 @kindex T S r (Topic)
2781 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
2782 Sort the current topic by group rank
2783 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2786 @kindex T S m (Topic)
2787 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
2788 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
2789 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
2793 @xref{Sorting Groups} for more information about group sorting.
2796 @node Topic Topology
2797 @subsection Topic Topology
2798 @cindex topic topology
2801 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
2807 2: alt.religion.emacs
2810 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2812 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2813 13: comp.sources.unix
2816 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
2817 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
2818 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
2823 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
2824 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
2828 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
2829 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
2830 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
2831 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
2832 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
2833 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
2835 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
2836 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
2837 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
2840 @node Topic Parameters
2841 @subsection Topic Parameters
2842 @cindex topic parameters
2844 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
2845 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
2846 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
2848 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
2849 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
2850 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
2851 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
2857 2: alt.religion.emacs
2861 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2863 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2864 13: comp.sources.unix
2868 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
2869 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
2870 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
2871 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
2872 @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
2873 . "religion.SCORE")}.
2875 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
2876 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
2877 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
2878 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
2879 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
2881 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
2882 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
2883 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
2884 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
2885 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
2886 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
2887 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
2888 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
2891 @node Misc Group Stuff
2892 @section Misc Group Stuff
2895 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
2896 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
2897 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
2898 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
2905 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
2906 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
2907 @xref{The Server Buffer}.
2911 @findex gnus-group-post-news
2912 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
2913 prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
2917 @findex gnus-group-mail
2918 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
2922 Variables for the group buffer:
2926 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
2927 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
2928 is called after the group buffer has been
2931 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
2932 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
2933 is called after the group buffer is
2934 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
2937 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
2938 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
2939 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
2940 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
2942 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2943 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2944 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
2945 whether they are empty or not.
2950 @node Scanning New Messages
2951 @subsection Scanning New Messages
2952 @cindex new messages
2953 @cindex scanning new news
2959 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
2960 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
2961 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
2962 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
2963 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
2964 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
2969 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
2970 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
2971 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
2972 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
2973 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
2974 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
2975 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
2977 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
2978 @cindex activating groups
2980 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
2981 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
2986 @findex gnus-group-restart
2987 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
2988 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
2989 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
2993 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
2994 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
2996 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
2997 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
3001 @node Group Information
3002 @subsection Group Information
3003 @cindex group information
3004 @cindex information on groups
3011 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
3012 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
3015 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
3016 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
3017 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
3018 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
3019 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
3020 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
3021 for fetching the file.
3023 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
3024 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
3028 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
3030 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
3031 @cindex describing groups
3032 @cindex group description
3033 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
3034 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
3035 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
3039 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
3040 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
3041 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
3048 @findex gnus-version
3049 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
3053 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
3054 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
3057 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
3060 @findex gnus-info-find-node
3061 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
3065 @node Group Timestamp
3066 @subsection Group Timestamp
3068 @cindex group timestamps
3070 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
3071 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
3072 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
3075 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
3078 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
3080 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
3081 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
3084 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3085 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
3088 This will result in lines looking like:
3091 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
3092 0: custom 19961002T012713
3095 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
3096 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
3100 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3101 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
3106 @subsection File Commands
3107 @cindex file commands
3113 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
3114 @vindex gnus-init-file
3115 @cindex reading init file
3116 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
3117 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
3121 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
3122 @cindex saving .newsrc
3123 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
3124 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
3125 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
3128 @c @kindex Z (Group)
3129 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
3130 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
3135 @node The Summary Buffer
3136 @chapter The Summary Buffer
3137 @cindex summary buffer
3139 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
3140 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
3142 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
3143 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
3145 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
3148 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
3149 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
3150 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3151 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3152 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3153 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
3154 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3155 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3156 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3157 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3158 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3159 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3160 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3161 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3162 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3163 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3164 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3165 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3166 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3167 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3168 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3169 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3170 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3171 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3172 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
3173 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3174 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3178 @node Summary Buffer Format
3179 @section Summary Buffer Format
3180 @cindex summary buffer format
3184 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
3185 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
3186 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
3192 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3193 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3194 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3197 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3198 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3199 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3200 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3201 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3202 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
3203 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3204 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
3205 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
3206 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
3207 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead.
3209 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3210 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3211 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3212 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
3215 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3216 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
3218 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3219 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
3220 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
3221 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
3222 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3224 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
3226 The following format specification characters are understood:
3234 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
3235 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
3236 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
3238 Full @code{From} header.
3240 The name (from the @code{From} header).
3242 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
3243 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
3244 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
3245 may be more thorough.
3247 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
3250 Number of lines in the article.
3252 Number of characters in the article.
3254 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3256 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
3257 pushes everything after it off the screen).
3259 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
3260 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3262 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
3263 for adopted articles.
3265 One space for each thread level.
3267 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
3272 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
3273 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
3277 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
3279 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
3280 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
3281 default level. If the difference between
3282 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
3283 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
3291 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
3293 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
3299 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
3300 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
3302 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
3303 article has any children.
3309 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
3310 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
3311 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
3312 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
3313 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
3314 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
3317 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
3318 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
3319 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
3320 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
3321 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
3322 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
3324 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
3325 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
3327 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
3330 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
3331 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
3333 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
3334 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
3335 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
3336 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
3338 Here are the elements you can play with:
3344 Unprefixed group name.
3346 Current article number.
3348 Current article score.
3352 Number of unread articles in this group.
3354 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
3357 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
3358 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
3359 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
3360 and no unselected ones.
3362 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
3363 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
3365 Subject of the current article.
3367 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
3369 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
3371 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
3373 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
3375 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
3377 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
3381 @node Summary Highlighting
3382 @subsection Summary Highlighting
3386 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3387 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3388 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
3389 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
3390 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3392 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
3393 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
3394 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
3395 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3397 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
3398 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
3399 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
3400 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
3402 @item gnus-summary-highlight
3403 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
3404 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
3405 list where the elements are of the format @var{(FORM . FACE)}. If you
3406 would, for instance, like ticked articles to be italic and high-scored
3407 articles to be bold, you could set this variable to something like
3409 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
3410 ((> score default) . bold))
3412 As you may have guessed, if @var{FORM} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
3413 @var{FACE} will be applied to the line.
3417 @node Summary Maneuvering
3418 @section Summary Maneuvering
3419 @cindex summary movement
3421 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
3422 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
3424 None of these commands select articles.
3429 @kindex M-n (Summary)
3430 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
3431 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
3432 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
3433 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
3437 @kindex M-p (Summary)
3438 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
3439 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
3440 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
3441 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
3446 @kindex G j (Summary)
3447 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
3448 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
3449 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
3452 @kindex G g (Summary)
3453 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
3454 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
3455 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
3458 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
3459 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
3460 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
3461 to the group buffer.
3463 Variables related to summary movement:
3467 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
3468 @item gnus-auto-select-next
3469 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
3470 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
3471 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
3472 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
3473 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
3474 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
3475 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
3476 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
3477 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
3478 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
3479 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
3480 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
3482 @item gnus-auto-select-same
3483 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
3484 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
3485 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
3486 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
3487 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) This variable is not
3488 particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
3490 @item gnus-summary-check-current
3491 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
3492 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
3493 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
3494 Instead, they will choose the current article.
3496 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
3497 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
3498 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
3499 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
3500 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
3501 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
3502 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
3503 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
3509 @node Choosing Articles
3510 @section Choosing Articles
3511 @cindex selecting articles
3514 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
3515 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
3519 @node Choosing Commands
3520 @subsection Choosing Commands
3522 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
3523 and they all select and display an article.
3527 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3528 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3529 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
3530 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3535 @kindex G n (Summary)
3536 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
3537 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
3538 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
3543 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
3544 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
3545 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
3550 @kindex G N (Summary)
3551 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
3552 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
3557 @kindex G P (Summary)
3558 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
3559 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
3562 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
3563 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
3564 Go to the next article with the same subject
3565 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
3568 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
3569 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
3570 Go to the previous article with the same subject
3571 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
3575 @kindex G f (Summary)
3577 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
3578 Go to the first unread article
3579 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
3583 @kindex G b (Summary)
3585 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
3586 Go to the article with the highest score
3587 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
3592 @kindex G l (Summary)
3593 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
3594 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
3597 @kindex G o (Summary)
3598 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
3600 @cindex article history
3601 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
3602 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
3603 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
3604 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
3605 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
3606 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
3610 @node Choosing Variables
3611 @subsection Choosing Variables
3613 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
3616 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3617 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3618 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
3619 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
3620 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
3621 the server and display it in the article buffer.
3623 @item gnus-select-article-hook
3624 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
3625 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
3626 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
3628 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
3629 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
3630 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
3631 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
3632 @findex gnus-unread-mark
3633 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
3634 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
3635 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
3636 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
3637 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
3638 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
3639 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
3640 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
3641 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
3646 @node Paging the Article
3647 @section Scrolling the Article
3648 @cindex article scrolling
3653 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3654 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3655 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
3656 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
3657 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3660 @kindex DEL (Summary)
3661 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
3662 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
3665 @kindex RET (Summary)
3666 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
3667 Scroll the current article one line forward
3668 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
3672 @kindex A g (Summary)
3674 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
3675 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
3676 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
3677 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
3678 the way it came from the server.
3683 @kindex A < (Summary)
3684 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
3685 Scroll to the beginning of the article
3686 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
3691 @kindex A > (Summary)
3692 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
3693 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
3697 @kindex A s (Summary)
3699 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
3700 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
3701 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
3705 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
3706 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
3711 @node Reply Followup and Post
3712 @section Reply, Followup and Post
3715 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
3716 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
3720 @node Summary Mail Commands
3721 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
3723 @cindex composing mail
3725 Commands for composing a mail message:
3731 @kindex S r (Summary)
3733 @findex gnus-summary-reply
3734 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
3735 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
3736 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
3737 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
3742 @kindex S R (Summary)
3743 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
3744 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
3745 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
3746 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
3747 command uses the process/prefix convention.
3750 @kindex S w (Summary)
3751 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
3752 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
3753 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
3754 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
3755 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
3758 @kindex S W (Summary)
3759 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
3760 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
3761 message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This command uses
3762 the process/prefix convention.
3765 @kindex S o m (Summary)
3766 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
3767 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
3768 Forward the current article to some other person
3769 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
3770 headers of the forwarded article.
3775 @kindex S m (Summary)
3776 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
3777 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
3778 Send a mail to some other person
3779 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
3782 @kindex S D b (Summary)
3783 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
3784 @cindex bouncing mail
3785 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
3786 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
3787 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
3788 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
3789 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
3790 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
3791 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
3792 very well fail, though.
3795 @kindex S D r (Summary)
3796 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
3797 Not to be confused with the previous command,
3798 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
3799 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
3800 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
3801 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
3802 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
3803 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
3804 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
3806 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
3807 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
3808 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
3809 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
3810 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
3812 This command understands the process/prefix convention
3813 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3816 @kindex S O m (Summary)
3817 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
3818 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
3819 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
3820 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3823 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
3824 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
3825 @cindex crossposting
3826 @cindex excessive crossposting
3827 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
3828 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
3830 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
3831 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
3832 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
3833 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
3834 command understands the process/prefix convention
3835 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
3839 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
3842 @node Summary Post Commands
3843 @subsection Summary Post Commands
3845 @cindex composing news
3847 Commands for posting a news article:
3853 @kindex S p (Summary)
3854 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
3855 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
3856 Post an article to the current group
3857 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
3862 @kindex S f (Summary)
3863 @findex gnus-summary-followup
3864 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
3865 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
3869 @kindex S F (Summary)
3871 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
3872 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
3873 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
3874 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
3875 process/prefix convention.
3878 @kindex S n (Summary)
3879 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
3880 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
3881 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
3884 @kindex S N (Summary)
3885 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
3886 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
3887 message through mail and include the original message
3888 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
3889 the process/prefix convention.
3892 @kindex S o p (Summary)
3893 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
3894 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
3895 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
3896 headers of the forwarded article.
3899 @kindex S O p (Summary)
3900 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
3902 @cindex making digests
3903 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
3904 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
3905 process/prefix convention.
3908 @kindex S u (Summary)
3909 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
3910 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
3911 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
3912 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
3915 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
3918 @node Canceling and Superseding
3919 @section Canceling Articles
3920 @cindex canceling articles
3921 @cindex superseding articles
3923 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
3924 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
3926 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
3928 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
3930 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
3931 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
3932 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
3933 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
3934 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
3935 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3937 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
3938 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
3941 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
3942 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
3943 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
3945 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
3946 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
3947 your original article.
3949 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
3951 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
3952 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
3953 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
3956 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
3957 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
3958 have posted almost the same article twice.
3960 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
3961 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
3962 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
3963 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
3964 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
3965 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
3966 header by substituting one of those words for the word
3967 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
3968 you would do normally. The previous article will be
3969 canceled/superseded.
3971 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
3974 @node Marking Articles
3975 @section Marking Articles
3976 @cindex article marking
3977 @cindex article ticking
3980 There are several marks you can set on an article.
3982 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
3983 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
3984 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
3986 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
3989 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
3990 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
3991 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
3995 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
3999 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
4000 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
4004 @node Unread Articles
4005 @subsection Unread Articles
4007 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
4012 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
4013 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
4015 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
4016 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
4017 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
4018 tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
4019 article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
4023 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
4024 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
4026 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
4027 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
4028 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
4031 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
4032 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
4034 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
4039 @subsection Read Articles
4040 @cindex expirable mark
4042 All the following marks mark articles as read.
4047 @vindex gnus-del-mark
4048 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
4049 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
4052 @vindex gnus-read-mark
4053 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
4056 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
4057 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
4058 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
4061 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
4062 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
4065 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
4066 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
4069 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
4070 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
4073 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
4074 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
4077 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
4078 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
4081 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
4082 @sc{SOUP}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
4085 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
4086 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
4090 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
4091 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
4092 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
4096 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
4097 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
4099 One more special mark, though:
4103 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
4104 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
4106 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
4107 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
4108 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
4109 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
4115 @subsection Other Marks
4116 @cindex process mark
4119 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
4125 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
4126 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
4127 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
4128 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
4129 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}
4132 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
4133 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
4134 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
4135 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
4138 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
4139 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
4140 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}
4143 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
4144 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
4145 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
4146 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
4149 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
4150 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
4151 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
4152 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
4153 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
4156 @vindex gnus-process-mark
4157 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
4158 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
4159 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
4160 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
4161 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
4165 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
4166 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
4167 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
4169 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
4170 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
4171 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
4175 @subsection Setting Marks
4176 @cindex setting marks
4178 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
4183 @kindex M c (Summary)
4184 @kindex M-u (Summary)
4185 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
4186 @cindex mark as unread
4187 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
4188 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
4194 @kindex M t (Summary)
4195 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
4196 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
4197 @xref{Article Caching}
4202 @kindex M ? (Summary)
4203 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
4204 Mark the current article as dormant
4205 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}
4209 @kindex M d (Summary)
4211 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
4212 Mark the current article as read
4213 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
4217 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
4218 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
4219 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
4224 @kindex M k (Summary)
4225 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
4226 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
4227 and then select the next unread article
4228 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
4232 @kindex M K (Summary)
4233 @kindex C-k (Summary)
4234 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
4235 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
4236 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
4239 @kindex M C (Summary)
4240 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
4241 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
4242 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
4245 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
4246 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
4247 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
4248 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
4251 @kindex M H (Summary)
4252 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
4253 Catchup the current group to point
4254 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
4257 @kindex C-w (Summary)
4258 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
4259 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
4260 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
4263 @kindex M V k (Summary)
4264 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
4265 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
4266 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
4270 @kindex M e (Summary)
4272 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
4273 Mark the current article as expirable
4274 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
4277 @kindex M b (Summary)
4278 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
4279 Set a bookmark in the current article
4280 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
4283 @kindex M B (Summary)
4284 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
4285 Remove the bookmark from the current article
4286 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
4289 @kindex M V c (Summary)
4290 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
4291 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
4292 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4295 @kindex M V u (Summary)
4296 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
4297 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
4298 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
4301 @kindex M V m (Summary)
4302 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
4303 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
4304 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
4305 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4308 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
4309 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
4310 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
4311 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
4312 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
4313 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
4314 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
4315 The default is @code{t}.
4318 @node Setting Process Marks
4319 @subsection Setting Process Marks
4320 @cindex setting process marks
4327 @kindex M P p (Summary)
4328 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
4329 Mark the current article with the process mark
4330 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
4331 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
4335 @kindex M P u (Summary)
4336 @kindex M-# (Summary)
4337 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
4338 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
4341 @kindex M P U (Summary)
4342 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
4343 Remove the process mark from all articles
4344 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
4347 @kindex M P i (Summary)
4348 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
4349 Invert the list of process marked articles
4350 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
4353 @kindex M P R (Summary)
4354 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
4355 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
4356 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
4359 @kindex M P r (Summary)
4360 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
4361 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
4364 @kindex M P t (Summary)
4365 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4366 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4367 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4370 @kindex M P T (Summary)
4371 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4372 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4373 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4376 @kindex M P v (Summary)
4377 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
4378 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
4379 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
4382 @kindex M P s (Summary)
4383 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
4384 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4387 @kindex M P S (Summary)
4388 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
4389 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
4390 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
4393 @kindex M P a (Summary)
4394 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
4395 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4398 @kindex M P b (Summary)
4399 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
4400 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
4401 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
4404 @kindex M P k (Summary)
4405 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
4406 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
4407 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
4410 @kindex M P y (Summary)
4411 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
4412 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
4413 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
4416 @kindex M P w (Summary)
4417 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
4418 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
4419 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
4428 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
4429 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
4430 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
4433 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
4434 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
4435 additional articles.
4441 @kindex / / (Summary)
4442 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
4443 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
4444 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
4447 @kindex / a (Summary)
4448 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
4449 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
4450 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
4454 @kindex / u (Summary)
4456 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
4457 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
4458 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
4459 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
4460 dormant articles will also be excluded.
4463 @kindex / m (Summary)
4464 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
4465 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
4466 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
4469 @kindex / t (Summary)
4470 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
4471 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
4472 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}). If given a prefix, limit to
4473 articles younger than that number of days.
4476 @kindex / n (Summary)
4477 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
4478 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
4479 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
4480 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4483 @kindex / w (Summary)
4484 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
4485 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
4486 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
4490 @kindex / v (Summary)
4491 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
4492 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
4493 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
4497 @kindex M S (Summary)
4498 @kindex / E (Summary)
4499 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
4500 Include all expunged articles in the limit
4501 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
4504 @kindex / D (Summary)
4505 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
4506 Include all dormant articles in the limit
4507 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
4510 @kindex / * (Summary)
4511 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
4512 Include all cached articles in the limit
4513 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
4516 @kindex / d (Summary)
4517 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
4518 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
4519 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
4522 @kindex / T (Summary)
4523 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
4524 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
4527 @kindex / c (Summary)
4528 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
4529 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
4530 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
4533 @kindex / C (Summary)
4534 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
4535 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
4536 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
4537 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
4545 @cindex article threading
4547 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
4548 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
4549 hierarchical fashion.
4551 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
4552 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
4553 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
4554 or simply missing. Weird news propagation excarcerbates the problem,
4555 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
4556 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
4557 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
4559 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
4563 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
4566 A tree-like article structure.
4569 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
4572 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
4573 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
4574 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
4575 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
4576 called loose threads.
4578 @item thread gathering
4579 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
4581 @item sparse threads
4582 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
4583 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
4589 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
4590 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
4594 @node Customizing Threading
4595 @subsection Customizing Threading
4596 @cindex customizing threading
4599 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
4600 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
4601 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
4602 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
4607 @subsubsection Loose Threads
4610 @cindex loose threads
4613 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
4614 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
4615 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
4616 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
4617 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
4618 read or killed the root in a previous session.
4620 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
4621 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
4622 There are four possible values:
4626 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
4627 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
4628 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4629 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4630 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4635 @cindex adopting articles
4640 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
4641 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
4642 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
4643 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
4646 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
4647 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
4648 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
4649 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
4650 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
4651 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
4652 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
4655 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
4656 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
4657 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
4661 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
4662 display them after one another.
4665 Don't gather loose threads.
4668 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4669 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4670 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
4671 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
4672 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
4673 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
4674 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
4675 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
4676 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
4677 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
4678 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
4680 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
4681 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
4682 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
4685 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4686 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4687 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
4688 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
4689 simplification is used.
4691 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4692 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4693 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
4694 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
4696 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
4698 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4704 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
4705 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
4706 "answer" "reference" "announce"
4707 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
4712 (mapconcat 'identity
4713 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
4715 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
4718 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
4721 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
4722 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
4723 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
4724 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
4725 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
4726 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
4728 Useful functions to put in this list include:
4731 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
4732 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
4733 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
4735 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
4736 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
4739 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
4740 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
4741 Remove excessive whitespace.
4744 You may also write your own functions, of course.
4747 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4748 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4749 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
4750 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
4751 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
4752 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
4753 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
4754 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
4756 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4757 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4758 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
4759 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
4760 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
4761 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
4762 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
4763 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
4764 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
4768 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4769 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4770 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
4771 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
4773 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4774 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4775 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
4778 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
4782 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4783 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
4789 @node Filling In Threads
4790 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
4793 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
4794 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
4795 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
4796 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
4797 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
4798 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
4799 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
4800 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
4801 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
4802 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
4803 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
4804 expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
4806 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
4807 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
4808 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
4810 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
4811 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
4812 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
4813 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
4814 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
4815 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
4816 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
4817 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
4818 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
4819 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
4820 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
4821 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
4822 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
4823 @code{nil} by default.
4828 @node More Threading
4829 @subsubsection More Threading
4832 @item gnus-show-threads
4833 @vindex gnus-show-threads
4834 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
4835 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
4836 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
4837 slower and more awkward.
4839 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4840 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4841 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
4844 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
4845 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
4846 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
4847 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
4848 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
4849 threads are expunged.
4851 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
4852 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
4853 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
4856 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4857 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4858 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
4859 this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
4860 is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
4863 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
4864 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
4865 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
4871 @node Low-Level Threading
4872 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
4876 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
4877 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
4878 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
4879 @code{(gnus-decode-rfc1522)}, which means that QPized headers will be
4880 slightly decoded in a hackish way. This is likely to change in the
4881 future when Gnus becomes @sc{MIME}ified.
4883 @item gnus-alter-header-function
4884 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
4885 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
4886 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
4887 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
4888 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
4889 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
4890 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
4891 meaningful. Here's one example:
4894 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
4896 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
4897 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
4899 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
4901 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
4908 @node Thread Commands
4909 @subsection Thread Commands
4910 @cindex thread commands
4916 @kindex T k (Summary)
4917 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
4918 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
4919 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
4920 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
4921 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
4926 @kindex T l (Summary)
4927 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
4928 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
4929 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
4930 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
4933 @kindex T i (Summary)
4934 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
4935 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
4936 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
4939 @kindex T # (Summary)
4940 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4941 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
4942 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4945 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
4946 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4947 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
4948 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4951 @kindex T T (Summary)
4952 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
4953 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
4956 @kindex T s (Summary)
4957 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
4958 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
4959 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
4962 @kindex T h (Summary)
4963 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
4964 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
4967 @kindex T S (Summary)
4968 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
4969 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
4972 @kindex T H (Summary)
4973 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
4974 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
4977 @kindex T t (Summary)
4978 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
4979 Re-thread the current article's thread
4980 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
4981 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
4984 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
4985 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
4986 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
4987 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
4991 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
4992 understand the numeric prefix.
4997 @kindex T n (Summary)
4998 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
4999 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
5002 @kindex T p (Summary)
5003 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
5004 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
5007 @kindex T d (Summary)
5008 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
5009 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
5012 @kindex T u (Summary)
5013 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
5014 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
5017 @kindex T o (Summary)
5018 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
5019 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
5022 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
5023 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
5024 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
5025 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
5026 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
5027 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
5028 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
5029 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
5030 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
5031 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
5032 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
5033 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
5040 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
5041 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
5042 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
5043 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
5044 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
5045 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
5046 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
5047 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
5048 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which is a list of functions.
5049 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
5050 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
5051 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
5052 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
5053 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
5055 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
5056 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
5057 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread. If you use
5058 more than one function, the primary sort key should be the last function
5059 in the list. You should probably always include
5060 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
5061 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
5062 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
5063 ascending article order.
5065 If you would like to sort by score, then by subject, and finally by
5066 number, you could do something like:
5069 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
5070 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
5071 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
5072 gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score))
5075 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
5076 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
5077 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
5078 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
5079 which the articles arrived.
5081 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
5085 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
5087 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
5088 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
5091 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
5092 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
5093 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
5094 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
5097 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
5098 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
5099 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
5100 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
5101 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
5102 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
5103 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
5104 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
5105 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
5106 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
5107 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
5108 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
5109 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
5111 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
5115 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
5116 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
5117 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
5122 @node Asynchronous Fetching
5123 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
5124 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
5125 @cindex article pre-fetch
5128 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
5129 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
5130 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
5131 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
5132 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
5134 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
5135 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
5137 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
5138 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
5139 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
5140 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
5141 connection is blocked.
5143 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
5144 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
5145 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
5146 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
5148 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
5149 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
5150 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
5151 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
5154 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
5157 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
5158 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
5159 happen automatically.
5161 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
5162 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
5163 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
5164 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
5165 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
5166 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
5167 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
5169 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
5170 @findex gnus-async-read-p
5171 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
5172 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
5173 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
5174 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
5175 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
5176 data structure as the only parameter.
5178 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
5181 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
5182 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
5183 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
5184 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
5187 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
5190 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
5191 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
5192 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
5194 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
5195 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
5196 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
5197 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
5201 Remove articles when they are read.
5204 Remove articles when exiting the group.
5207 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
5209 @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
5210 If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
5211 from the next group.
5214 @node Article Caching
5215 @section Article Caching
5216 @cindex article caching
5219 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
5220 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
5221 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
5222 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
5223 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
5225 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
5227 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
5228 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
5229 @vindex gnus-use-cache
5230 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
5231 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
5232 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
5233 cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
5234 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
5236 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
5237 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
5238 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
5239 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
5240 as dormant, and don't worry.
5242 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
5244 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
5245 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
5246 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
5247 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
5248 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
5249 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
5250 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
5251 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
5252 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
5253 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
5255 @findex gnus-jog-cache
5256 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
5257 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
5258 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
5259 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
5260 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
5261 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
5262 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
5263 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
5264 not then be downloaded by this command.
5266 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
5267 It is likely that you do not want caching on some groups. For instance,
5268 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
5269 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
5270 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space. To limit the caching,
5271 you could set the @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to
5272 @samp{^nnml}, for instance. This variable is @code{nil} by
5275 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
5276 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
5277 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
5278 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
5279 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
5280 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
5281 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
5282 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
5283 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
5287 @node Persistent Articles
5288 @section Persistent Articles
5289 @cindex persistent articles
5291 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
5292 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
5293 useful in my opinion.
5295 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
5296 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
5297 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
5298 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
5299 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
5300 the expiry going on at the news server.
5302 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
5303 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
5304 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
5310 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
5311 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
5314 @kindex M-* (Summary)
5315 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
5316 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
5317 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
5321 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
5323 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
5324 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
5325 interested in persistent articles:
5328 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
5332 @node Article Backlog
5333 @section Article Backlog
5335 @cindex article backlog
5337 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
5338 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
5339 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
5340 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
5341 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
5342 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
5343 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
5344 increase memory usage some.
5346 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
5347 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
5348 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
5349 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
5350 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
5351 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
5352 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
5354 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
5357 @node Saving Articles
5358 @section Saving Articles
5359 @cindex saving articles
5361 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
5362 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
5363 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
5364 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
5365 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
5367 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
5368 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
5369 unwanted headers before saving the article.
5371 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
5372 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
5373 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
5374 deleted before saving.
5380 @kindex O o (Summary)
5382 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
5383 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
5384 Save the current article using the default article saver
5385 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
5388 @kindex O m (Summary)
5389 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
5390 Save the current article in mail format
5391 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
5394 @kindex O r (Summary)
5395 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
5396 Save the current article in rmail format
5397 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
5400 @kindex O f (Summary)
5401 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
5402 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
5403 Save the current article in plain file format
5404 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
5407 @kindex O F (Summary)
5408 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
5409 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
5410 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
5413 @kindex O b (Summary)
5414 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
5415 Save the current article body in plain file format
5416 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
5419 @kindex O h (Summary)
5420 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
5421 Save the current article in mh folder format
5422 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
5425 @kindex O v (Summary)
5426 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
5427 Save the current article in a VM folder
5428 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
5431 @kindex O p (Summary)
5432 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
5433 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
5434 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
5437 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
5438 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
5439 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
5440 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
5441 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
5442 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
5443 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
5444 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
5445 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
5446 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
5447 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
5448 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
5452 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
5453 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
5454 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the four ready-made
5455 functions below, or you can create your own.
5459 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5460 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5461 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
5462 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5463 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
5464 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5465 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5467 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5468 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5469 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
5470 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
5471 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5472 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5474 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
5475 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
5476 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
5477 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5478 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
5479 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5480 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5482 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5483 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5484 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
5485 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5486 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5488 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5489 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5490 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
5491 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
5492 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
5495 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
5496 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
5497 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
5498 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
5499 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
5501 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5502 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5503 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
5504 reader to use this setting.
5507 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
5508 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
5509 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
5510 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
5513 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
5514 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
5515 available functions that generate names:
5519 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
5520 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
5521 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5523 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
5524 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5525 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5527 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
5528 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
5529 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5531 @item gnus-plain-save-name
5532 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5533 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5536 @vindex gnus-split-methods
5537 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
5538 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
5539 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
5540 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
5544 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
5545 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
5546 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
5547 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
5550 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
5551 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
5552 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
5553 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
5554 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
5555 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
5556 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
5557 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
5558 called returns a string or a list of strings.
5560 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
5561 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
5562 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
5563 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
5565 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
5566 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
5567 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
5570 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
5571 lots of mail groups called things like
5572 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
5573 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
5574 following will do just that:
5577 (defun my-save-name (group)
5578 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
5579 (substring group (match-end 0))))
5581 (setq gnus-split-methods
5582 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
5587 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
5588 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
5589 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
5590 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
5591 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
5592 all the files in the top level directory
5593 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
5594 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
5595 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
5596 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
5598 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
5599 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
5600 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
5601 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
5602 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
5605 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
5609 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
5610 (setq gnus-default-article-saver 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
5613 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
5614 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
5615 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
5616 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
5619 @node Decoding Articles
5620 @section Decoding Articles
5621 @cindex decoding articles
5623 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
5624 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
5627 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
5628 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
5629 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
5630 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
5631 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
5632 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
5636 @cindex article series
5637 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
5638 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
5639 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
5640 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
5641 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
5643 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
5644 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
5645 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
5647 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
5648 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
5649 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
5651 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
5652 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
5653 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
5656 @node Uuencoded Articles
5657 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
5659 @cindex uuencoded articles
5664 @kindex X u (Summary)
5665 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
5666 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
5667 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
5670 @kindex X U (Summary)
5671 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
5672 Uudecodes and saves the current series
5673 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5676 @kindex X v u (Summary)
5677 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
5678 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
5681 @kindex X v U (Summary)
5682 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
5683 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
5684 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
5688 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
5689 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
5690 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
5691 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
5692 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5694 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
5695 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
5696 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
5697 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
5700 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
5701 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
5702 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
5703 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
5704 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
5705 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
5709 @node Shell Archives
5710 @subsection Shell Archives
5712 @cindex shell archives
5713 @cindex shared articles
5715 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
5716 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
5717 some commands to deal with these:
5722 @kindex X s (Summary)
5723 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
5724 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
5727 @kindex X S (Summary)
5728 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
5729 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
5732 @kindex X v s (Summary)
5733 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
5734 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
5737 @kindex X v S (Summary)
5738 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
5739 Unshars, views and saves the current series
5740 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
5744 @node PostScript Files
5745 @subsection PostScript Files
5751 @kindex X p (Summary)
5752 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
5753 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
5756 @kindex X P (Summary)
5757 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
5758 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
5759 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
5762 @kindex X v p (Summary)
5763 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
5764 View the current PostScript series
5765 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
5768 @kindex X v P (Summary)
5769 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
5770 View and save the current PostScript series
5771 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
5776 @subsection Other Files
5780 @kindex X o (Summary)
5781 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
5782 Save the current series
5783 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
5786 @kindex X b (Summary)
5787 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
5788 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
5789 doesn't really work yet.
5793 @node Decoding Variables
5794 @subsection Decoding Variables
5796 Adjective, not verb.
5799 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
5800 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
5801 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
5805 @node Rule Variables
5806 @subsubsection Rule Variables
5807 @cindex rule variables
5809 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
5810 variables are of the form
5813 (list '(regexp1 command2)
5820 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5821 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5823 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
5824 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
5827 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5828 (list '(\"\\\\.au$\" \"sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio\")))
5831 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
5832 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
5833 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
5834 user and default view rules.
5836 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
5837 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
5838 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
5843 @node Other Decode Variables
5844 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
5847 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
5849 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
5850 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
5851 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
5852 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
5853 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
5857 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
5858 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
5861 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
5862 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
5863 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
5866 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
5867 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
5868 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
5869 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
5870 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
5873 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
5874 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
5875 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
5877 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
5878 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
5879 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
5880 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
5881 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
5884 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
5885 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
5886 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
5888 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
5889 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
5890 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
5891 looking for files to display.
5893 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
5894 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
5895 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
5898 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
5899 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
5900 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
5903 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
5904 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
5905 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
5908 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
5909 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
5910 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
5913 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
5914 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
5915 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
5916 decoded articles as unread.
5918 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
5919 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
5920 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
5921 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
5923 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
5924 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
5925 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
5927 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
5928 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
5930 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
5931 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
5932 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
5933 @code{metamail} for viewing.
5935 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5936 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5937 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
5938 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
5939 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
5940 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC1153---no easy way
5941 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
5942 simply dropped them.
5947 @node Uuencoding and Posting
5948 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
5952 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5953 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5954 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
5955 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
5956 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
5957 for you when you post the article.
5959 @item gnus-uu-post-length
5960 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
5961 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
5962 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
5964 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
5965 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
5966 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
5967 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
5968 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
5969 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
5970 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
5972 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5973 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5974 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
5975 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
5976 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
5977 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
5978 Default is @code{t}.
5984 @subsection Viewing Files
5985 @cindex viewing files
5986 @cindex pseudo-articles
5988 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
5989 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
5990 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
5991 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
5992 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
5993 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
5994 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
5996 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
5997 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
5998 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
5999 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
6001 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
6002 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
6003 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
6005 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
6006 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
6007 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
6008 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
6009 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
6011 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
6012 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
6013 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
6014 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
6015 a list of parameters to that command.
6017 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
6018 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
6019 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
6021 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
6022 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
6023 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
6026 @node Article Treatment
6027 @section Article Treatment
6029 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
6030 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
6031 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
6032 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
6033 these articles easier.
6036 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
6037 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
6038 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
6039 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
6040 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
6041 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
6042 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
6046 @node Article Highlighting
6047 @subsection Article Highlighting
6050 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
6051 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
6056 @kindex W H a (Summary)
6057 @findex gnus-article-highlight
6058 Highlight the current article (@code{gnus-article-highlight}).
6061 @kindex W H h (Summary)
6062 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
6063 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
6064 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
6065 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
6066 variable, which is a list where each element has the form @var{(regexp
6067 name content)}. @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
6068 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
6069 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
6070 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
6071 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
6074 @kindex W H c (Summary)
6075 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
6076 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
6078 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
6081 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
6083 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
6084 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
6085 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
6087 @item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
6088 @vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
6089 Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
6091 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
6092 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
6093 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
6095 @item gnus-cite-face-list
6096 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
6097 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
6098 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
6099 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
6100 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
6102 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
6103 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
6104 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
6106 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
6107 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
6108 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
6110 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
6111 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
6112 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
6113 that it's a citation.
6115 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
6116 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
6117 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
6119 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
6120 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
6121 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
6123 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
6124 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
6125 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
6126 cited text belonging to the attribution.
6132 @kindex W H s (Summary)
6133 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
6134 @vindex gnus-signature-face
6135 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
6136 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
6137 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
6138 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
6139 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
6145 @node Article Fontisizing
6146 @subsection Article Fontisizing
6148 @cindex article emphasis
6150 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
6151 @kindex W e (Summary)
6152 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
6153 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*}. Gnus can make this look nicer by
6154 running the article through the @kbd{W e}
6155 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
6157 @vindex gnus-article-emphasis
6158 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
6159 @code{gnus-article-emphasis} variable. This is an alist where the first
6160 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
6161 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
6162 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
6163 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
6164 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
6168 (setq gnus-article-emphasis
6169 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
6170 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
6173 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
6174 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
6175 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
6176 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
6177 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
6178 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
6179 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
6180 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
6181 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
6182 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
6183 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
6184 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
6185 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
6187 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
6188 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
6189 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
6193 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
6197 @node Article Hiding
6198 @subsection Article Hiding
6199 @cindex article hiding
6201 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
6202 too much cruft in most articles.
6207 @kindex W W a (Summary)
6208 @findex gnus-article-hide
6209 Do maximum hiding on the summary buffer (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}).
6212 @kindex W W h (Summary)
6213 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
6214 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
6218 @kindex W W b (Summary)
6219 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
6220 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
6221 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
6224 @kindex W W s (Summary)
6225 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
6226 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
6230 @kindex W W p (Summary)
6231 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
6232 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
6233 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
6234 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
6235 signature has been hidden.
6238 @kindex W W P (Summary)
6239 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
6240 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
6241 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
6244 @kindex W W c (Summary)
6245 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
6246 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
6247 customizing the hiding:
6251 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
6252 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
6253 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
6254 50), hide the cited text.
6256 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
6257 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
6258 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
6261 @item gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
6262 @vindex gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
6263 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
6264 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
6265 by this format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
6270 Start point of the hidden text.
6272 End point of the hidden text.
6274 Length of the hidden text.
6277 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
6278 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
6279 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave shown.
6284 @kindex W W C (Summary)
6285 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
6286 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
6287 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
6288 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
6289 in @code{gnus-article-display-hook} (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
6293 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
6294 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
6295 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
6297 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
6298 citation customization.
6301 @node Article Washing
6302 @subsection Article Washing
6304 @cindex article washing
6306 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
6307 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
6309 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
6310 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
6316 @kindex W l (Summary)
6317 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
6318 Remove page breaks from the current article
6319 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article} for page
6323 @kindex W r (Summary)
6324 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
6325 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
6326 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
6327 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
6328 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
6329 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
6331 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
6332 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
6333 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
6334 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
6337 @kindex W t (Summary)
6338 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
6339 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
6340 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
6343 @kindex W v (Summary)
6344 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
6345 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
6346 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
6349 @kindex W m (Summary)
6350 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
6351 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
6352 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
6355 @kindex W o (Summary)
6356 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
6357 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
6360 @kindex W d (Summary)
6361 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
6362 Treat M******** sm*rtq**t*s (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}).
6365 @kindex W w (Summary)
6366 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
6367 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}). If you use this
6368 function in @code{gnus-article-display-hook}, it should be run fairly
6369 late and certainly after any highlighting.
6371 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
6375 @kindex W c (Summary)
6376 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
6377 Remove CR (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines)
6378 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
6381 @kindex W q (Summary)
6382 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
6383 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
6384 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
6385 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
6386 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
6390 @kindex W f (Summary)
6392 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
6393 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
6394 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
6395 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
6401 Look for and display any X-Face headers
6402 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
6403 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
6404 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
6405 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
6406 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
6407 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
6408 The default action under Emacs is to fork off an @code{xv} to view the
6409 face; under XEmacs the default action is to display the face before the
6410 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
6411 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
6412 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
6413 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends.) If you
6414 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
6418 @kindex W b (Summary)
6419 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
6420 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
6421 @xref{Article Buttons}
6424 @kindex W B (Summary)
6425 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
6426 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
6427 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
6430 @kindex W E l (Summary)
6431 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
6432 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
6433 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
6436 @kindex W E m (Summary)
6437 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
6438 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
6439 lines with a single empty line.
6440 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
6443 @kindex W E t (Summary)
6444 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
6445 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
6446 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
6449 @kindex W E a (Summary)
6450 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
6451 Do all the three commands above
6452 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
6455 @kindex W E A (Summary)
6456 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
6457 Remove all blank lines
6458 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
6461 @kindex W E s (Summary)
6462 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
6463 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
6464 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
6469 @node Article Buttons
6470 @subsection Article Buttons
6473 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
6474 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
6475 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
6476 button on these references.
6478 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
6479 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
6480 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
6485 @item gnus-button-alist
6486 @vindex gnus-button-alist
6487 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
6490 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6496 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
6497 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
6498 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
6501 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
6502 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
6503 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
6506 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
6507 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
6508 avoid false matches.
6511 This function will be called when you click on this button.
6514 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
6515 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
6519 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
6522 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
6525 @item gnus-header-button-alist
6526 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
6527 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
6528 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
6529 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
6532 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6535 @var{HEADER} is a regular expression.
6537 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
6538 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
6539 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
6540 default values of the variables above.
6542 @item gnus-article-button-face
6543 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
6544 Face used on buttons.
6546 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
6547 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
6548 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
6554 @subsection Article Date
6556 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
6557 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
6558 when the article was sent.
6563 @kindex W T u (Summary)
6564 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
6565 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
6566 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
6569 @kindex W T i (Summary)
6570 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
6572 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
6573 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
6576 @kindex W T l (Summary)
6577 @findex gnus-article-date-local
6578 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
6581 @kindex W T s (Summary)
6582 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
6583 @findex gnus-article-date-user
6584 @findex format-time-string
6585 Display the date using a user-defined format
6586 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
6587 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
6588 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
6589 for a list of possible format specs.
6592 @kindex W T e (Summary)
6593 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
6594 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
6595 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
6596 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
6597 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). If you want to have this line
6598 updated continually, you can put
6601 (gnus-start-date-timer)
6604 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
6605 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
6609 @kindex W T o (Summary)
6610 @findex gnus-article-date-original
6611 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
6612 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
6613 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
6614 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
6615 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
6620 @node Article Signature
6621 @subsection Article Signature
6623 @cindex article signature
6625 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
6626 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
6627 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
6628 that says what is to be considered a signature is
6629 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
6630 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
6631 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
6632 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
6633 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
6636 (setq gnus-signature-separator
6637 '("^-- $" ; The standard
6638 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
6639 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
6640 ; line of dashes. Shame!
6641 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
6642 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
6643 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
6646 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
6649 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
6650 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
6655 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
6658 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
6661 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
6662 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
6664 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
6665 in question is not a signature.
6668 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
6669 listed above. Here's an example:
6672 (setq gnus-signature-limit
6673 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
6676 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
6677 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
6678 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
6679 signature after all.
6682 @node Article Commands
6683 @section Article Commands
6690 @kindex A P (Summary)
6691 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
6692 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
6693 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
6694 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
6695 run just before printing the buffer.
6700 @node Summary Sorting
6701 @section Summary Sorting
6702 @cindex summary sorting
6704 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
6705 can't really see why you'd want that.
6710 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
6711 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
6712 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
6715 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
6716 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
6717 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
6720 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
6721 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
6722 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
6725 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
6726 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
6727 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
6730 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
6731 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
6732 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
6735 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
6736 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
6737 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
6740 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
6741 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
6742 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
6743 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
6744 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
6748 @node Finding the Parent
6749 @section Finding the Parent
6750 @cindex parent articles
6751 @cindex referring articles
6756 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
6757 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
6758 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
6759 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
6760 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
6761 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
6762 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
6763 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
6764 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
6766 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
6767 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
6768 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
6769 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
6770 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
6774 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
6775 @kindex A R (Summary)
6776 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
6777 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
6780 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
6781 @kindex A T (Summary)
6782 Display the full thread where the current article appears
6783 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
6784 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
6785 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
6786 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
6787 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
6788 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
6790 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
6791 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
6792 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
6793 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
6794 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
6795 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
6798 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
6799 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
6801 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
6802 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
6803 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
6804 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
6805 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
6806 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
6807 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
6810 The current select method will be used when fetching by
6811 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
6812 by giving this command a prefix.
6814 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
6815 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
6816 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
6817 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
6818 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
6819 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
6822 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
6823 not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
6824 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
6825 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
6826 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
6827 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
6830 @node Alternative Approaches
6831 @section Alternative Approaches
6833 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
6834 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
6837 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
6838 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
6843 @subsection Pick and Read
6844 @cindex pick and read
6846 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
6847 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
6848 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
6849 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
6851 @findex gnus-pick-mode
6852 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
6853 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
6854 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
6855 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
6856 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
6858 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
6863 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6864 Pick the article on the current line
6865 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}). If given a numerical prefix,
6866 go to that article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
6867 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
6870 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
6871 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
6872 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
6873 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
6877 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6878 Unpick the article (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6882 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6883 Unpick all articles (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6887 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6888 Pick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6892 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6893 Unpick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6897 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6898 Pick the region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6902 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6903 Unpick the region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6907 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6908 Pick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6912 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6913 Unpick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6917 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6918 Pick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6922 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-buffer
6923 Unpick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-buffer}).
6927 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
6928 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
6929 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
6930 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
6931 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
6932 will still be visible when you are reading.
6936 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
6939 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
6942 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
6943 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
6945 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
6946 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
6947 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
6949 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
6950 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
6951 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
6952 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
6953 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
6954 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
6955 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
6959 @subsection Binary Groups
6960 @cindex binary groups
6962 @findex gnus-binary-mode
6963 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
6964 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
6965 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
6966 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
6967 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
6968 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
6971 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
6972 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
6973 command, when you have turned on this mode
6974 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
6976 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
6977 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
6981 @section Tree Display
6984 @vindex gnus-use-trees
6985 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
6986 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
6987 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
6990 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
6993 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
6994 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
6995 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
6997 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
6998 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
6999 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
7000 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
7001 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
7003 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
7004 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
7005 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
7006 default is @code{modeline}.
7008 @item gnus-tree-line-format
7009 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
7010 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
7011 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
7012 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
7013 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
7014 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
7020 The name of the poster.
7022 The @code{From} header.
7024 The number of the article.
7026 The opening bracket.
7028 The closing bracket.
7033 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
7035 Variables related to the display are:
7038 @item gnus-tree-brackets
7039 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
7040 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
7041 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @var{((real-open . real-close)
7042 (sparse-open . sparse-close) (dummy-open . dummy-close))}, and the
7043 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
7045 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
7046 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
7047 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
7048 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
7052 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
7053 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
7054 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
7055 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
7056 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
7057 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
7058 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
7059 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
7060 other windows displayed next to it.
7062 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
7063 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
7064 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
7065 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
7066 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
7067 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
7068 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
7072 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
7075 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
7085 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
7089 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
7090 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
7092 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
7094 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
7099 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
7100 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
7101 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
7104 (setq gnus-use-trees t
7105 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
7106 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
7107 (gnus-add-configuration
7111 (summary 0.75 point)
7116 @xref{Windows Configuration}.
7119 @node Mail Group Commands
7120 @section Mail Group Commands
7121 @cindex mail group commands
7123 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
7124 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
7126 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
7127 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7132 @kindex B e (Summary)
7133 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
7134 Expire all expirable articles in the group
7135 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
7138 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
7139 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
7140 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
7141 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
7142 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
7143 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
7146 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
7147 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
7148 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
7149 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
7150 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
7151 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
7154 @kindex B m (Summary)
7156 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
7157 Move the article from one mail group to another
7158 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
7161 @kindex B c (Summary)
7163 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
7164 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
7165 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
7166 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}).
7169 @kindex B B (Summary)
7170 @cindex crosspost mail
7171 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
7172 Crosspost the current article to some other group
7173 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
7174 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
7175 be properly updated.
7178 @kindex B i (Summary)
7179 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
7180 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
7181 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
7182 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
7185 @kindex B r (Summary)
7186 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
7187 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
7188 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
7189 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
7190 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
7194 @kindex B w (Summary)
7196 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
7197 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
7198 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
7199 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
7200 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
7201 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
7204 @kindex B q (Summary)
7205 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
7206 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
7207 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
7208 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
7211 @kindex B p (Summary)
7212 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
7213 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
7214 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
7215 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
7216 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
7217 article from your news server (or rather, from
7218 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
7219 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
7220 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
7221 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
7222 just not have arrived yet.
7226 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
7227 @cindex moving articles
7228 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
7229 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
7230 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
7231 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
7232 suggestions you find reasonable.
7235 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
7236 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
7237 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
7238 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
7242 @node Various Summary Stuff
7243 @section Various Summary Stuff
7246 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
7247 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
7248 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
7249 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
7253 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
7254 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
7255 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
7257 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
7258 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
7259 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
7260 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
7261 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
7262 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
7265 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
7266 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
7267 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
7268 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
7269 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
7271 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
7272 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
7273 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
7274 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
7275 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
7276 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
7277 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
7278 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
7279 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
7280 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
7285 @node Summary Group Information
7286 @subsection Summary Group Information
7291 @kindex H f (Summary)
7292 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
7293 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
7294 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
7295 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
7296 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
7297 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
7298 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
7299 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
7300 be used for fetching the file.
7303 @kindex H d (Summary)
7304 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
7305 Give a brief description of the current group
7306 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
7307 rereading the description from the server.
7310 @kindex H h (Summary)
7311 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
7312 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
7313 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
7316 @kindex H i (Summary)
7317 @findex gnus-info-find-node
7318 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
7322 @node Searching for Articles
7323 @subsection Searching for Articles
7328 @kindex M-s (Summary)
7329 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
7330 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
7331 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
7334 @kindex M-r (Summary)
7335 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
7336 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
7337 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
7341 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
7342 This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
7343 match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
7344 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If given a prefix, search
7348 @kindex M-& (Summary)
7349 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
7350 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
7351 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
7354 @node Summary Generation Commands
7355 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
7360 @kindex Y g (Summary)
7361 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
7362 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
7365 @kindex Y c (Summary)
7366 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
7367 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
7368 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
7373 @node Really Various Summary Commands
7374 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
7379 @kindex C-d (Summary)
7380 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
7381 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
7382 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
7383 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
7384 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
7385 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
7386 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
7387 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
7391 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
7392 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
7393 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
7394 several documents into one biiig group
7395 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
7396 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
7397 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
7398 command understands the process/prefix convention
7399 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7402 @kindex C-t (Summary)
7403 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
7404 Toggle truncation of summary lines
7405 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
7406 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
7407 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
7411 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
7412 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
7413 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
7416 @kindex M-C-e (Summary)
7417 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
7418 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
7419 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
7424 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
7425 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
7426 @cindex summary exit
7427 @cindex exiting groups
7429 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
7430 group and return you to the group buffer.
7436 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
7438 @findex gnus-summary-exit
7439 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
7440 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
7441 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
7442 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
7443 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
7444 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
7445 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
7446 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
7447 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
7448 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
7452 @kindex Z E (Summary)
7454 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
7455 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
7456 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
7460 @kindex Z c (Summary)
7462 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
7463 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
7464 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
7465 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
7468 @kindex Z C (Summary)
7469 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
7470 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
7471 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
7474 @kindex Z n (Summary)
7475 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
7476 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
7477 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
7480 @kindex Z R (Summary)
7481 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
7482 Exit this group, and then enter it again
7483 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
7484 all articles, both read and unread.
7488 @kindex Z G (Summary)
7489 @kindex M-g (Summary)
7490 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
7491 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
7492 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
7493 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
7494 articles, both read and unread.
7497 @kindex Z N (Summary)
7498 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
7499 Exit the group and go to the next group
7500 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
7503 @kindex Z P (Summary)
7504 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
7505 Exit the group and go to the previous group
7506 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
7509 @kindex Z s (Summary)
7510 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
7511 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
7512 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
7513 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
7514 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
7517 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
7518 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current
7521 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
7522 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
7523 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
7524 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
7525 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
7526 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
7527 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
7528 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
7529 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
7530 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
7531 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
7532 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
7534 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
7536 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
7537 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
7538 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
7539 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
7540 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
7541 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
7542 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
7543 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
7544 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
7547 @node Crosspost Handling
7548 @section Crosspost Handling
7552 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
7553 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
7554 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
7555 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
7556 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
7557 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
7560 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
7561 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
7562 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
7563 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
7564 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
7566 @cindex cross-posting
7569 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
7570 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
7571 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
7572 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
7573 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
7574 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
7575 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
7576 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
7577 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
7578 the cross reference mechanism.
7580 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
7581 @cindex overview.fmt
7582 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
7583 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
7584 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
7585 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
7586 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
7587 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
7590 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
7591 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
7592 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
7597 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
7600 @node Duplicate Suppression
7601 @section Duplicate Suppression
7603 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
7604 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
7605 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
7606 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
7611 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
7612 is evil and not very common.
7615 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
7616 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
7619 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
7620 different @sc{nntp} servers.
7623 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
7626 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
7627 well, but these four are the most common situations.
7629 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
7630 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
7631 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
7632 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
7633 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
7634 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
7635 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
7638 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
7639 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
7640 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
7641 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
7642 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
7646 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
7647 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
7648 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
7650 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
7651 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
7652 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
7653 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
7654 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
7655 session are suppressed.
7657 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
7658 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
7659 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
7660 suppression list. The default is 10000.
7662 @item gnus-duplicate-file
7663 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
7664 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
7665 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
7668 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
7669 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
7670 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
7671 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
7672 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
7673 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
7674 to you to figure out, I think.
7677 @node The Article Buffer
7678 @chapter The Article Buffer
7679 @cindex article buffer
7681 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
7682 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
7683 tell Gnus otherwise.
7686 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
7687 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
7688 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
7689 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
7690 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
7694 @node Hiding Headers
7695 @section Hiding Headers
7696 @cindex hiding headers
7697 @cindex deleting headers
7699 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
7700 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
7702 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
7703 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
7704 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
7705 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
7706 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
7707 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
7708 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
7709 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
7710 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
7712 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
7716 @item gnus-visible-headers
7717 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
7718 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
7719 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
7720 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
7722 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
7723 the article and the subject, you'd say:
7726 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
7729 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
7732 @item gnus-ignored-headers
7733 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
7734 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
7735 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
7736 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
7737 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
7739 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
7740 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
7743 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
7746 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
7749 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
7750 variable will have no effect.
7754 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
7755 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
7756 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
7757 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
7758 the headers are to be displayed.
7760 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
7761 and then the subject, you might say something like:
7764 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
7767 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
7768 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
7770 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7771 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7772 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
7773 You can hide further boring headers by entering
7774 @code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers} into
7775 @code{gnus-article-display-hook}. What this function does depends on
7776 the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a list, but this
7777 list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is lists various
7778 @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove from sight.
7780 These conditions are:
7783 Remove all empty headers.
7785 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
7788 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
7789 @code{Newsgroups} header.
7791 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
7794 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
7797 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
7799 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
7802 To include the four first elements, you could say something like;
7805 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
7806 '(empty newsgroups followup-to reply-to))
7809 This is also the default value for this variable.
7813 @section Using @sc{mime}
7816 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
7817 while people stand around yawning.
7819 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
7820 while all newsreaders die of fear.
7822 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
7823 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
7824 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
7826 @vindex gnus-show-mime
7827 @vindex gnus-show-mime-method
7828 @vindex gnus-strict-mime
7829 @findex metamail-buffer
7830 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
7831 @code{gnus-show-mime-method}, which is @code{metamail-buffer} by
7832 default. This function calls the external @code{metamail} program to
7833 actually do the work. One common problem with this program is that is
7834 thinks that it can't display 8-bit things in the Emacs buffer. To tell
7835 it the truth, put something like the following in your
7836 @file{.bash_profile} file. (You do use @code{bash}, don't you?)
7839 export MM_CHARSET="iso-8859-1"
7842 For more information on @code{metamail}, see its manual page.
7844 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
7845 @sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
7846 non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
7847 @sc{mime} headers in the article. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime}
7848 set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article
7849 buffer. These can't be avoided.
7851 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the summary
7852 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
7853 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
7854 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
7855 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume
7856 button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you,
7857 and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the
7858 program to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly
7859 decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
7861 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
7864 @node Customizing Articles
7865 @section Customizing Articles
7866 @cindex article customization
7868 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7869 The @code{gnus-article-display-hook} is called after the article has
7870 been inserted into the article buffer. It is meant to handle all
7871 treatment of the article before it is displayed.
7873 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7874 By default this hook just contains @code{gnus-article-hide-headers},
7875 @code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}, and
7876 @code{gnus-article-maybe-highlight}, but there are thousands, nay
7877 millions, of functions you can put in this hook. For an overview of
7878 functions @pxref{Article Highlighting}, @pxref{Article Hiding},
7879 @pxref{Article Washing}, @pxref{Article Buttons} and @pxref{Article
7880 Date}. Note that the order of functions in this hook might affect
7881 things, so you may have to fiddle a bit to get the desired results.
7883 You can, of course, write your own functions. The functions are called
7884 from the article buffer, and you can do anything you like, pretty much.
7885 There is no information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can
7886 change everything. However, you shouldn't delete any headers. Instead
7887 make them invisible if you want to make them go away.
7890 @node Article Keymap
7891 @section Article Keymap
7893 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
7894 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
7895 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
7896 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
7899 A few additional keystrokes are available:
7904 @kindex SPACE (Article)
7905 @findex gnus-article-next-page
7906 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
7909 @kindex DEL (Article)
7910 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
7911 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
7914 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
7915 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
7916 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
7917 @kbd{r}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
7918 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
7921 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
7922 @findex gnus-article-mail
7923 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
7924 given a prefix, include the mail.
7928 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
7929 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
7930 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
7934 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
7935 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
7936 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
7939 @kindex TAB (Article)
7940 @findex gnus-article-next-button
7941 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
7942 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
7945 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
7946 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
7947 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
7953 @section Misc Article
7957 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
7958 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
7959 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
7960 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
7963 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
7964 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
7965 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
7966 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
7967 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
7968 the contents of the article buffer.
7970 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7971 @item gnus-article-display-hook
7972 This hook is called as the last thing when displaying an article, and is
7973 intended for modifying the contents of the buffer, doing highlights,
7974 hiding headers, and the like.
7976 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
7977 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
7978 Hook called in article mode buffers.
7980 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
7981 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
7982 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
7983 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
7985 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
7986 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
7987 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
7988 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
7989 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with one
7994 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
7995 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
7999 @vindex gnus-break-pages
8001 @item gnus-break-pages
8002 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
8003 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
8004 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
8005 paging will not be done.
8007 @item gnus-page-delimiter
8008 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
8009 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
8014 @node Composing Messages
8015 @chapter Composing Messages
8016 @cindex composing messages
8019 @cindex sending mail
8024 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
8025 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
8026 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the article
8027 by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The Message
8028 Manual}. If you are in a foreign news group, and you wish to post the
8029 article using the foreign server, you can give a prefix to @kbd{C-c C-c}
8030 to make Gnus try to post using the foreign server.
8033 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
8034 * Post:: Posting and following up.
8035 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
8036 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
8037 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
8038 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
8039 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
8042 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
8043 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
8049 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
8052 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
8053 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
8054 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
8055 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
8057 @item gnus-add-to-list
8058 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
8059 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
8060 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
8068 Variables for composing news articles:
8071 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
8072 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
8073 Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
8074 sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
8075 user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
8076 dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to send the
8077 same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
8078 history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
8079 this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want Gnus to keep a history
8082 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
8083 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
8084 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
8085 file. It is 1000 by default.
8090 @node Posting Server
8091 @section Posting Server
8093 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
8094 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
8096 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
8098 @vindex gnus-post-method
8100 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will use the same native
8101 server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
8102 reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
8103 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
8104 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
8107 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
8110 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
8111 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
8112 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
8113 the ``current'' server for posting.
8115 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
8116 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
8118 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
8119 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
8122 Finally, if you want to always post using the same select method as
8123 you're reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
8124 groups from different private servers), you can set this variable to
8129 @section Mail and Post
8131 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
8135 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
8136 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
8137 @cindex mailing lists
8139 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
8140 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
8141 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
8142 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
8143 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
8144 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
8145 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
8146 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
8147 still a pain, though.
8151 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
8152 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
8153 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
8156 @findex ispell-message
8158 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
8162 @node Archived Messages
8163 @section Archived Messages
8164 @cindex archived messages
8165 @cindex sent messages
8167 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
8168 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
8169 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
8170 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
8173 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
8174 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
8175 use to store sent messages. The default is:
8179 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
8180 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
8181 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
8182 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
8185 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
8186 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method
8187 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
8188 directory chosen, you could say something like:
8191 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
8192 '(nnfolder "archive"
8193 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
8194 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
8195 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
8198 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
8200 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
8201 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
8202 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
8204 This variable can be used to do the following:
8208 Messages will be saved in that group.
8209 @item a list of strings
8210 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
8211 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
8212 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
8214 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
8219 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
8221 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
8224 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
8226 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
8229 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
8231 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
8232 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
8233 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
8234 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
8239 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
8240 '((if (message-news-p)
8245 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
8246 messages in one file per month:
8249 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
8250 '((if (message-news-p)
8252 (concat "mail." (format-time-string
8253 "%Y-%m" (current-time))))))
8256 (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
8257 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
8259 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
8260 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
8261 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
8262 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
8263 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
8264 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
8265 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
8266 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
8267 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
8268 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
8270 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
8271 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
8272 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
8273 this will disable archiving.
8276 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
8277 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
8278 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
8279 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
8280 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
8283 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
8284 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
8285 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
8288 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
8289 but the latter is the preferred method.
8293 @c @node Posting Styles
8294 @c @section Posting Styles
8295 @c @cindex posting styles
8298 @c All them variables, they make my head swim.
8300 @c So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
8301 @c on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
8302 @c and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
8305 @c @vindex gnus-posting-styles
8306 @c One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
8307 @c variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
8308 @c came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
8309 @c a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
8314 @c (signature . "Peace and happiness")
8315 @c (organization . "What me?"))
8317 @c (signature . "Death to everybody"))
8318 @c ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
8319 @c (organization . "Emacs is it")))
8322 @c As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
8323 @c @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
8324 @c ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
8325 @c over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
8326 @c applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
8327 @c the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
8328 @c @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
8329 @c signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
8331 @c The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
8332 @c string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
8333 @c If it's a function symbol, that function will be called with no
8334 @c arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
8335 @c referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
8336 @c any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
8339 @c Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
8340 @c attribute consists of a @var{(name . value)} pair. The attribute name
8341 @c can be one of @code{signature}, @code{organization} or @code{from}. The
8342 @c attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
8343 @c a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
8346 @c The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function (the
8347 @c return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used) or a
8348 @c list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be used).
8350 @c So here's a new example:
8353 @c (setq gnus-posting-styles
8355 @c (signature . "~/.signature")
8356 @c (from . "user@@foo (user)")
8357 @c ("X-Home-Page" . (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
8358 @c (organization . "People's Front Against MWM"))
8360 @c (signature . my-funny-signature-randomizer))
8361 @c ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
8362 @c (signature . my-quote-randomizer))
8363 @c (posting-from-work-p
8364 @c (signature . "~/.work-signature")
8365 @c (from . "user@@bar.foo (user)")
8366 @c (organization . "Important Work, Inc"))
8368 @c (signature . "~/.mail-signature"))))
8375 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
8376 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
8377 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
8378 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
8379 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
8381 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
8382 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
8383 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
8384 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
8385 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
8389 @vindex nndraft-directory
8390 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
8391 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
8392 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
8393 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
8394 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
8395 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
8397 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
8398 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
8401 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
8402 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
8403 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
8404 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
8405 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
8406 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
8407 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
8408 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
8409 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
8410 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
8411 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
8412 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
8413 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
8414 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
8416 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
8417 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
8418 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
8420 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
8422 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
8423 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
8424 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
8426 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
8429 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
8430 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
8431 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
8432 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
8433 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
8434 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
8435 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
8438 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
8439 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
8440 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
8443 @node Rejected Articles
8444 @section Rejected Articles
8445 @cindex rejected articles
8447 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
8448 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
8449 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
8450 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
8452 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
8453 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
8454 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
8455 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
8456 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
8458 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
8459 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
8460 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
8463 @node Select Methods
8464 @chapter Select Methods
8465 @cindex foreign groups
8466 @cindex select methods
8468 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
8469 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
8470 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
8471 personal mail group.
8473 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
8474 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
8475 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
8476 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
8477 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
8478 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
8480 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
8481 we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
8483 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
8486 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
8487 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
8488 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
8489 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
8490 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
8492 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
8495 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
8496 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
8497 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
8498 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
8499 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
8500 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
8504 @node The Server Buffer
8505 @section The Server Buffer
8507 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
8508 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
8509 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
8510 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
8511 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
8512 backend represents a virtual server.
8514 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
8515 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
8516 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
8517 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
8519 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
8520 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
8521 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
8522 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
8523 Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
8524 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
8525 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
8527 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
8528 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
8531 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
8532 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
8533 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
8534 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
8535 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
8536 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
8537 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
8540 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
8541 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
8544 @node Server Buffer Format
8545 @subsection Server Buffer Format
8546 @cindex server buffer format
8548 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
8549 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
8550 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
8551 variable, with some simple extensions:
8556 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
8559 The name of this server.
8562 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
8565 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
8568 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
8569 The mode line can also be customized by using the
8570 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
8571 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
8581 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
8584 @node Server Commands
8585 @subsection Server Commands
8586 @cindex server commands
8592 @findex gnus-server-add-server
8593 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
8597 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
8598 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
8601 @kindex SPACE (Server)
8602 @findex gnus-server-read-server
8603 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
8607 @findex gnus-server-exit
8608 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
8612 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
8613 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
8617 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
8618 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
8622 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
8623 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
8627 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
8628 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
8632 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
8633 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
8634 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
8639 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
8640 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
8641 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
8642 a mail backend that has gotten out of synch.
8647 @node Example Methods
8648 @subsection Example Methods
8650 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
8653 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
8656 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
8662 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
8663 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
8666 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
8667 @var{(variable form)} pairs.
8669 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
8670 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
8674 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
8677 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
8678 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
8680 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
8681 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
8682 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
8686 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
8689 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
8692 Here's the method for a public spool:
8696 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
8697 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
8700 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
8701 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
8702 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
8703 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
8704 should probably look something like this:
8708 (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
8709 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
8710 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
8711 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
8712 ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
8715 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
8716 compressed connection over the modem line, you could create a virtual
8717 server that would look something like this:
8721 (nntp-address "copper.uio.no")
8722 (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh")
8723 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
8724 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
8725 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
8726 ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp")))
8729 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
8730 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
8731 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
8732 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
8735 @node Creating a Virtual Server
8736 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
8738 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
8739 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
8741 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
8742 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
8743 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
8745 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
8747 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
8748 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
8749 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
8750 will contain the following:
8760 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
8761 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
8762 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
8765 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
8766 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
8767 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
8770 @node Server Variables
8771 @subsection Server Variables
8773 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
8774 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
8775 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
8776 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
8777 won't change the "derived" variables.
8779 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
8780 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
8781 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
8782 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
8783 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
8784 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
8785 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
8786 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
8787 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
8791 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
8792 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
8793 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
8797 @node Servers and Methods
8798 @subsection Servers and Methods
8800 Wherever you would normally use a select method
8801 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
8802 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
8803 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
8807 @node Unavailable Servers
8808 @subsection Unavailable Servers
8810 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
8811 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
8812 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
8813 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
8814 actually the case or not.
8816 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
8817 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
8818 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
8819 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
8820 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
8821 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
8822 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
8823 it will regard that server as ``down''.
8825 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
8826 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
8828 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
8829 with the following commands:
8835 @findex gnus-server-open-server
8836 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
8837 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
8841 @findex gnus-server-close-server
8842 Close the connection (if any) to the server
8843 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
8847 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
8848 Mark the current server as unreachable
8849 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
8852 @kindex M-o (Server)
8853 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
8854 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
8855 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
8858 @kindex M-c (Server)
8859 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
8860 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
8861 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
8865 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
8866 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
8867 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
8873 @section Getting News
8874 @cindex reading news
8875 @cindex news backends
8877 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
8878 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
8879 or it can read from a local spool.
8882 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
8883 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
8888 @subsection @sc{nntp}
8891 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
8892 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
8893 server as the, uhm, address.
8895 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
8896 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
8897 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
8898 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
8900 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
8901 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
8902 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
8904 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
8909 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
8910 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
8911 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
8913 @cindex authentification
8914 @cindex nntp authentification
8915 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
8916 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
8917 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
8918 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
8919 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
8920 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
8921 present in this hook.
8923 @item nntp-authinfo-function
8924 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
8925 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
8926 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
8927 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
8928 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
8929 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
8930 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
8931 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
8932 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
8933 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
8934 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
8938 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
8941 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs. The
8942 valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password}, and
8943 @samp{force}. (The latter is not a valid @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp}
8944 token, which is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format deviates
8945 from the @file{.netrc} file format.)
8949 Here's an example file:
8952 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
8953 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
8956 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
8957 have to be first, for instance.
8959 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
8960 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
8961 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
8962 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
8963 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
8964 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
8965 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
8967 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
8969 @item nntp-server-action-alist
8970 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
8971 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
8972 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
8973 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
8976 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
8980 You probably don't want to do that, though.
8982 The default value is
8985 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
8986 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
8989 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
8990 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
8992 @item nntp-maximum-request
8993 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
8994 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
8995 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
8996 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
8997 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
8998 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
8999 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
9001 @c @item nntp-connection-timeout
9002 @c @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
9003 @c If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
9004 @c regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
9005 @c responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
9006 @c time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
9007 @c somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
9008 @c that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
9009 @c connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
9010 @c no timeouts are done.
9012 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
9013 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
9014 @c @cindex PPP connections
9015 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
9016 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
9017 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
9018 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
9019 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
9020 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
9021 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
9022 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
9023 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
9024 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
9026 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
9027 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
9028 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
9029 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
9032 @item nntp-server-hook
9033 @vindex nntp-server-hook
9034 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
9037 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
9038 @findex nntp-open-telnet
9039 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
9040 @item nntp-open-connection-function
9041 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
9042 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Four pre-made
9043 functions are supplied:
9046 @item nntp-open-network-stream
9047 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
9050 @item nntp-open-rlogin
9051 Does an @samp{rlogin} on the
9052 remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
9055 @code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
9059 @item nntp-rlogin-program
9060 @vindex nntp-rlogin-program
9061 Program used to log in on remote machines. The default is @samp{rsh},
9062 but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
9064 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
9065 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
9066 This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
9068 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
9069 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
9070 User name on the remote system.
9074 @item nntp-open-telnet
9075 Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
9076 to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
9078 @code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
9081 @item nntp-telnet-command
9082 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
9083 Command used to start @code{telnet}.
9085 @item nntp-telnet-switches
9086 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
9087 List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
9089 @item nntp-telnet-user-name
9090 @vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
9091 User name for log in on the remote system.
9093 @item nntp-telnet-passwd
9094 @vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
9095 Password to use when logging in.
9097 @item nntp-telnet-parameters
9098 @vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
9099 A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
9102 @item nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
9103 @vindex nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
9104 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the remote machine. The default is
9105 @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
9107 @item nntp-open-telnet-envuser
9108 @vindex nntp-open-telnet-envuser
9109 If non-@code{nil}, the @code{telnet} session (client and server both)
9110 will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for login name.
9111 This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
9115 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
9116 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
9117 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
9118 you must have SSLay installed
9119 (@file{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
9120 @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distributeion, for instance). You then
9121 define a server as follows:
9124 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
9126 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
9128 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
9129 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
9130 (nntp-port-number "snews")
9131 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
9136 @item nntp-end-of-line
9137 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
9138 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
9139 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
9140 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
9142 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
9143 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
9144 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
9148 @vindex nntp-address
9149 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
9151 @item nntp-port-number
9152 @vindex nntp-port-number
9153 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
9156 @item nntp-buggy-select
9157 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
9158 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
9160 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
9161 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
9162 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
9163 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
9166 @item nntp-xover-commands
9167 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
9170 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
9171 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
9175 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
9176 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
9177 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
9178 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
9179 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
9180 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
9181 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
9182 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
9183 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
9184 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
9185 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
9187 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
9188 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
9189 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
9191 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
9192 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
9193 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
9194 server closes connection.
9196 @item nntp-record-commands
9197 @vindex nntp-record-commands
9198 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
9199 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestep) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
9200 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
9201 that doesn't seem to work.
9207 @subsection News Spool
9211 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
9212 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
9213 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
9216 Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
9217 anything else) as the address.
9219 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
9220 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
9221 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
9222 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
9226 @item nnspool-inews-program
9227 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
9228 Program used to post an article.
9230 @item nnspool-inews-switches
9231 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
9232 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
9234 @item nnspool-spool-directory
9235 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
9236 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
9237 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
9239 @item nnspool-nov-directory
9240 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
9241 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
9242 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
9244 @item nnspool-lib-dir
9245 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
9246 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
9248 @item nnspool-active-file
9249 @vindex nnspool-active-file
9250 The path to the active file.
9252 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
9253 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
9254 The path to the group descriptions file.
9256 @item nnspool-history-file
9257 @vindex nnspool-history-file
9258 The path to the news history file.
9260 @item nnspool-active-times-file
9261 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
9262 The path to the active date file.
9264 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
9265 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
9266 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
9269 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
9270 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
9272 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
9273 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
9274 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
9280 @section Getting Mail
9281 @cindex reading mail
9284 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
9288 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
9289 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
9290 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
9291 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
9292 * Mail and Procmail:: Reading mail groups that procmail create.
9293 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
9294 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
9295 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
9296 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
9297 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
9298 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
9302 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
9303 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
9305 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
9306 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
9307 and things will happen automatically.
9309 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
9310 mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
9313 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
9314 '((nnml "private")))
9317 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
9318 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
9319 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
9320 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
9321 like any other group.
9323 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
9326 (setq nnmail-split-methods
9327 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
9328 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
9332 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
9333 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
9334 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
9337 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
9338 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
9339 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
9342 @node Splitting Mail
9343 @subsection Splitting Mail
9344 @cindex splitting mail
9345 @cindex mail splitting
9347 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
9348 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
9349 to be split into groups.
9352 (setq nnmail-split-methods
9353 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
9354 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
9358 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
9359 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
9360 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
9361 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
9362 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
9363 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
9364 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
9367 ("list.\\1" "From:.*\\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
9370 If the first element is the special symbol @code{junk}, then messages
9371 that match the regexp will disappear into the aether. Use with
9374 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
9375 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
9376 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
9377 mail belongs in that group.
9379 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
9380 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
9381 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
9382 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
9383 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
9384 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
9386 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
9387 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
9388 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
9389 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
9390 thinks should carry this mail message.
9392 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
9393 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
9394 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
9395 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
9397 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
9398 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
9399 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
9400 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
9401 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
9403 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
9406 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
9407 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
9408 links. If that's the case for you, set
9409 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
9410 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
9412 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
9413 @kindex nnmail-split-history
9414 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
9415 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command.
9417 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
9418 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
9419 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
9420 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
9421 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
9422 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
9423 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
9424 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
9428 @node Mail Backend Variables
9429 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
9431 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
9435 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
9436 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
9437 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
9438 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
9440 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
9441 @item nnmail-spool-file
9445 @vindex nnmail-pop-password
9446 @vindex nnmail-pop-password-required
9447 The backends will look for new mail in this file. If this variable is
9448 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
9449 themselves. If you are using a POP mail server and your name is
9450 @samp{larsi}, you should set this variable to @samp{po:larsi}. If
9451 your name is not @samp{larsi}, you should probably modify that
9452 slightly, but you may have guessed that already, you smart & handsome
9453 devil! You can also set this variable to @code{pop}, and Gnus will try
9454 to figure out the POP mail string by itself. In any case, Gnus will
9455 call @code{movemail} which will contact the POP server named in the
9456 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable. If the POP server needs a
9457 password, you can either set @code{nnmail-pop-password-required} to
9458 @code{t} and be prompted for the password, or set
9459 @code{nnmail-pop-password} to the password itself.
9461 @code{nnmail-spool-file} can also be a list of mailboxes.
9463 Your Emacs has to have been configured with @samp{--with-pop} before
9464 compilation. This is the default, but some installations have it
9467 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
9468 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
9469 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
9470 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
9471 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
9472 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
9474 @vindex nnmail-use-procmail
9475 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
9476 @item nnmail-use-procmail
9477 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will look in
9478 @code{nnmail-procmail-directory} for incoming mail. All the files in
9479 that directory that have names ending in @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix}
9480 will be considered incoming mailboxes, and will be searched for new
9483 @vindex nnmail-crash-box
9484 @item nnmail-crash-box
9485 When a mail backend reads a spool file, mail is first moved to this
9486 file, which is @file{~/.gnus-crash-box} by default. If this file
9487 already exists, it will always be read (and incorporated) before any
9490 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9491 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9492 This is run in a buffer that holds all the new incoming mail, and can be
9493 used for, well, anything, really.
9495 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
9496 @item nnmail-split-hook
9497 @findex article-decode-rfc1522
9498 @findex RFC1522 decoding
9499 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
9500 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
9501 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
9502 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
9503 in the buffer will show up in any files. @code{gnus-article-decode-rfc1522}
9504 is one likely function to add to this hook.
9506 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
9507 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
9508 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
9509 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
9510 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
9511 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
9512 starting to handle the new mail) and
9513 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
9514 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
9515 default file modes the new mail files get:
9518 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
9519 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
9521 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
9522 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
9525 @item nnmail-tmp-directory
9526 @vindex nnmail-tmp-directory
9527 This variable says where to move incoming mail to -- while processing
9528 it. This is usually done in the same directory that the mail backend
9529 inhabits (e.g., @file{~/Mail/}), but if this variable is non-@code{nil},
9530 it will be used instead.
9532 @item nnmail-movemail-program
9533 @vindex nnmail-movemail-program
9534 This program is executed to move mail from the user's inbox to her home
9535 directory. The default is @samp{movemail}.
9537 This can also be a function. In that case, the function will be called
9538 with two parameters -- the name of the inbox, and the file to be moved
9541 @item nnmail-delete-incoming
9542 @vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
9543 @cindex incoming mail files
9544 @cindex deleting incoming files
9545 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will delete the temporary incoming
9546 file after splitting mail into the proper groups. This is @code{t} by
9549 @c This is @code{nil} by
9550 @c default for reasons of security.
9552 @c Since Red Gnus is an alpha release, it is to be expected to lose mail.
9553 (No Gnus release since (ding) Gnus 0.10 (or something like that) have
9554 lost mail, I think, but that's not the point. (Except certain versions
9555 of Red Gnus.)) By not deleting the Incoming* files, one can be sure not
9556 to lose mail -- if Gnus totally whacks out, one can always recover what
9559 You may delete the @file{Incoming*} files at will.
9561 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
9562 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
9563 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
9564 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
9565 (assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
9566 @code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
9567 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
9569 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
9570 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
9572 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
9574 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
9575 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
9576 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
9577 the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
9578 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
9583 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
9584 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
9585 @cindex mail splitting
9586 @cindex fancy mail splitting
9588 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
9589 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
9590 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
9591 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
9592 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
9593 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
9595 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
9598 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
9599 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
9600 ;; from real errors.
9601 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
9603 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
9604 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
9605 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
9606 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
9607 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
9608 ;; Other mailing lists...
9609 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
9610 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
9612 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
9613 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
9617 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
9618 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
9619 the five possible split syntaxes:
9624 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name.
9627 @var{(FIELD VALUE SPLIT)}: If the split is a list, the first element of
9628 which is a string, then store the message as specified by SPLIT, if
9629 header FIELD (a regexp) contains VALUE (also a regexp).
9632 @var{(| SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
9633 @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each SPLIT until one of them
9634 matches. A SPLIT is said to match if it will cause the mail message to
9635 be stored in one or more groups.
9638 @var{(& SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
9639 @code{&}, then process all SPLITs in the list.
9642 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
9646 @var{(: function arg1 arg2 ...)}: If the split is a list, and the first
9647 element is @code{:}, then the second element will be called as a
9648 function with @var{args} given as arguments. The function should return
9653 In these splits, @var{FIELD} must match a complete field name.
9654 @var{VALUE} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
9655 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
9656 field names or words. In other words, all @var{VALUE}'s are wrapped in
9657 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
9659 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
9660 @var{FIELD} and @var{VALUE} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
9661 are expanded as specified by the variable
9662 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
9663 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
9666 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
9667 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
9668 when all this splitting is performed.
9670 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
9671 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
9672 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
9675 (any "debian-\\(\\w*\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
9678 @node Mail and Procmail
9679 @subsection Mail and Procmail
9684 Many people use @code{procmail} (or some other mail filter program or
9685 external delivery agent---@code{slocal}, @code{elm}, etc) to split
9686 incoming mail into groups. If you do that, you should set
9687 @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{procmail} to ensure that the mail
9688 backends never ever try to fetch mail by themselves.
9690 If you have a combined @code{procmail}/POP/mailbox setup, you can do
9691 something like the following:
9693 @vindex nnmail-use-procmail
9695 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
9696 (setq nnmail-spool-file
9697 '("/usr/spool/mail/my-name" "po:my-name"))
9700 This also means that you probably don't want to set
9701 @code{nnmail-split-methods} either, which has some, perhaps, unexpected
9704 When a mail backend is queried for what groups it carries, it replies
9705 with the contents of that variable, along with any groups it has figured
9706 out that it carries by other means. None of the backends, except
9707 @code{nnmh}, actually go out to the disk and check what groups actually
9708 exist. (It's not trivial to distinguish between what the user thinks is
9709 a basis for a newsgroup and what is just a plain old file or directory.)
9711 This means that you have to tell Gnus (and the backends) by hand what
9714 Let's take the @code{nnmh} backend as an example:
9716 The folders are located in @code{nnmh-directory}, say, @file{~/Mail/}.
9717 There are three folders, @file{foo}, @file{bar} and @file{mail.baz}.
9719 Go to the group buffer and type @kbd{G m}. When prompted, answer
9720 @samp{foo} for the name and @samp{nnmh} for the method. Repeat
9721 twice for the two other groups, @samp{bar} and @samp{mail.baz}. Be sure
9722 to include all your mail groups.
9724 That's it. You are now set to read your mail. An active file for this
9725 method will be created automatically.
9727 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
9728 @vindex nnmail-procmail-directory
9729 If you use @code{nnfolder} or any other backend that store more than a
9730 single article in each file, you should never have procmail add mails to
9731 the file that Gnus sees. Instead, procmail should put all incoming mail
9732 in @code{nnmail-procmail-directory}. To arrive at the file name to put
9733 the incoming mail in, append @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix} to the group
9734 name. The mail backends will read the mail from these files.
9736 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
9737 When Gnus reads a file called @file{mail.misc.spool}, this mail will be
9738 put in the @code{mail.misc}, as one would expect. However, if you want
9739 Gnus to split the mail the normal way, you could set
9740 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to @code{t}.
9742 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
9743 If you use @code{procmail} to split things directly into an @code{nnmh}
9744 directory (which you shouldn't do), you should set
9745 @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} to non-@code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
9746 ever expiring the final article (i.e., the article with the highest
9747 article number) in a mail newsgroup. This is quite, quite important.
9749 Here's an example setup: The incoming spools are located in
9750 @file{~/incoming/} and have @samp{""} as suffixes (i.e., the incoming
9751 spool files have the same names as the equivalent groups). The
9752 @code{nnfolder} backend is to be used as the mail interface, and the
9753 @code{nnfolder} directory is @file{~/fMail/}.
9756 (setq nnfolder-directory "~/fMail/")
9757 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
9758 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/incoming/")
9759 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnfolder "")))
9760 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "")
9764 @node Incorporating Old Mail
9765 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
9767 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
9768 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
9769 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
9772 Doing so can be quite easy.
9774 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
9775 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
9776 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
9777 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
9778 your @code{nnml} groups.
9784 Go to the group buffer.
9787 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
9788 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
9791 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
9794 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
9795 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
9798 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
9799 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
9802 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
9803 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
9804 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
9805 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
9806 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
9808 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
9809 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
9810 using the new mail backend.
9814 @subsection Expiring Mail
9815 @cindex article expiry
9817 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
9818 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
9819 different approach to mail reading.
9821 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
9822 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
9823 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
9824 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
9825 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
9826 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
9829 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
9830 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
9831 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
9832 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
9833 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
9834 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
9835 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
9836 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
9838 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
9839 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
9840 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
9841 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
9842 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
9843 column in the summary buffer.
9845 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
9846 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
9847 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
9848 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
9851 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
9853 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
9854 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
9855 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
9858 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
9859 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
9860 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
9861 groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
9862 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
9864 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
9865 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
9868 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
9869 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
9872 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
9873 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
9875 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
9876 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
9877 don't really mix very well.
9879 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
9880 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
9881 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
9882 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
9885 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
9886 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
9887 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
9888 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
9891 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
9893 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
9895 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
9897 ((string= group "mail.junk")
9899 ((string= group "important")
9905 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
9906 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
9908 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
9909 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
9910 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
9913 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
9914 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9916 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
9917 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
9918 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
9919 easier for procmail users.
9921 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
9922 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
9923 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
9924 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
9925 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
9926 caution. Even more dangerous is the
9927 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
9928 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
9929 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
9930 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
9931 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
9932 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
9933 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
9936 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
9940 @subsection Washing Mail
9941 @cindex mail washing
9942 @cindex list server brain damage
9943 @cindex incoming mail treatment
9945 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
9946 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC822 doesn't explicitly
9947 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
9948 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
9949 Yes, but RFC822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
9950 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
9952 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
9953 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
9954 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
9957 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
9958 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
9959 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
9960 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
9963 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9964 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9965 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
9966 grand, sweeping gestures. Functions to be used include:
9969 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
9970 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
9971 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
9972 Emacs running on MS machines.
9976 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
9977 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
9978 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
9979 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
9982 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
9983 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
9984 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
9985 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
9987 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
9988 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
9989 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
9990 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
9991 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
9992 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
9993 also be a list of regexp.
9995 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
9996 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
9999 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
10000 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
10003 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
10004 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
10005 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
10009 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
10010 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
10011 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
10015 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
10016 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
10017 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
10024 @subsection Duplicates
10026 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
10027 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
10028 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
10029 @cindex duplicate mails
10030 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
10031 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
10032 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
10033 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
10034 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
10035 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
10036 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
10037 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
10038 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
10039 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
10040 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
10041 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
10042 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
10044 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
10045 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
10046 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
10047 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
10049 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
10052 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
10053 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
10057 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
10058 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
10059 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
10060 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
10061 (any mail "mail.misc")
10068 (setq nnmail-split-methods
10069 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
10074 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
10075 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
10076 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
10077 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
10078 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
10081 @node Not Reading Mail
10082 @subsection Not Reading Mail
10084 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
10085 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
10086 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
10088 If you set @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{nil}, none of the backends
10089 will ever attempt to read incoming mail, which should help.
10091 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
10092 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
10093 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
10094 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
10095 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
10096 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
10097 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
10098 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
10099 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
10100 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
10101 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
10103 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
10104 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
10108 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
10109 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
10111 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
10112 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
10113 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
10116 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
10117 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
10118 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
10119 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
10120 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
10124 @node Unix Mail Box
10125 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
10127 @cindex unix mail box
10129 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
10130 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
10131 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
10132 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
10133 which group it belongs in.
10135 Virtual server settings:
10138 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
10139 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
10140 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
10142 @item nnmbox-active-file
10143 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
10144 The name of the active file for the mail box.
10146 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
10147 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
10148 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
10154 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
10158 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
10159 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
10160 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
10161 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail
10162 article to say which group it belongs in.
10164 Virtual server settings:
10167 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
10168 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
10169 The name of the rmail mbox file.
10171 @item nnbabyl-active-file
10172 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
10173 The name of the active file for the rmail box.
10175 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
10176 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
10177 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
10182 @subsubsection Mail Spool
10184 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
10186 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
10187 format. It should be used with some caution.
10189 @vindex nnml-directory
10190 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
10191 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
10192 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
10193 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
10195 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
10198 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
10199 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
10200 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
10201 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
10202 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
10203 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
10204 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
10205 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
10207 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
10208 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
10209 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
10210 backend when it comes to reading mail.
10212 Virtual server settings:
10215 @item nnml-directory
10216 @vindex nnml-directory
10217 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
10219 @item nnml-active-file
10220 @vindex nnml-active-file
10221 The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
10223 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
10224 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
10225 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
10228 @item nnml-get-new-mail
10229 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
10230 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
10232 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
10233 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
10234 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
10236 @item nnml-nov-file-name
10237 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
10238 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
10240 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
10241 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
10242 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
10246 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
10247 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
10248 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
10249 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
10250 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
10251 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
10252 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
10257 @subsubsection MH Spool
10259 @cindex mh-e mail spool
10261 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
10262 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
10263 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
10264 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
10266 Virtual server settings:
10269 @item nnmh-directory
10270 @vindex nnmh-directory
10271 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
10273 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
10274 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
10275 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
10278 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
10279 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
10280 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
10281 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
10282 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
10283 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
10284 to set this variable to @code{t}.
10289 @subsubsection Mail Folders
10291 @cindex mbox folders
10292 @cindex mail folders
10294 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
10295 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
10296 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
10299 Virtual server settings:
10302 @item nnfolder-directory
10303 @vindex nnfolder-directory
10304 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
10306 @item nnfolder-active-file
10307 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
10308 The name of the active file.
10310 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
10311 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
10312 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
10314 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
10315 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
10316 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
10319 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
10320 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
10321 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
10322 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
10323 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
10324 @code{nnfolder-directory}.
10327 @node Other Sources
10328 @section Other Sources
10330 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
10331 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
10335 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
10336 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
10337 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
10338 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{SOUP} packets ``offline''.
10339 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
10340 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
10344 @node Directory Groups
10345 @subsection Directory Groups
10347 @cindex directory groups
10349 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
10350 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
10353 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
10354 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
10355 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
10356 backend to read directories. Big deal.
10358 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
10359 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
10360 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
10361 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
10362 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
10364 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
10366 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
10367 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
10368 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
10369 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
10372 @node Anything Groups
10373 @subsection Anything Groups
10376 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
10377 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
10378 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
10381 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
10382 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
10383 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
10384 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're
10385 forgetting. @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it
10386 snoops each file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e.,
10387 the first few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head.
10388 If this is just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source
10389 file), @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It
10390 will use file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
10393 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
10394 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
10395 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
10396 in the article buffer, just as usual.
10398 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
10399 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
10400 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
10401 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
10403 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
10404 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
10405 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
10406 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
10407 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
10408 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
10409 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
10410 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
10415 @item nneething-map-file-directory
10416 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
10417 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
10418 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
10420 @item nneething-exclude-files
10421 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
10422 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
10423 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
10425 @item nneething-map-file
10426 @vindex nneething-map-file
10427 Name of the map files.
10431 @node Document Groups
10432 @subsection Document Groups
10434 @cindex documentation group
10437 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
10438 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
10445 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
10450 The standard Unix mbox file.
10452 @cindex MMDF mail box
10454 The MMDF mail box format.
10457 Several news articles appended into a file.
10460 @cindex rnews batch files
10461 The rnews batch transport format.
10462 @cindex forwarded messages
10465 Forwarded articles.
10469 @cindex MIME digest
10470 @cindex 1153 digest
10471 @cindex RFC 1153 digest
10472 @cindex RFC 341 digest
10473 MIME (RFC 1341) digest format.
10475 @item standard-digest
10476 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
10479 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
10482 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
10483 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
10484 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
10487 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
10488 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
10489 group. And that's it.
10491 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
10492 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
10493 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
10494 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
10495 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
10496 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
10497 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
10498 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
10499 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
10500 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
10502 Virtual server variables:
10505 @item nndoc-article-type
10506 @vindex nndoc-article-type
10507 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
10508 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
10509 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-digest}, @code{standard-digest},
10510 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs} or @code{guess}.
10512 @item nndoc-post-type
10513 @vindex nndoc-post-type
10514 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
10515 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
10520 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
10524 @node Document Server Internals
10525 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
10527 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
10528 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
10529 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
10530 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
10532 First, here's an example document type definition:
10536 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
10537 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
10540 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
10541 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
10542 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
10543 types can be defined with very few settings:
10546 @item first-article
10547 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
10548 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
10551 @item article-begin
10552 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
10553 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
10555 @item head-begin-function
10556 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
10559 @item nndoc-head-begin
10560 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
10563 @item nndoc-head-end
10564 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
10565 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
10567 @item body-begin-function
10568 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
10572 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
10575 @item body-end-function
10576 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
10580 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
10583 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
10584 regexp will be totally ignored.
10588 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
10589 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
10590 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
10591 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
10592 something that's palatable for Gnus:
10595 @item prepare-body-function
10596 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
10597 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
10598 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
10600 @item article-transform-function
10601 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
10602 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
10603 body of the article.
10605 @item generate-head-function
10606 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
10607 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
10608 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
10609 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
10613 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
10618 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
10619 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
10620 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
10621 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
10622 (head-end . "^ ?$")
10623 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
10624 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
10625 (subtype digest guess))
10628 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
10629 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
10630 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
10631 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
10632 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
10634 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
10635 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
10636 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
10637 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
10638 traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
10639 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
10640 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
10641 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
10642 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
10643 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
10651 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
10652 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
10653 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
10655 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
10656 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
10657 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
10660 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something a that's a bit
10661 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
10662 that interested in doing things properly.
10664 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
10665 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
10668 First some terminology:
10673 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
10674 get news and/or mail from.
10677 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
10678 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
10681 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
10685 @item message packets
10686 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
10687 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
10688 default, where @var{X} is a number.
10690 @item response packets
10691 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
10692 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
10693 default, where @var{X} is a number.
10703 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
10704 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
10705 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
10706 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
10709 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
10712 You put the packet in your home directory.
10715 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
10716 the native or secondary server.
10719 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
10720 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
10723 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
10727 You transfer this packet to the server.
10730 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
10733 You then repeat until you die.
10737 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
10738 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
10741 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
10742 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
10743 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
10747 @node SOUP Commands
10748 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
10750 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
10754 @kindex G s b (Group)
10755 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
10756 Pack all unread articles in the current group
10757 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
10758 process/prefix convention.
10761 @kindex G s w (Group)
10762 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
10763 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
10766 @kindex G s s (Group)
10767 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
10768 Send all replies from the replies packet
10769 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
10772 @kindex G s p (Group)
10773 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
10774 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
10777 @kindex G s r (Group)
10778 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
10779 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
10782 @kindex O s (Summary)
10783 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
10784 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
10785 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
10786 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10791 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
10796 @item gnus-soup-directory
10797 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
10798 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
10799 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
10801 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
10802 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
10803 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
10804 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
10806 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
10807 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
10808 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
10809 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
10811 @item gnus-soup-packer
10812 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
10813 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
10814 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
10816 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
10817 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
10818 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
10819 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
10821 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
10822 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
10823 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
10825 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
10826 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
10827 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
10828 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
10834 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
10837 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
10838 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
10839 you can read them at leisure.
10841 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
10845 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
10846 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
10847 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
10848 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
10850 @item nnsoup-directory
10851 @vindex nnsoup-directory
10852 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
10853 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
10855 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
10856 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
10857 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
10858 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
10860 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
10861 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
10862 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
10863 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
10864 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
10866 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
10867 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
10868 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
10869 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
10871 @item nnsoup-active-file
10872 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
10873 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
10874 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
10875 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
10876 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
10878 @item nnsoup-packer
10879 @vindex nnsoup-packer
10880 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
10881 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
10883 @item nnsoup-unpacker
10884 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
10885 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
10886 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
10888 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
10889 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
10890 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
10893 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
10894 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
10895 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
10898 @item nnsoup-always-save
10899 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
10900 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
10906 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
10908 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
10909 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
10910 more for that to happen.
10912 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
10913 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
10914 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
10917 In specific, this is what it does:
10920 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
10921 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
10924 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
10925 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
10926 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
10930 @subsection Web Searches
10934 @cindex InReference
10935 @cindex Usenet searches
10936 @cindex searching the Usenet
10938 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
10939 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
10940 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
10941 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
10942 searches without having to use a browser.
10944 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
10945 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
10946 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
10947 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
10948 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
10950 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
10951 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
10952 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
10953 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
10954 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
10955 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
10956 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
10957 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
10958 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
10959 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
10962 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
10963 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
10964 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
10965 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
10966 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
10967 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
10969 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
10970 to use @code{nnweb}.
10972 Virtual server variables:
10977 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
10978 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
10982 @vindex nnweb-search
10983 The search string to feed to the search engine.
10985 @item nnweb-max-hits
10986 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
10987 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
10990 @item nnweb-type-definition
10991 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
10992 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
10993 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
10998 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
11002 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
11005 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
11008 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
11012 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
11019 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
11020 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
11021 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
11024 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
11025 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
11026 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
11028 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
11034 @item nngateway-address
11035 @vindex nngateway-address
11036 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
11038 @item nngateway-header-transformation
11039 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
11040 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
11041 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
11042 transformation should be called, and defaults to
11043 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
11044 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
11047 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
11048 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
11049 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
11052 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
11055 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
11058 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
11061 The following pre-defined functions exist:
11063 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
11066 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
11067 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
11068 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
11070 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
11072 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
11073 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
11074 @code{nngateway-address}.
11079 (setq gnus-post-method
11080 '(nngateway "mail2news@replay.com"
11081 (nngateway-header-transformation
11082 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
11090 So, to use this, simply say something like:
11093 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
11097 @node Combined Groups
11098 @section Combined Groups
11100 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
11104 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
11105 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
11109 @node Virtual Groups
11110 @subsection Virtual Groups
11112 @cindex virtual groups
11114 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
11117 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
11118 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
11119 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
11121 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
11122 regexp to match component groups.
11124 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
11125 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
11126 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
11127 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
11128 the virtual group.)
11130 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
11131 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
11134 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
11137 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
11138 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
11140 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
11141 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
11142 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
11143 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
11146 "^nntp\\+some\\.server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+some\\.server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
11149 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
11150 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
11151 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
11153 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
11154 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
11155 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
11156 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
11157 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
11159 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
11160 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
11161 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
11163 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
11164 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
11165 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
11166 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
11167 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
11168 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
11169 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
11170 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
11171 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
11172 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
11173 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
11176 @node Kibozed Groups
11177 @subsection Kibozed Groups
11181 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
11182 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
11183 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
11184 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
11186 @kindex G k (Group)
11187 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
11190 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
11191 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
11192 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
11193 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
11195 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
11196 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
11197 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
11199 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
11200 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
11201 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
11202 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
11203 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
11204 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
11205 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
11206 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
11208 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
11209 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
11210 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
11211 Stranger things have happened.
11213 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
11214 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
11216 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
11217 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
11218 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
11219 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
11220 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
11221 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
11223 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
11224 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
11227 @node Gnus Unplugged
11228 @section Gnus Unplugged
11233 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
11235 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
11236 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
11237 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
11238 read news. Believe it or not.
11240 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
11241 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
11242 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
11243 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
11244 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
11246 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
11247 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
11248 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
11249 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
11250 reading news on a machine.
11252 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
11256 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
11257 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
11261 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
11262 @file{.gnus.el} file:
11269 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
11271 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
11274 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
11275 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
11276 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
11277 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
11278 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
11279 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
11280 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
11281 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
11286 @subsection Agent Basics
11288 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
11290 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
11291 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
11292 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
11293 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
11295 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
11296 connected to the net continuously.
11298 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
11299 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
11301 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
11306 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
11307 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
11308 already fetched while in this mode.
11311 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
11312 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
11313 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged}.
11316 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
11317 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{J
11318 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
11319 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
11322 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
11323 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
11324 then you read the news offline.
11327 And then you go to step 2.
11330 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
11336 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
11337 backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
11338 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
11339 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
11340 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
11341 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
11344 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}
11351 @node Agent Categories
11352 @subsection Agent Categories
11354 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
11355 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
11356 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
11357 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
11358 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
11359 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
11360 you're interested in the articles anyway.
11362 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
11363 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
11364 Gnus has its own buffer for creating and managing categories.
11367 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
11368 * The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
11369 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
11373 @node Category Syntax
11374 @subsubsection Category Syntax
11376 A category consists of two things.
11380 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
11381 are eligible for downloading; and
11384 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
11385 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
11386 score} is wholly unrelated to normal scores.)
11389 A predicate consists of predicates with logical operators sprinkled in
11392 Perhaps some examples are in order.
11394 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
11395 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
11401 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
11402 short (for some value of ``short'').
11404 Here's a more complex predicate:
11413 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
11414 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
11417 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
11418 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
11419 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
11421 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
11422 you want to do, you can write your own.
11426 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
11427 lines; default 100.
11430 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
11431 lines; default 200.
11434 True iff the article has a download score less than
11435 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
11438 True iff the article has a download score greater than
11439 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
11442 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
11443 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
11444 checksum and sees whether articles match.
11453 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
11454 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
11455 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
11458 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
11459 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
11460 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
11461 following headers can be scored on: @code{From}, @code{Subject},
11462 @code{Date}, @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars}, @code{Message-ID},
11463 and @code{References}.
11466 @node The Category Buffer
11467 @subsubsection The Category Buffer
11469 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
11470 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
11471 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
11473 The following commands are available in this buffer:
11477 @kindex q (Category)
11478 @findex gnus-category-exit
11479 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
11482 @kindex k (Category)
11483 @findex gnus-category-kill
11484 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
11487 @kindex c (Category)
11488 @findex gnus-category-copy
11489 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
11492 @kindex a (Category)
11493 @findex gnus-category-add
11494 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
11497 @kindex p (Category)
11498 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
11499 Edit the predicate of the current category
11500 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
11503 @kindex g (Category)
11504 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
11505 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
11506 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
11509 @kindex s (Category)
11510 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
11511 Edit the download score rule of the current category
11512 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
11515 @kindex l (Category)
11516 @findex gnus-category-list
11517 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
11521 @node Category Variables
11522 @subsubsection Category Variables
11525 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
11526 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
11527 Hook run in category buffers.
11529 @item gnus-category-line-format
11530 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
11531 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
11532 Variables}). Legal elements are:
11536 The name of the category.
11539 The number of groups in the category.
11542 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
11543 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
11544 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
11546 @item gnus-agent-short-article
11547 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
11548 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
11550 @item gnus-agent-long-article
11551 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
11552 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
11554 @item gnus-agent-low-score
11555 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
11556 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
11559 @item gnus-agent-high-score
11560 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
11561 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
11567 @node Agent Commands
11568 @subsection Agent Commands
11570 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
11571 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
11572 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
11576 * Group Agent Commands::
11577 * Summary Agent Commands::
11578 * Server Agent Commands::
11581 You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
11582 following incantation:
11584 @cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
11586 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
11591 @node Group Agent Commands
11592 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
11596 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
11597 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
11598 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
11599 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
11602 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
11603 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
11604 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
11607 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
11608 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
11609 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
11610 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
11613 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
11614 @findex gnus-group-send-drafts
11615 Send all sendable messages in the draft group
11616 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}). @xref{Drafts}
11619 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
11620 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
11621 Add the current group to an Agent category
11622 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}).
11627 @node Summary Agent Commands
11628 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
11632 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
11633 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
11634 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
11637 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
11638 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
11639 Remove the downloading mark from the article
11640 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
11643 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
11644 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
11645 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
11648 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
11649 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
11650 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
11655 @node Server Agent Commands
11656 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
11660 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
11661 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
11662 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
11663 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
11666 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
11667 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
11668 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
11669 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
11675 @subsection Agent Expiry
11677 @vindex gnus-agent-expiry-days
11678 @findex gnus-agent-expiry
11679 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expiry
11680 @cindex Agent expiry
11681 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
11684 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
11685 @code{gnus-agent-expiry} command that will expire all read articles that
11686 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expiry-days} days. It can be run
11687 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
11688 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
11689 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
11691 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
11692 if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
11693 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
11694 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
11695 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
11698 @node Outgoing Messages
11699 @subsection Outgoing Messages
11701 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
11702 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
11703 after posting, and edit them at will.
11705 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
11706 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
11707 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
11708 messages in the draft group.
11712 @node Agent Variables
11713 @subsection Agent Variables
11716 @item gnus-agent-directory
11717 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
11718 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
11719 @file{~/News/agent/}.
11721 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
11722 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
11723 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
11724 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
11725 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
11728 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
11729 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
11730 Hook run when connecting to the network.
11732 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
11733 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
11734 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
11739 @node Example Setup
11740 @subsection Example Setup
11742 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
11743 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
11744 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
11747 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over NNTP
11748 ;;; from your ISP's server.
11749 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "nntp.your-isp.com"))
11751 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
11752 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
11753 (setenv "MAILHOST" "pop.your-isp.com")
11754 (setq nnmail-spool-file "po:username")
11756 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
11757 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
11759 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
11763 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
11764 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
11767 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
11768 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
11769 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
11770 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
11771 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
11774 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
11775 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
11776 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
11777 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
11778 back all the killed groups.)
11780 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
11781 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
11782 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
11785 @node Batching Agents
11786 @subsection Batching Agents
11788 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
11789 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
11790 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
11794 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
11803 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
11804 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
11805 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
11808 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
11809 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
11810 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
11811 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
11812 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
11814 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
11815 before generating the summary buffer.
11817 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
11818 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
11819 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
11821 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
11822 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
11823 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
11824 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
11827 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
11828 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
11829 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
11830 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
11831 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
11832 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
11833 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
11834 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
11835 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
11836 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
11837 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
11838 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
11839 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
11840 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
11841 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
11842 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
11846 @node Summary Score Commands
11847 @section Summary Score Commands
11848 @cindex score commands
11850 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
11851 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
11852 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
11853 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
11854 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
11856 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
11857 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
11858 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
11859 score file the current one.
11861 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
11866 @kindex V s (Summary)
11867 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
11868 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
11871 @kindex V S (Summary)
11872 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
11873 Display the score of the current article
11874 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
11877 @kindex V t (Summary)
11878 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
11879 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
11880 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
11883 @kindex V R (Summary)
11884 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
11885 Run the current summary through the scoring process
11886 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
11887 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
11888 effect you're having.
11891 @kindex V c (Summary)
11892 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
11893 Make a different score file the current
11894 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
11897 @kindex V e (Summary)
11898 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
11899 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
11900 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
11904 @kindex V f (Summary)
11905 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
11906 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
11907 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
11910 @kindex V F (Summary)
11911 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
11912 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
11913 after editing score files.
11916 @kindex V C (Summary)
11917 @findex gnus-score-customize
11918 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
11919 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
11923 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
11928 @kindex V m (Summary)
11929 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
11930 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
11931 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
11934 @kindex V x (Summary)
11935 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
11936 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
11937 expunge all articles below this score
11938 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
11941 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
11942 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
11945 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
11946 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
11950 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
11951 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
11953 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
11954 keys are available:
11958 Score on the author name.
11961 Score on the subject line.
11964 Score on the Xref line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
11967 Score on thread---the References line.
11973 Score on the number of lines.
11976 Score on the Message-ID.
11979 Score on followups.
11989 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
11990 what headers you are scoring on.
12002 Substring matching.
12005 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
12034 Greater than number.
12039 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
12040 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
12041 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
12045 Temporary score entry.
12048 Permanent score entry.
12051 Immediately scoring.
12056 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
12057 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
12058 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
12059 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
12061 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
12062 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
12063 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
12064 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
12065 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
12067 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
12068 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
12069 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
12070 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
12071 current score file.
12073 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
12074 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
12075 pretend they are keymaps or not.
12078 @node Group Score Commands
12079 @section Group Score Commands
12080 @cindex group score commands
12082 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
12087 @kindex W f (Group)
12088 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
12089 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
12090 all the time. This command will flush the cache
12091 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
12095 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
12097 @findex gnus-batch-score
12098 @cindex batch scoring
12100 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l gnus -f gnus-batch-score
12104 @node Score Variables
12105 @section Score Variables
12106 @cindex score variables
12110 @item gnus-use-scoring
12111 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
12112 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
12113 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
12115 @item gnus-kill-killed
12116 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
12117 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
12118 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
12119 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
12120 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
12121 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
12122 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
12124 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
12125 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
12126 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
12127 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
12128 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
12130 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
12131 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
12132 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
12133 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
12135 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
12136 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
12137 @cindex score cache
12138 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
12139 score files. However, if this might make you Emacs grow big and
12140 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
12141 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
12142 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
12143 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
12146 @item gnus-save-score
12147 @vindex gnus-save-score
12148 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
12149 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
12150 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
12152 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
12153 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
12154 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
12155 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
12156 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
12157 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
12158 manually entered data.
12160 @item gnus-summary-default-score
12161 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
12162 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
12164 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
12165 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
12166 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
12167 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
12168 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
12169 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
12171 @item gnus-score-over-mark
12172 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
12173 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
12174 default. Default is @samp{+}.
12176 @item gnus-score-below-mark
12177 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
12178 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
12179 default. Default is @samp{-}.
12181 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
12182 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
12183 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
12184 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
12186 Predefined functions available are:
12189 @item gnus-score-find-single
12190 @findex gnus-score-find-single
12191 Only apply the group's own score file.
12193 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
12194 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
12195 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
12196 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
12197 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
12198 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
12199 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
12200 then a regexp match is done.
12202 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
12203 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
12205 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
12206 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
12207 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
12208 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
12210 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
12211 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
12212 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
12213 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
12214 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE}.
12217 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
12218 functions will be called, and all the returned lists of score files will
12219 be applied. These functions can also return lists of score alists
12220 directly. In that case, the functions that return these non-file score
12221 alists should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file
12222 functions, to ensure that the last score file returned is the local
12225 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
12226 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
12227 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
12228 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
12229 are expired. It's 7 by default.
12231 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
12232 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
12233 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
12234 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
12235 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
12236 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
12237 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
12240 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
12241 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
12242 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
12244 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
12245 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
12246 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
12247 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
12248 threading---according to the current value of
12249 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
12250 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
12251 simplified in this manner.
12256 @node Score File Format
12257 @section Score File Format
12258 @cindex score file format
12260 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
12261 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
12262 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
12264 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
12268 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
12270 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
12272 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
12274 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
12279 (mark-and-expunge -10)
12283 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
12284 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
12285 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
12286 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
12290 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
12291 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
12293 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
12294 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
12295 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
12297 Six keys are supported by this alist:
12302 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
12303 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
12304 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
12305 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
12306 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
12307 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
12308 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
12309 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
12310 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
12311 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
12312 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
12313 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
12314 to articles that matches these score entries.
12316 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
12317 score entry has one to four elements.
12321 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
12322 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
12326 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
12327 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
12328 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
12329 is successful. If this element is not present, the
12330 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
12331 instead. This is 1000 by default.
12334 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
12335 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
12336 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
12337 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
12338 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
12341 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
12342 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
12343 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
12344 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
12347 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
12348 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
12349 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
12350 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
12351 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
12352 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
12353 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
12354 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
12355 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
12356 instead, if you feel like.
12359 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
12360 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
12362 These predicates are true if
12365 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
12368 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
12369 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
12376 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
12377 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
12378 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
12379 it's not. I think.)
12381 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like
12382 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
12383 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
12384 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
12387 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
12388 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
12389 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
12390 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
12391 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
12392 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
12393 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
12397 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
12398 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
12399 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
12400 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
12401 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
12402 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
12403 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
12404 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
12407 @item Head, Body, All
12408 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
12412 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
12413 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
12414 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
12415 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
12416 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
12417 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
12418 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
12422 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
12423 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{X}, then you add a
12424 @samp{thread} match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each
12425 article that has @var{X} in its @code{References} header. (These new
12426 @samp{thread} matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching
12427 articles.) This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an
12428 entire thread, even though some articles in the thread may not have
12429 complete @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
12430 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
12431 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
12435 @cindex Score File Atoms
12437 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
12438 lower than this number will be marked as read.
12441 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
12442 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
12444 @item mark-and-expunge
12445 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
12446 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
12449 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
12450 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
12451 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
12452 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
12453 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
12456 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
12457 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
12460 @item exclude-files
12461 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
12462 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
12466 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
12467 ignored when handling global score files.
12470 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
12471 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
12472 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
12473 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
12476 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
12477 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
12478 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
12479 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
12481 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
12485 (mark-and-expunge -100)
12488 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
12489 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
12490 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
12491 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
12492 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
12494 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
12495 exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
12496 ordinary scoring rules.
12499 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
12500 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
12501 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
12502 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
12503 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
12504 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
12505 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
12506 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
12507 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
12508 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
12509 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
12513 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
12514 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
12515 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
12516 file for a number of groups.
12519 @cindex local variables
12520 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
12521 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
12522 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
12523 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
12524 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
12528 @node Score File Editing
12529 @section Score File Editing
12531 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
12532 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
12533 with a mode for that.
12535 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
12536 additional commands:
12541 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
12542 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
12543 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
12544 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
12547 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
12548 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
12549 Insert the current date in numerical format
12550 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
12551 you were wondering.
12554 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
12555 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
12556 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
12557 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
12558 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
12563 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
12565 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
12566 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
12568 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
12569 e} to begin editing score files.
12572 @node Adaptive Scoring
12573 @section Adaptive Scoring
12574 @cindex adaptive scoring
12576 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
12577 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
12578 stupidity, to be precise.
12580 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
12581 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
12582 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
12583 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
12584 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
12585 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
12586 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
12587 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
12588 variable to @code{(word line)}.
12590 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
12591 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
12592 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
12593 might look something like this:
12596 (defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
12597 '((gnus-unread-mark)
12598 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
12599 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
12600 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
12601 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
12602 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
12603 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
12604 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
12605 (gnus-ancient-mark)
12606 (gnus-low-score-mark)
12607 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
12610 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
12611 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
12612 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
12613 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
12614 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
12615 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
12618 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
12619 will be applied to each article.
12621 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
12622 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
12623 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
12624 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
12626 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
12627 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
12628 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
12629 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
12631 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
12632 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
12633 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
12634 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
12636 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
12637 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
12638 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
12639 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
12640 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
12641 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
12643 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
12644 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
12645 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
12646 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
12647 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
12648 aspirins afterwards.)
12650 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
12651 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
12652 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
12654 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
12655 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
12656 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
12658 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
12659 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
12660 let you use different rules in different groups.
12662 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
12663 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
12664 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
12667 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
12668 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
12669 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
12670 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
12671 the length of the match is less than
12672 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
12673 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
12676 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
12677 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
12678 headers. If you adapt on words, the
12679 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
12680 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
12683 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
12684 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
12685 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
12686 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
12687 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
12690 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
12691 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
12692 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
12693 score with 30 points.
12695 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
12696 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
12697 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
12698 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
12699 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
12701 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
12702 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
12703 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
12704 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
12706 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
12707 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
12708 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
12709 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
12711 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
12712 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
12713 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
12715 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
12716 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
12717 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
12718 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
12721 @node Home Score File
12722 @section Home Score File
12724 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
12725 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
12726 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
12727 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
12729 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
12730 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
12731 could perhaps use the same home score file.
12733 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
12734 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
12739 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
12743 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
12744 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
12748 A list. The elements in this list can be:
12752 @var{(regexp file-name)}. If the @var{regexp} matches the group name,
12753 the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
12756 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
12757 the home score file.
12760 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
12763 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
12768 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
12771 (setq gnus-home-score-file
12772 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
12775 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
12776 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
12779 (setq gnus-home-score-file
12780 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
12783 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
12785 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
12786 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
12787 their own home score files:
12790 (setq gnus-home-score-file
12791 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
12792 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
12793 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
12794 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
12797 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
12798 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
12799 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
12800 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
12801 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
12803 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
12804 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
12805 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
12806 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
12807 precedence over this variable.
12810 @node Followups To Yourself
12811 @section Followups To Yourself
12813 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
12814 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
12815 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
12816 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
12817 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
12818 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
12822 @item gnus-score-followup-article
12823 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
12824 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
12827 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
12828 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
12829 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
12833 @vindex message-sent-hook
12834 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
12835 @code{message-sent-hook}.
12837 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
12838 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
12842 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
12843 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
12846 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
12847 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
12852 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore.no>"
12856 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
12857 is system-dependent.
12861 @section Scoring Tips
12862 @cindex scoring tips
12868 @cindex scoring crossposts
12869 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
12870 the @code{Xref} header.
12872 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
12875 @item Multiple crossposts
12876 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
12877 more than, say, 3 groups:
12879 ("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
12882 @item Matching on the body
12883 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
12884 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
12885 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
12886 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
12887 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
12888 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
12889 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
12892 @item Marking as read
12893 You will probably want to mark articles that has a score below a certain
12894 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
12895 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
12899 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
12901 @item Negated character classes
12902 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
12903 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
12904 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
12908 @node Reverse Scoring
12909 @section Reverse Scoring
12910 @cindex reverse scoring
12912 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
12913 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
12914 like this in your score file:
12918 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
12923 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
12924 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
12927 @node Global Score Files
12928 @section Global Score Files
12929 @cindex global score files
12931 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
12932 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
12933 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
12935 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
12936 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
12937 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
12939 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
12940 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
12941 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
12942 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
12943 files are applicable to which group.
12945 Say you want to use the score file
12946 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
12947 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
12950 (setq gnus-global-score-files
12951 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
12952 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
12955 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
12956 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
12957 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
12958 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
12959 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
12961 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
12962 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
12964 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
12965 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
12966 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
12967 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
12968 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
12969 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
12971 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
12977 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
12979 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
12981 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
12983 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
12984 lowered out of existence.
12986 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
12987 articles completely.
12990 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
12991 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
12992 old articles for a long time.
12995 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
12996 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
12997 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
12998 holding our breath yet?
13002 @section Kill Files
13005 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
13006 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
13007 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
13009 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
13010 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
13011 files into score files.
13013 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
13014 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
13015 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
13016 that isn't a very good idea.
13018 Normal kill files look like this:
13021 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13022 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
13026 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
13027 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
13029 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
13030 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
13033 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
13038 @kindex M-k (Summary)
13039 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
13040 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
13043 @kindex M-K (Summary)
13044 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
13045 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
13048 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
13053 @kindex M-k (Group)
13054 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
13055 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
13058 @kindex M-K (Group)
13059 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
13060 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
13063 Kill file variables:
13066 @item gnus-kill-file-name
13067 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
13068 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
13069 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
13070 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
13071 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
13072 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
13074 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
13075 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
13076 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
13077 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
13080 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
13081 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
13082 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
13083 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
13084 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
13085 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
13086 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
13087 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
13088 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
13090 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
13091 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
13092 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
13097 @node Converting Kill Files
13098 @section Converting Kill Files
13100 @cindex converting kill files
13102 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
13103 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
13104 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
13107 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
13108 You can fetch it from
13109 @file{http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-other/gnus-kill-to-score}.
13111 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
13112 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
13113 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
13121 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
13122 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
13123 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
13125 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
13126 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
13127 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
13128 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
13129 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
13130 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
13131 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
13132 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
13136 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
13137 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
13138 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
13139 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
13143 @node Using GroupLens
13144 @subsection Using GroupLens
13146 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
13148 @samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
13149 better bit in town at the moment.
13151 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
13155 @item gnus-use-grouplens
13156 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
13157 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
13158 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
13160 @item grouplens-pseudonym
13161 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
13162 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
13163 with the Better Bit Bureau.
13165 @item grouplens-newsgroups
13166 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
13167 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
13171 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
13172 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
13173 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
13174 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
13175 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
13176 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
13179 @node Rating Articles
13180 @subsection Rating Articles
13182 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
13183 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
13184 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
13185 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
13188 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
13193 @kindex r (GroupLens)
13194 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
13195 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
13198 @kindex k (GroupLens)
13199 @findex grouplens-score-thread
13200 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
13201 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
13202 threads in rec.humor.
13206 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
13207 the score of the article you're reading.
13212 @kindex n (GroupLens)
13213 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
13214 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
13217 @kindex , (GroupLens)
13218 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
13219 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
13223 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
13224 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
13227 @node Displaying Predictions
13228 @subsection Displaying Predictions
13230 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
13231 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
13232 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
13233 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
13234 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
13236 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
13237 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
13238 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
13239 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
13240 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
13241 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
13242 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
13243 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
13244 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
13245 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
13246 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
13247 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
13248 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
13250 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
13251 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
13252 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
13253 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
13255 The following are valid values for that variable.
13258 @item prediction-spot
13259 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
13262 @item confidence-interval
13263 A numeric confidence interval.
13265 @item prediction-bar
13266 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
13268 @item confidence-bar
13269 Numerical confidence.
13271 @item confidence-spot
13272 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
13274 @item prediction-num
13275 Plain-old numeric value.
13277 @item confidence-plus-minus
13278 Prediction +/- confidence.
13283 @node GroupLens Variables
13284 @subsection GroupLens Variables
13288 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
13289 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
13290 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
13291 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
13294 @item grouplens-bbb-host
13295 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
13298 @item grouplens-bbb-port
13299 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
13301 @item grouplens-score-offset
13302 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
13303 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
13306 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
13307 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
13308 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
13313 @node Advanced Scoring
13314 @section Advanced Scoring
13316 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
13317 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
13318 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
13319 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
13320 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
13322 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
13326 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
13327 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
13328 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
13332 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
13333 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
13335 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
13336 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
13337 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
13338 non-@code{nil} value.
13340 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
13341 operator, and various match operators.
13348 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
13349 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
13350 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
13355 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
13356 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
13357 then this operator will return @code{false}.
13362 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
13363 logical negation of the value of its argument.
13367 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
13368 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
13369 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
13370 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
13371 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
13372 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
13373 the ancestry you want to go.
13375 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
13376 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
13377 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
13378 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
13379 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
13382 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
13383 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
13385 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
13386 when he's talking about Gnus:
13390 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13391 ("subject" "Gnus"))
13397 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
13401 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13408 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
13409 really don't want to read what he's written:
13413 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13414 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
13418 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
13419 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
13420 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
13427 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
13428 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
13429 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
13430 ("body" "white.*socks"))
13434 The possibilities are endless.
13437 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
13438 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
13440 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
13441 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
13442 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
13443 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
13444 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
13445 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
13446 @samp{subject}) first.
13448 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
13449 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
13460 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
13461 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
13467 ("subject" "Gnus")))
13474 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
13475 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
13480 @section Score Decays
13481 @cindex score decays
13484 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
13485 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
13486 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
13487 use them in any sensible way.
13489 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
13490 @findex gnus-decay-score
13491 @vindex gnus-score-decay-function
13492 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
13493 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
13494 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
13495 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
13496 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-score-decay-function}
13497 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
13498 definition of that function:
13501 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
13502 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant' and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
13505 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
13507 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
13509 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
13512 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
13513 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
13514 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
13515 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
13519 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
13522 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
13525 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
13529 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
13530 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
13531 the new score, which should be an integer.
13533 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
13534 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
13541 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
13542 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
13543 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
13544 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
13545 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
13546 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
13547 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
13548 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
13549 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
13550 * Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
13551 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
13552 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
13553 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
13554 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
13555 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
13556 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
13557 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
13558 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
13562 @node Process/Prefix
13563 @section Process/Prefix
13564 @cindex process/prefix convention
13566 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
13567 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
13569 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
13570 command to be performed on.
13574 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
13575 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
13576 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
13577 with the current one.
13579 @vindex transient-mark-mode
13580 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
13581 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
13583 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
13584 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
13587 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
13588 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
13590 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
13593 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
13594 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
13595 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
13596 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13598 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
13599 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
13600 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
13601 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
13602 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
13603 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
13604 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
13605 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
13609 @section Interactive
13610 @cindex interaction
13614 @item gnus-novice-user
13615 @vindex gnus-novice-user
13616 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
13617 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
13618 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
13619 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
13622 @item gnus-expert-user
13623 @vindex gnus-expert-user
13624 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
13625 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
13626 matter how strange.
13628 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
13629 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
13630 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
13631 is @code{t} by default.
13633 @item gnus-interactive-exit
13634 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
13635 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
13640 @node Symbolic Prefixes
13641 @section Symbolic Prefixes
13642 @cindex symbolic prefixes
13644 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
13645 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
13646 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
13647 rule of 900 to the current article.
13649 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
13650 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
13651 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
13652 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
13653 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
13654 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
13655 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
13657 @kindex M-i (Summary)
13658 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
13659 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
13660 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
13661 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
13662 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u}
13663 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means
13664 ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
13665 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
13667 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
13668 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
13669 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
13671 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
13675 @node Formatting Variables
13676 @section Formatting Variables
13677 @cindex formatting variables
13679 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
13680 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
13681 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
13682 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
13683 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
13686 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
13687 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
13688 lots of percentages everywhere.
13691 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
13692 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
13693 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
13694 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
13695 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
13698 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
13699 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
13700 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
13701 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
13702 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
13703 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
13704 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
13705 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
13707 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
13708 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
13710 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
13711 @findex gnus-update-format
13712 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
13713 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
13714 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
13715 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
13719 @node Formatting Basics
13720 @subsection Formatting Basics
13722 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
13723 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
13724 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
13726 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
13727 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
13728 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
13729 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
13730 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
13733 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
13734 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
13735 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
13736 less than 4 characters wide.
13739 @node Mode Line Formatting
13740 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
13742 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
13743 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
13744 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
13745 with the following two differences:
13750 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
13753 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
13754 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
13755 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
13756 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
13757 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
13758 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
13759 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
13764 @node Advanced Formatting
13765 @subsection Advanced Formatting
13767 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
13768 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
13769 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
13770 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
13772 These are the valid modifiers:
13777 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
13781 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
13786 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
13789 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
13794 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
13797 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
13800 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
13803 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
13807 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
13808 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
13809 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
13810 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
13811 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
13812 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
13813 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
13815 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
13816 last operation, padding.
13818 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
13819 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
13820 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
13821 @xref{Compilation}.
13824 @node User-Defined Specs
13825 @subsection User-Defined Specs
13827 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
13828 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
13829 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
13830 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
13831 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
13832 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
13833 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
13834 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
13835 should protect against that.
13837 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
13838 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
13839 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
13840 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
13844 @node Formatting Fonts
13845 @subsection Formatting Fonts
13847 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
13848 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
13849 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
13850 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
13853 Text inside the @samp{%[} and @samp{%]} specifiers will have their
13854 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
13855 default. If you say @samp{%1[}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
13856 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
13857 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
13858 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
13860 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
13863 ;; Create three face types.
13864 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
13865 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
13867 ;; We want the article count to be in
13868 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
13869 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
13870 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
13872 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
13873 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
13875 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
13876 (setq gnus-group-line-format
13877 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
13880 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
13881 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
13883 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
13884 mode-line variables.
13887 @node Windows Configuration
13888 @section Windows Configuration
13889 @cindex windows configuration
13891 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
13893 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
13894 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
13895 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
13896 @code{t} by default.
13898 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
13899 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
13900 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
13903 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
13904 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
13905 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
13909 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
13910 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
13911 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
13912 possible names is listed below.
13914 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
13915 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
13918 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
13922 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
13923 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
13924 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
13925 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
13926 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
13927 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
13928 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
13929 size spec per split.
13931 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
13932 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
13933 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
13934 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
13935 present) gets focus.
13937 Here's a more complicated example:
13940 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
13941 (summary 0.25 point)
13942 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
13946 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
13947 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
13948 occupy, not a percentage.
13950 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
13951 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
13952 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
13953 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
13954 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
13957 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
13960 (article (horizontal 1.0
13965 (summary 0.25 point)
13970 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
13971 @code{horizontal} thingie?
13973 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
13974 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
13975 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
13976 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
13977 the screen is to be given to this strip.
13979 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
13980 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
13981 lines from the splits.
13983 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
13987 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
13988 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
13989 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
13990 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
13991 buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
13992 size = number | frame-params
13993 buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
13996 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
13997 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
13998 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
13999 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
14001 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
14002 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
14003 @cindex window height
14004 @cindex window width
14005 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
14006 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
14007 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
14008 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
14009 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
14010 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
14012 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
14013 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
14014 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
14015 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
14017 @findex gnus-configure-frame
14018 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
14019 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
14020 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
14021 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
14022 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
14023 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
14024 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
14025 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
14026 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
14027 configuration list.
14030 (gnus-configure-frame
14034 (article 0.3 point))
14042 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
14043 @code{frame} split:
14046 (gnus-configure-frame
14049 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
14051 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
14052 (user-position . t)
14053 (left . -1) (top . 1))
14058 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
14059 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
14060 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
14061 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
14062 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
14063 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
14064 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
14065 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
14068 Here's a list of all possible keys for
14069 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration}:
14071 @code{group}, @code{summary}, @code{article}, @code{server},
14072 @code{browse}, @code{message}, @code{pick}, @code{info},
14073 @code{summary-faq}, @code{edit-group}, @code{edit-server},
14074 @code{edit-score}, @code{post}, @code{reply}, @code{forward},
14075 @code{reply-yank}, @code{mail-bounce}, @code{draft}, @code{pipe},
14076 @code{bug}, @code{compose-bounce}, and @code{score-trace}.
14078 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
14079 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
14080 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
14084 (message (horizontal 1.0
14085 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
14087 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
14092 @findex gnus-add-configuration
14093 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
14094 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
14095 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
14096 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
14099 (gnus-add-configuration
14100 '(article (vertical 1.0
14102 (summary .25 point)
14106 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
14107 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
14108 Gnus has been loaded.
14110 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
14111 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
14112 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
14113 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
14114 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
14117 @node Faces and Fonts
14118 @section Faces and Fonts
14123 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
14124 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
14125 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
14130 @section Compilation
14131 @cindex compilation
14132 @cindex byte-compilation
14134 @findex gnus-compile
14136 Remember all those line format specification variables?
14137 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
14138 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
14139 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
14140 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
14141 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
14144 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
14145 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
14146 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
14147 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
14148 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
14149 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
14150 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
14154 @section Mode Lines
14157 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
14158 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
14159 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
14160 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
14161 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
14162 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
14163 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
14166 @cindex display-time
14168 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
14169 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
14170 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
14171 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
14172 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
14173 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
14174 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
14175 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
14178 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
14180 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
14181 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
14183 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
14184 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
14185 (length display-time-string)))))
14188 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
14189 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
14190 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
14191 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
14192 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
14195 @node Highlighting and Menus
14196 @section Highlighting and Menus
14198 @cindex highlighting
14201 @vindex gnus-visual
14202 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
14203 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
14204 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
14207 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
14208 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
14211 @item group-highlight
14212 Do highlights in the group buffer.
14213 @item summary-highlight
14214 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
14215 @item article-highlight
14216 Do highlights in the article buffer.
14218 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
14220 Create menus in the group buffer.
14222 Create menus in the summary buffers.
14224 Create menus in the article buffer.
14226 Create menus in the browse buffer.
14228 Create menus in the server buffer.
14230 Create menus in the score buffers.
14232 Create menus in all buffers.
14235 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
14236 buffers, you could say something like:
14239 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
14242 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
14245 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
14248 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
14249 in all Gnus buffers.
14251 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
14254 @item gnus-mouse-face
14255 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
14256 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
14257 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
14261 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
14265 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
14266 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
14267 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
14269 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
14270 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
14271 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
14273 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
14274 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
14275 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
14277 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
14278 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
14279 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
14281 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
14282 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
14283 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
14285 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
14286 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
14287 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
14298 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
14299 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
14300 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
14301 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
14302 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
14306 @vindex gnus-carpal
14307 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
14308 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
14309 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
14314 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
14315 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
14316 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
14318 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
14319 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
14320 Face used on buttons.
14322 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
14323 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
14324 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
14326 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
14327 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
14328 Buttons in the group buffer.
14330 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
14331 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
14332 Buttons in the summary buffer.
14334 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
14335 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
14336 Buttons in the server buffer.
14338 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
14339 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
14340 Buttons in the browse buffer.
14343 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
14344 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
14345 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
14353 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
14354 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
14355 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
14356 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
14357 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
14359 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
14360 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
14361 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
14363 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
14364 been idle for thirty minutes:
14367 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
14370 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
14374 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
14377 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
14378 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
14379 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
14381 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
14382 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
14383 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
14384 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
14386 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
14387 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
14388 @var{idle} minutes.
14390 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
14391 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
14394 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
14395 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
14396 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
14398 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
14399 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
14400 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
14401 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
14403 @vindex gnus-use-demon
14404 To set the whole thing in motion, though, you have to set
14405 @code{gnus-use-demon} to @code{t}.
14407 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
14408 your @file{.gnus} file:
14410 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
14412 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
14415 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
14416 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
14417 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
14418 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
14419 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
14420 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
14421 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
14422 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
14423 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
14424 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
14425 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
14427 @findex gnus-demon-init
14428 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
14429 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
14430 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
14431 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
14432 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
14434 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
14435 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
14436 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
14445 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
14446 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
14448 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
14449 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
14450 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
14451 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
14454 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
14455 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
14456 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
14457 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
14459 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
14460 this will make spam disappear.
14462 There are some variables to customize, of course:
14465 @item gnus-use-nocem
14466 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
14467 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
14470 @item gnus-nocem-groups
14471 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
14472 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
14473 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
14474 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
14476 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
14477 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
14478 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
14479 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
14480 "rbraver@@ohww.norman.ok.us" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
14481 "jem@@xpat.com" "snowhare@@xmission.com" "red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us
14482 (Richard E. Depew)")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
14484 Known despammers that you can put in this list include:
14487 @item clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;
14488 @cindex Chris Lewis
14489 Chris Lewis---Major Canadian despammer who has probably canceled more
14490 usenet abuse than anybody else.
14493 @cindex CancelMoose[tm]
14494 The CancelMoose[tm] on autopilot. The CancelMoose[tm] is reputed to be
14495 Norwegian, and was the person(s) who invented NoCeM.
14497 @item jem@@xpat.com;
14499 John Milburn---despammer located in Korea who is getting very busy these
14502 @item red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us (Richard E. Depew)
14503 Richard E. Depew---lone American despammer. He mostly cancels binary
14504 postings to non-binary groups and removes spews (regurgitated articles).
14507 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
14508 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
14509 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
14510 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
14511 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
14512 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
14513 @var{(issuer conditions ...)} elements in the list. Each condition is
14514 either a string (which is a regexp that matches types you want to use)
14515 or a list on the form @code{(not STRING)}, where @var{string} is a
14516 regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
14518 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
14519 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
14522 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
14525 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
14526 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
14529 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
14532 The specs are applied left-to-right.
14535 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
14536 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
14538 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
14539 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
14540 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
14541 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
14543 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
14544 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
14547 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
14549 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
14557 This might be dangerous, though.
14559 @item gnus-nocem-directory
14560 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
14561 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
14562 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
14564 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
14565 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
14566 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
14567 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
14568 might then see old spam.
14572 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
14573 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
14574 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
14575 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
14582 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
14583 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
14584 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
14586 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
14587 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
14588 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
14589 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
14590 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
14591 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
14592 @code{undo} function.
14594 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
14595 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
14596 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
14597 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
14598 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
14599 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
14600 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
14601 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
14602 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
14603 never be totally undoable.
14605 @findex gnus-undo-mode
14606 @vindex gnus-use-undo
14608 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
14609 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
14610 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo} command
14611 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
14616 @section Moderation
14619 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
14620 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
14621 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
14624 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
14628 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
14631 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
14633 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
14638 You split your incoming mail by matching on
14639 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
14640 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
14643 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
14644 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
14647 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
14648 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
14652 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
14655 (setq gnus-moderated-list
14656 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
14660 @node XEmacs Enhancements
14661 @section XEmacs Enhancements
14664 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
14668 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
14669 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
14670 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
14671 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
14684 So... You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
14685 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
14686 over your shoulder as you read news.
14689 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
14690 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
14691 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
14692 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
14693 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
14698 @subsubsection Picon Basics
14700 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
14709 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
14710 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
14711 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
14712 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
14713 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
14714 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
14715 @code{GIF} formats.
14718 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
14719 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
14720 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
14721 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string
14722 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
14724 @vindex gnus-picons-database
14725 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
14726 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at
14727 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
14728 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
14729 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
14732 @node Picon Requirements
14733 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
14735 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
14736 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
14739 Additionally, you must have @code{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To
14740 display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one,
14741 you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
14743 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
14744 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
14745 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
14746 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
14747 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
14751 @subsubsection Easy Picons
14753 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
14754 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
14757 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
14758 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
14759 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-picons-article-display-x-face)
14762 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
14763 containing the Picons databases.
14765 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
14768 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
14773 @subsubsection Hard Picons
14781 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
14782 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
14783 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
14784 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
14785 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
14790 @item gnus-picons-database
14791 @vindex gnus-picons-database
14792 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
14793 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
14794 subdirectories. This is only useful if
14795 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
14796 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
14798 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
14799 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
14800 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
14801 engine is @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
14802 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
14803 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
14804 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
14806 @item gnus-picons-display-where
14807 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
14808 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
14809 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
14810 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
14811 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
14812 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
14813 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
14815 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
14816 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
14817 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
14822 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
14823 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
14825 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
14826 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
14829 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
14830 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
14832 @item gnus-article-display-picons
14833 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
14834 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
14835 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer. Should be added to the
14836 @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
14838 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
14839 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
14840 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present. This function
14841 should be added to @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
14845 Note: You must append them to the hook, so make sure to specify 't'
14846 for the append flag of @code{add-hook}:
14849 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
14853 @node Picon Useless Configuration
14854 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
14862 The following variables offer further control over how things are
14863 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
14864 don't need to worry about.
14868 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
14869 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
14870 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
14871 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
14873 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
14874 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
14875 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
14876 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
14878 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
14879 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
14880 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
14881 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
14882 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
14884 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
14885 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
14886 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
14887 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
14888 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
14889 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
14890 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
14892 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
14893 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
14894 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
14895 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
14897 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
14898 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
14899 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
14900 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
14901 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
14902 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
14903 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
14905 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
14906 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
14907 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
14908 Defaults to @code{nil}.
14910 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
14911 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
14912 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
14913 Defaults to @code{t}.
14915 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
14916 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
14917 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
14918 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
14920 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
14921 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
14922 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
14923 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
14925 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
14926 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
14927 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
14928 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
14929 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
14930 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
14931 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
14932 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
14943 @subsection Smileys
14948 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
14953 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
14954 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
14956 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
14957 @file{.gnus.el} file:
14960 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-smiley-display t)
14963 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
14964 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
14965 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
14966 text and maps that to file names.
14968 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
14969 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
14970 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
14971 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
14972 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
14973 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
14975 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
14976 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
14978 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
14979 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
14980 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
14982 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
14983 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
14987 @item smiley-data-directory
14988 @vindex smiley-data-directory
14989 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
14991 @item smiley-flesh-color
14992 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
14993 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
14995 @item smiley-features-color
14996 @vindex smiley-features-color
14997 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
14999 @item smiley-tongue-color
15000 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
15001 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
15003 @item smiley-circle-color
15004 @vindex smiley-circle-color
15005 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
15007 @item smiley-mouse-face
15008 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
15009 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
15015 @subsection Toolbar
15025 @item gnus-use-toolbar
15026 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
15027 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
15028 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
15029 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
15031 @item gnus-group-toolbar
15032 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
15033 The toolbar in the group buffer.
15035 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
15036 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
15037 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
15039 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
15040 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
15041 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
15047 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
15050 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
15051 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
15052 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
15053 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
15054 unusual directory structure.
15056 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
15057 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
15058 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
15059 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
15061 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
15062 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
15063 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
15064 Legal values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
15065 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
15066 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
15068 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
15069 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
15070 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
15084 @node Fuzzy Matching
15085 @section Fuzzy Matching
15086 @cindex fuzzy matching
15088 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
15089 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
15091 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
15092 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
15093 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
15095 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
15096 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
15097 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
15098 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
15099 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
15102 @node Thwarting Email Spam
15103 @section Thwarting Email Spam
15107 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
15109 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
15110 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
15111 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
15112 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
15113 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
15114 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
15115 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
15116 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
15119 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
15120 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
15121 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
15122 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
15123 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
15124 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
15128 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
15129 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
15131 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
15132 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
15133 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
15134 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
15135 sysadm whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
15136 part of the mail address.)
15139 (setq message-default-news-headers
15140 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
15143 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
15144 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
15149 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
15150 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
15151 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
15157 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
15158 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
15159 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
15160 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
15162 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
15163 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
15164 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
15165 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
15166 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
15167 your fancy split rule in this way:
15172 (to "larsi" "misc")
15176 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
15177 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
15178 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
15179 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
15180 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
15182 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
15183 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
15184 at @file{<URL:http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html>}.
15185 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
15186 cosmic balance somewhat.
15188 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
15189 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
15190 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
15191 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
15194 @node Various Various
15195 @section Various Various
15201 @item gnus-home-directory
15202 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
15203 defaults to @file{~/}.
15205 @item gnus-directory
15206 @vindex gnus-directory
15207 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
15208 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
15209 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
15211 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
15212 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
15213 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
15214 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
15216 @item gnus-default-directory
15217 @vindex gnus-default-directory
15218 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
15219 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
15220 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
15221 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
15222 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
15223 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
15226 @vindex gnus-verbose
15227 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
15228 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
15229 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
15230 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
15231 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
15233 @item gnus-verbose-backends
15234 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
15235 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
15236 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
15238 @item nnheader-max-head-length
15239 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
15240 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
15241 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
15242 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
15243 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
15244 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
15245 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
15246 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
15247 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
15249 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
15250 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
15251 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
15252 read when doing the operation described above.
15254 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
15255 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
15257 @cindex invalid characters in file names
15258 @cindex characters in file names
15259 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
15260 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
15261 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
15264 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
15268 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
15269 Windows (phooey) systems.
15271 @item gnus-hidden-properties
15272 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
15273 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
15274 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
15275 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
15277 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
15278 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
15279 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
15280 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
15281 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
15283 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
15284 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
15285 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
15294 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
15295 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
15297 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
15299 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
15305 Not because of victories @*
15308 but for the common sunshine,@*
15310 the largess of the spring.
15314 but for the day's work done@*
15315 as well as I was able;@*
15316 not for a seat upon the dais@*
15317 but at the common table.@*
15322 @chapter Appendices
15325 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
15326 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
15327 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
15328 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
15329 * A Programmers Guide to Gnus:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
15330 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
15331 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
15339 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
15340 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
15342 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage, you
15343 can point your (feh!) web browser to
15344 @file{http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
15345 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is known
15346 as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
15348 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
15349 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
15350 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
15351 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
15352 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
15353 appropriate name, don't you think?)
15355 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
15356 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
15357 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
15358 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
15360 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
15361 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
15362 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
15364 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
15365 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
15367 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
15368 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4''.
15370 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
15371 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'' --
15372 don't panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away.
15373 Slowly. Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're
15374 out of its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up
15378 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
15379 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
15380 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
15381 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
15382 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
15383 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
15384 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
15391 What's the point of Gnus?
15393 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
15394 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
15395 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
15396 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
15397 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
15398 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
15399 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
15400 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
15401 keep track of millions of people who post?
15403 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
15404 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
15405 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
15406 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
15407 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
15408 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
15409 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
15410 every one of you to explore and invent.
15412 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
15413 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
15416 @node Compatibility
15417 @subsection Compatibility
15419 @cindex compatibility
15420 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
15421 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
15422 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
15427 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
15431 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
15434 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
15437 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
15438 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
15439 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
15440 important variables have their values copied into their global
15441 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
15442 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
15444 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
15445 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
15446 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
15447 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
15448 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
15452 @cindex highlighting
15453 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
15454 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
15455 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
15456 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
15457 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
15458 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
15461 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
15462 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
15463 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
15464 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
15466 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
15467 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
15468 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
15469 to stop doing it the old way.
15471 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
15473 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
15475 @cindex reporting bugs
15477 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
15478 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
15479 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
15481 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
15482 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
15483 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
15484 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
15489 @subsection Conformity
15491 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
15492 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
15499 There are no known breaches of this standard.
15503 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
15505 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
15506 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
15507 We do have some breaches to this one.
15512 Gnus does no MIME handling, and this standard-to-be seems to think that
15513 MIME is the bees' knees, so we have major breakage here.
15516 This is considered to be a ``vanity header'', while I consider it to be
15517 consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted articles
15518 coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use either of
15519 those for posting articles. I would not have known that if it wasn't
15520 for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
15525 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
15526 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
15531 @subsection Emacsen
15537 Gnus should work on :
15542 Emacs 19.32 and up.
15545 XEmacs 19.14 and up.
15548 Mule versions based on Emacs 19.32 and up.
15552 Gnus will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than that. Not
15553 reliably, at least.
15555 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
15556 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
15557 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
15562 @subsection Contributors
15563 @cindex contributors
15565 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
15566 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
15567 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
15568 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
15569 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
15570 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
15571 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
15572 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
15573 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
15574 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
15576 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
15582 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
15585 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
15586 well as numerous other things).
15589 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
15592 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
15595 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
15596 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
15599 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
15602 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
15603 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
15606 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
15609 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
15612 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
15615 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
15618 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
15619 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
15622 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
15625 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
15628 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
15631 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
15635 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
15638 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
15641 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
15644 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
15645 well as autoconf support.
15649 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
15650 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
15652 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
15661 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
15665 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
15687 Massimo Campostrini,
15694 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
15700 Michael Welsh Duggan,
15703 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
15707 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
15713 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
15715 Michelangelo Grigni,
15718 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
15720 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
15722 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
15727 François Felix Ingrand,
15728 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
15730 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
15738 Peter Skov Knudsen,
15739 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
15740 Thor Kristoffersen,
15742 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
15759 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
15760 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
15767 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
15771 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
15773 John McClary Prevost,
15778 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
15783 Christian von Roques,
15785 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
15791 Philippe Schnoebelen,
15793 Randal L. Schwartz,
15821 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
15823 Shenghuo Zhu. @c Zhu
15825 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
15826 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
15827 (550kB and counting).
15829 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
15832 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
15833 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
15837 @subsection New Features
15838 @cindex new features
15841 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
15842 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
15843 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
15844 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6.20.
15847 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
15848 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
15849 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
15853 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
15855 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
15860 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
15861 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
15864 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
15865 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
15868 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
15871 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
15872 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
15873 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
15876 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
15877 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
15878 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
15879 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
15882 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
15883 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
15886 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
15887 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
15888 (@pxref{The Active File}).
15891 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
15892 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
15895 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
15896 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
15897 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
15900 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
15901 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
15902 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
15905 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
15906 the @file{.emacs} file.
15909 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
15910 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15913 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
15914 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
15917 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
15918 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
15921 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
15922 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
15925 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
15926 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
15929 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
15932 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
15933 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
15936 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
15937 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
15940 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
15941 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
15944 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
15947 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
15948 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
15951 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
15955 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
15959 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
15960 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
15963 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
15969 @node September Gnus
15970 @subsubsection September Gnus
15974 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
15978 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
15983 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
15984 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
15988 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
15989 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
15993 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
15997 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
15998 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
16001 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
16005 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
16008 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
16011 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
16014 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
16018 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
16019 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
16022 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
16026 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
16030 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
16034 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
16038 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
16041 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
16042 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
16045 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
16049 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
16050 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
16053 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
16056 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
16057 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
16058 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
16061 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
16065 The Gnus cache is much faster.
16068 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
16072 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
16073 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
16076 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
16077 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
16080 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
16081 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
16084 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
16085 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
16086 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
16089 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
16090 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
16093 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
16096 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
16099 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook
16100 'gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head)
16104 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
16107 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
16110 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
16111 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
16114 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
16118 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
16121 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}}
16126 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
16129 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
16133 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
16136 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
16140 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
16143 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
16146 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
16147 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
16150 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
16151 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
16155 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
16156 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
16159 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
16163 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
16164 buffer to allow easier treatment.
16167 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
16170 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
16174 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
16178 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
16179 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
16182 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
16186 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
16187 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
16190 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
16191 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
16194 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
16198 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
16201 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook
16202 'gnus-article-hide-boring-headers t)
16206 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
16209 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
16215 @subsubsection Red Gnus
16217 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
16221 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
16228 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
16231 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
16232 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
16235 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
16236 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
16240 Article washing status can be displayed in the
16241 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
16244 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
16247 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
16248 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
16251 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
16255 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
16256 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
16260 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
16261 Server Internals}).
16264 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
16268 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
16271 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
16272 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
16275 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
16276 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
16277 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
16280 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
16281 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
16284 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
16285 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
16288 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
16292 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
16293 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
16296 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
16297 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
16300 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
16304 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
16307 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
16311 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
16312 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
16315 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
16316 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
16319 A new command for reading collections of documents
16320 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
16321 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
16324 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
16328 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the NNTP
16329 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
16332 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
16333 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
16334 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
16337 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
16338 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
16342 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
16346 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
16350 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
16355 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
16359 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
16363 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
16364 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
16367 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
16370 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-emphasize)
16377 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
16379 New features in Gnus 5.6.20:
16384 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
16385 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
16386 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
16389 The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
16390 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
16391 group, which is created automatically.
16394 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
16398 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
16401 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
16402 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
16405 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
16409 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
16412 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
16413 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
16416 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
16419 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
16420 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
16423 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
16424 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
16427 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
16428 control over simplification.
16431 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
16434 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
16438 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
16441 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16444 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
16445 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
16446 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
16449 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
16450 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
16453 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
16457 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
16458 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
16461 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
16462 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
16465 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
16469 A history of where mails have been split is available.
16472 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
16475 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
16476 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
16479 A new function for citing in Message has been
16480 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
16483 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
16486 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
16490 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
16491 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
16494 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
16495 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
16498 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
16501 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
16506 @node Newest Features
16507 @subsection Newest Features
16510 Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
16513 Be afraid. Be very afraid.
16515 (That a feature appears in this list doesn't necessarily mean that I've
16516 decided to actually implement it. It just means that I think it sounds
16519 (Yes, this is the actual, up-to-the-second todo list.)
16524 Native @sc{mime} support is something that should be done.
16527 Really do unbinhexing.
16530 I would like the zombie-page to contain an URL to the source of the
16531 latest version of gnus or some explanation on where to find it.
16534 A way to continue editing the latest Message composition.
16537 http://www.sonicnet.com/feature/ari3/
16540 facep is not declared.
16543 Include a section in the manual on why the number of articles
16544 isn't the same in the group buffer and on the SPC prompt.
16547 Interacting with rmail fcc isn't easy.
16552 <URL:http://www.falch.no/people/pepper/DSSSL-Lite/archives/>
16553 <URL:http://www.eit.com/software/hypermail/hypermail.html>
16554 <URL:http://homer.ncm.com/>
16555 <URL:http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/World_Wide_Web/HTML_Converters/>
16556 http://www.uwsg.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/9610/index.html
16557 <URL:http://union.ncsa.uiuc.edu/HyperNews/get/www/html/converters.html>
16558 http://www.miranova.com/gnus-list/
16563 @samp{^-- } is made into - in LaTeX.
16566 gnus-kill is much slower than it was in GNUS 4.1.3.
16569 when expunging articles on low score, the sparse nodes keep hanging on?
16571 starting the first time seems to hang Gnus on some systems. Does
16572 NEWGROUPS answer too fast?
16574 nndir doesn't read gzipped files.
16576 FAQ doesn't have an up node?
16578 when moving mail from a procmail spool to the crash-box,
16579 the crash-box is only appropriate to one specific group.
16581 `t' `t' makes X-Faces disappear.
16583 nnmh-be-safe means that crossposted articles will
16584 be marked as unread.
16586 Orphan score entries don't show on "V t" score trace
16588 when clearing out data, the cache data should also be reset.
16590 rewrite gnus-summary-limit-children to be non-recursive
16591 to avoid exceeding lisp nesting on huge groups.
16593 expunged articles are counted when computing scores.
16595 implement gnus-batch-brew-soup
16597 ticked articles aren't easy to read in pick mode -- `n' and
16598 stuff just skips past them. Read articles are the same.
16600 topics that contain just groups with ticked
16601 articles aren't displayed.
16603 nndoc should always allocate unique Message-IDs.
16605 implement gnus-score-thread
16607 If there are mail groups the first time you use Gnus, Gnus'll
16608 make the mail groups killed.
16610 no "no news is good news" when using topics.
16612 when doing crosspost marking, the cache has to be consulted
16613 and articles have to be removed.
16615 nnweb should fetch complete articles when they are split into several
16618 scoring on head immediate doesn't work.
16620 finding short score file names takes forever.
16622 canceling articles in foreign groups.
16624 nntp-open-rlogin no longer works.
16626 C-u C-x C-s (Summary) switches to the group buffer.
16628 move nnmail-split-history out to the backends.
16630 nnweb doesn't work properly.
16632 using a virtual server name as `gnus-select-method' doesn't work?
16634 when killing/yanking a group from one topic to another in a slave, the
16635 master will yank it first to one topic and then add it to another.
16639 warn user about `=' redirection of a group in the active file?
16641 really unbinhex binhex files.
16643 take over the XEmacs menubar and offer a toggle between the XEmacs
16644 bar and the Gnus bar.
16647 push active file and NOV file parsing down into C code.
16648 `(canonize-message-id id)'
16649 `(mail-parent-message-id references n)'
16650 `(parse-news-nov-line &optional dependency-hashtb)'
16651 `(parse-news-nov-region beg end &optional dependency-hashtb fullp)'
16652 `(parse-news-active-region beg end hashtb)'
16657 nnml .overview directory with splits.
16661 postponed commands.
16663 the selected article show have its Subject displayed in its summary line.
16665 when entering groups, get the real number of unread articles from
16668 sort after gathering threads -- make false roots have the
16669 headers of the oldest orphan with a 0 article number?
16671 nndoc groups should inherit the score files of their parents? Also
16672 inherit copy prompts and save files.
16674 command to start up Gnus (if not running) and enter a mail mode buffer.
16676 allow editing the group description from the group buffer
16677 for backends that support that.
16679 gnus-hide,show-all-topics
16681 groups and sub-topics should be allowed to mingle inside each topic,
16682 and not just list all subtopics at the end.
16684 a command to remove all read articles that are not needed to connect
16685 threads -- `gnus-summary-limit-to-sparse-unread'?
16687 a variable to turn off limiting/cutting of threads in the tree buffer.
16689 a variable to limit how many files are uudecoded.
16691 add zombie groups to a special "New Groups" topic.
16693 server mode command: close/open all connections
16695 put a file date in gnus-score-alist and check whether the file
16696 has been changed before using it.
16698 on exit from a digest group, go to the next article in the parent group.
16700 hide (sub)threads with low score.
16702 when expiring, remove all marks from expired articles.
16704 gnus-summary-limit-to-body
16706 a regexp alist that says what level groups are to be subscribed
16707 on. Eg. -- `(("nnml:" . 1))'.
16709 easier interface to nnkiboze to create ephemeral groups that
16710 contain groups that match a regexp.
16712 allow newlines in <URL:> urls, but remove them before using
16715 If there is no From line, the mail backends should fudge one from the
16718 fuzzy simplifying should strip all non-alpha-numerical info
16719 from subject lines.
16721 gnus-soup-brew-soup-with-high-scores.
16723 nntp-ping-before-connect
16725 command to check whether NOV is evil. "list overview.fmt".
16727 when entering a group, Gnus should look through the score
16728 files very early for `local' atoms and set those local variables.
16730 message annotations.
16732 topics are always yanked before groups, and that's not good.
16734 (set-extent-property extent 'help-echo "String to display in minibuf")
16735 to display help in the minibuffer on buttons under XEmacs.
16737 allow group line format spec to say how many articles there
16742 support qmail maildir spools
16744 `run-with-idle-timer' in gnus-demon.
16746 stop using invisible text properties and start using overlays instead
16748 C-c C-f C-e to add an Expires header.
16750 go from one group to the next; everything is expunged; go to the
16751 next group instead of going to the group buffer.
16753 gnus-renumber-cache -- to renumber the cache using "low" numbers.
16755 record topic changes in the dribble buffer.
16757 `nnfolder-generate-active-file' should look at the folders it
16758 finds and generate proper active ranges.
16760 nneething-look-in-files-for-article-heads variable to control
16761 whether nneething should sniff all files in the directories.
16763 gnus-fetch-article -- start Gnus, enter group, display article
16765 gnus-dont-move-articles-to-same-group variable when respooling.
16767 when messages are crossposted between several auto-expirable groups,
16768 articles aren't properly marked as expirable.
16770 nneething should allow deletion/moving.
16772 TAB on the last button should go to the first button.
16774 if the car of an element in `mail-split-methods' is a function,
16775 and the function returns non-nil, use that as the name of the group(s) to
16778 command for listing all score files that have been applied.
16780 a command in the article buffer to return to `summary' config.
16782 `gnus-always-post-using-current-server' -- variable to override
16783 `C-c C-c' when posting.
16785 nnmail-group-spool-alist -- says where each group should use
16788 when an article is crossposted to an auto-expirable group, the article
16789 should be marker as expirable.
16791 article mode command/menu for "send region as URL to browser".
16793 on errors, jump to info nodes that explain the error. For instance,
16794 on invalid From headers, or on error messages from the nntp server.
16796 when gathering threads, make the article that has no "Re: " the parent.
16797 Also consult Date headers.
16799 a token in splits to call shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer
16801 `1 0 A M' to do matches on the active hashtb.
16803 duplicates -- command to remove Gnus-Warning header, use the read
16804 Message-ID, delete the "original".
16806 when replying to several messages at once, put the "other" message-ids
16807 into a See-Also header.
16809 support setext: URL:http://www.bsdi.com/setext/
16811 support ProleText: <URL:http://proletext.clari.net/prole/proletext.html>
16813 when browsing a foreign server, the groups that are already subscribed
16814 should be listed as such and not as "K".
16816 generate font names dynamically.
16818 score file mode auto-alist.
16820 allow nndoc to change/add/delete things from documents. Implement
16821 methods for each format for adding an article to the document.
16823 `gnus-fetch-old-headers' `all' value to incorporate
16824 absolutely all headers there is.
16826 function like `|', but concatenate all marked articles
16827 and pipe them to the process.
16829 cache the list of killed (or active) groups in a separate file. Update
16830 the file whenever we read the active file or the list
16831 of killed groups in the .eld file reaches a certain length.
16833 function for starting to edit a file to put into
16834 the current mail group.
16836 score-find-trace should display the total score of the article.
16838 "ghettozie" -- score on Xref header and nix it out after using it
16839 to avoid marking as read in other groups it has been crossposted to.
16841 look at procmail splitting. The backends should create
16842 the groups automatically if a spool file exists for that group.
16844 function for backends to register themselves with Gnus.
16846 when replying to several process-marked articles,
16847 have all the From end up in Cc headers? Variable to toggle.
16849 command to delete a crossposted mail article from all
16850 groups it has been mailed to.
16852 `B c' and `B m' should be crosspost aware.
16854 hide-pgp should also hide PGP public key blocks.
16856 Command in the group buffer to respool process-marked groups.
16858 `gnus-summary-find-matching' should accept
16859 pseudo-"headers" like "body", "head" and "all"
16861 When buttifying <URL: > things, all white space (including
16862 newlines) should be ignored.
16864 Process-marking all groups in a topic should process-mark
16865 groups in subtopics as well.
16867 Add non-native groups to the list of killed groups when killing them.
16869 nntp-suggest-kewl-config to probe the nntp server and suggest
16872 add edit and forward secondary marks.
16874 nnml shouldn't visit its .overview files.
16876 allow customizing sorting within gathered threads.
16878 `B q' shouldn't select the current article.
16880 nnmbox should support a newsgroups file for descriptions.
16882 allow fetching mail from several pop servers.
16884 Be able to specify whether the saving commands save the original
16885 or the formatted article.
16887 a command to reparent with the child process-marked (cf. `T ^'.).
16889 I think the possibility to send a password with nntp-open-rlogin
16890 should be a feature in Red Gnus.
16892 The `Z n' command should be possible to execute from a mouse click.
16894 more limiting functions -- date, etc.
16896 be able to limit on a random header; on body; using reverse matches.
16898 a group parameter (`absofucking-total-expiry') that will make Gnus expire
16899 even unread articles.
16901 a command to print the article buffer as postscript.
16903 variable to disable password fetching when opening by nntp-open-telnet.
16905 manual: more example servers -- nntp with rlogin, telnet
16907 checking for bogus groups should clean topic alists as well.
16909 canceling articles in foreign groups.
16911 article number in folded topics isn't properly updated by
16914 Movement in the group buffer to the next unread group should go to the
16915 next closed topic with unread messages if no group can be found.
16917 Extensive info pages generated on the fly with help everywhere --
16918 in the "*Gnus edit*" buffers, for instance.
16920 Topic movement commands -- like thread movement. Up, down, forward, next.
16922 a way to tick/mark as read Gcc'd articles.
16924 a way to say that all groups within a specific topic comes
16925 from a particular server? Hm.
16927 `gnus-article-fill-if-long-lines' -- a function to fill
16928 the article buffer if there are any looong lines there.
16930 `T h' should jump to the parent topic and fold it.
16932 a command to create an ephemeral nndoc group out of a file,
16933 and then splitting it/moving it to some other group/backend.
16935 a group parameter for nnkiboze groups that says that
16936 all kibozed articles should be entered into the cache.
16938 It should also probably be possible to delimit what
16939 `gnus-jog-cache' does -- for instance, work on just some groups, or on
16940 some levels, and entering just articles that have a score higher than
16943 nnfolder should append to the folder instead of re-writing
16944 the entire folder to disk when accepting new messages.
16946 allow all backends to do the proper thing with .gz files.
16948 a backend for reading collections of babyl files nnbabylfolder?
16950 a command for making the native groups into foreign groups.
16952 server mode command for clearing read marks from all groups
16955 when following up multiple articles, include all To, Cc, etc headers
16958 a command for deciding what the total score of the current
16959 thread is. Also a way to highlight based on this.
16961 command to show and edit group scores
16963 a gnus-tree-minimize-horizontal to minimize tree buffers
16966 command to generate nnml overview file for one group.
16968 `C-u C-u a' -- prompt for many crossposted groups.
16970 keep track of which mail groups have received new articles (in this session).
16971 Be able to generate a report and perhaps do some marking in the group
16974 gnus-build-sparse-threads to a number -- build only sparse threads
16975 that are of that length.
16977 have nnmh respect mh's unseen sequence in .mh_profile.
16979 cache the newsgroups descriptions locally.
16981 asynchronous posting under nntp.
16983 be able to control word adaptive scoring from the score files.
16985 a variable to make `C-c C-c' post using the "current" select method.
16987 `limit-exclude-low-scored-articles'.
16989 if `gnus-summary-show-thread' is a number, hide threads that have
16990 a score lower than this number.
16992 split newsgroup subscription variable up into "order" and "method".
16994 buttonize ange-ftp file names.
16996 a command to make a duplicate copy of the current article
16997 so that each copy can be edited separately.
16999 nnweb should allow fetching from the local nntp server.
17001 record the sorting done in the summary buffer so that
17002 it can be repeated when limiting/regenerating the buffer.
17004 nnml-generate-nov-databses should generate for
17007 when the user does commands in the group buffer, check
17008 the modification time of the .newsrc.eld file and use
17009 ask-user-about-supersession-threat. Also warn when trying
17010 to save .newsrc.eld and it has changed.
17012 M-g on a topic will display all groups with 0 articles in
17015 command to remove all topic stuff.
17017 allow exploding incoming digests when reading incoming mail
17018 and splitting the resulting digests.
17020 nnsoup shouldn't set the `message-' variables.
17022 command to nix out all nnoo state information.
17024 nnmail-process-alist that calls functions if group names
17025 matches an alist -- before saving.
17027 use buffer-invisibility-spec everywhere for hiding text.
17029 variable to activate each group before entering them
17030 to get the (new) number of articles. `gnus-activate-before-entering'.
17032 command to fetch a Message-ID from any buffer, even
17033 starting Gnus first if necessary.
17035 when posting and checking whether a group exists or not, just
17036 ask the nntp server instead of relying on the active hashtb.
17038 buttonize the output of `C-c C-a' in an apropos-like way.
17040 `G p' should understand process/prefix, and allow editing
17041 of several groups at once.
17043 command to create an ephemeral nnvirtual group that
17044 matches some regexp(s).
17046 nndoc should understand "Content-Type: message/rfc822" forwarded messages.
17048 it should be possible to score "thread" on the From header.
17050 hitting RET on a "gnus-uu-archive" pseudo article should unpack it.
17052 `B i' should display the article at once in the summary buffer.
17054 remove the "*" mark at once when unticking an article.
17056 `M-s' should highlight the matching text.
17058 when checking for duplicated mails, use Resent-Message-ID if present.
17060 killing and yanking groups in topics should be better. If killing one copy
17061 of a group that exists in multiple topics, only that copy should
17062 be removed. Yanking should insert the copy, and yanking topics
17063 should be possible to be interspersed with the other yankings.
17065 command for enter a group just to read the cached articles. A way to say
17066 "ignore the nntp connection; just read from the cache."
17068 `X u' should decode base64 articles.
17070 a way to hide all "inner" cited text, leaving just the most
17071 recently cited text.
17073 nnvirtual should be asynchronous.
17075 after editing an article, gnus-original-article-buffer should
17078 there should probably be a way to make Gnus not connect to the
17079 server and just read the articles in the server
17081 allow a `set-default' (or something) to change the default
17082 value of nnoo variables.
17084 a command to import group infos from a .newsrc.eld file.
17086 groups from secondary servers have the entire select method
17087 listed in each group info.
17089 a command for just switching from the summary buffer to the group
17092 a way to specify that some incoming mail washing functions
17093 should only be applied to some groups.
17095 Message `C-f C-t' should ask the user whether to heed
17096 mail-copies-to: never.
17098 new group parameter -- `post-to-server' that says to post
17099 using the current server. Also a variable to do the same.
17101 the slave dribble files should autosave to the slave file names.
17103 a group parameter that says what articles to display on group entry, based
17106 a way to visually distinguish slave Gnusae from masters. (Whip instead
17109 Use DJ Bernstein "From " quoting/dequoting, where applicable.
17111 Why is hide-citation-maybe and hide-citation different? Also
17114 group user-defined meta-parameters.
17118 From: John Griffith <griffith@@sfs.nphil.uni-tuebingen.de>
17120 I like the option for trying to retrieve the FAQ for a group and I was
17121 thinking it would be great if for those newsgroups that had archives
17122 you could also try to read the archive for that group. Part of the
17123 problem is that archives are spread all over the net, unlike FAQs.
17124 What would be best I suppose is to find the one closest to your site.
17126 In any case, there is a list of general news group archives at
17127 ftp://ftp.neosoft.com/pub/users/claird/news.lists/newsgroup_archives.html
17134 From: Jason L Tibbitts III <tibbs@@hpc.uh.edu>
17135 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
17137 (gnus-group-add-parameter group
17138 (cons 'gnus-group-date-last-entered (list (current-time-string))))))
17140 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
17141 "Return the date the group was last read."
17142 (cond ((car (gnus-group-get-parameter gnus-tmp-group 'gnus-group-date-last-entered)))
17147 tanken var at når du bruker `gnus-startup-file' som prefix (FOO) til å lete
17148 opp en fil FOO-SERVER, FOO-SERVER.el, FOO-SERVER.eld, kan du la den være en
17149 liste hvor du bruker hvert element i listen som FOO, istedet. da kunne man
17150 hatt forskjellige serveres startup-filer forskjellige steder.
17154 LMI> Well, nnbabyl could alter the group info to heed labels like
17155 LMI> answered and read, I guess.
17157 It could also keep them updated (the same for the Status: header of
17160 They could be used like this:
17164 `M l <name> RET' add label <name> to current message.
17165 `M u <name> RET' remove label <name> from current message.
17166 `/ l <expr> RET' limit summary buffer according to <expr>.
17168 <expr> would be a boolean expression on the labels, e.g.
17170 `/ l bug & !fixed RET'
17173 would show all the messages which are labeled `bug' but not labeled
17176 One could also imagine the labels being used for highlighting, or
17177 affect the summary line format.
17181 Sender: abraham@@dina.kvl.dk
17183 I'd like a gnus-find-file which work like find file, except that it
17184 would recognize things that looks like messages or folders:
17186 - If it is a directory containing numbered files, create an nndir
17189 - For other directories, create a nneething summary buffer.
17191 - For files matching "\\`From ", create a nndoc/mbox summary.
17193 - For files matching "\\`BABYL OPTIONS:", create a nndoc/baby summary.
17195 - For files matching "\\`[^ \t\n]+:", create an *Article* buffer.
17197 - For other files, just find them normally.
17199 I'd like `nneething' to use this function, so it would work on a
17200 directory potentially containing mboxes or babyl files.
17203 Please send a mail to bwarsaw@@cnri.reston.va.us (Barry A. Warsaw) and
17204 tell him what you are doing.
17207 Currently, I get prompted:
17211 decend into sci.something ?
17215 The problem above is that since there is really only one subsection of
17216 science, shouldn't it prompt you for only descending sci.something? If
17217 there was a sci.somethingelse group or section, then it should prompt
17218 for sci? first the sci.something? then sci.somethingelse?...
17221 Ja, det burde være en måte å si slikt. Kanskje en ny variabel?
17222 `gnus-use-few-score-files'? SÃ¥ kunne score-regler legges til den
17223 "mest" lokale score-fila. F. eks. ville no-gruppene betjenes av
17224 "no.all.SCORE", osv.
17227 What i want is for Gnus to treat any sequence or combination of the following
17228 as a single spoiler warning and hide it all, replacing it with a "Next Page"
17234 more than n blank lines
17236 more than m identical lines
17237 (which should be replaced with button to show them)
17239 any whitespace surrounding any of the above
17243 Well, we could allow a new value to `gnus-thread-ignore-subject' --
17244 `spaces', or something. (We could even default to that.) And then
17245 subjects that differ in white space only could be considered the
17246 "same" subject for threading purposes.
17249 Modes to preprocess the contents (e.g. jka-compr) use the second form
17250 "(REGEXP FUNCTION NON-NIL)" while ordinary modes (e.g. tex) use the first
17251 form "(REGEXP . FUNCTION)", so you could use it to distinguish between
17252 those two types of modes. (auto-modes-alist, insert-file-contents-literally.)
17255 Under XEmacs -- do funny article marks:
17258 soup - bowl of soup
17259 score below - dim light bulb
17260 score over - bright light bulb
17263 Yes. I think the algorithm is as follows:
17268 show-list-of-articles-in-group
17269 if (key-pressed == SPACE)
17270 if (no-more-articles-in-group-to-select)
17271 if (articles-selected)
17272 start-reading-selected-articles;
17273 junk-unread-articles;
17278 else if (key-pressed = '.')
17279 if (consolidated-menus) # same as hide-thread in Gnus
17280 select-thread-under-cursor;
17282 select-article-under-cursor;
17286 if (key-pressed == SPACE)
17287 if (more-pages-in-article)
17289 else if (more-selected-articles-to-read)
17296 My precise need here would have been to limit files to Incoming*.
17297 One could think of some `nneething-only-files' variable, but I guess
17298 it would have been unacceptable if one was using many unrelated such
17301 A more useful approach would be to, in response to the `G D' prompt, be
17302 allowed to say something like: `~/.mail/Incoming*', somewhat limiting
17303 the top-level directory only (in case directories would be matched by
17304 the wildcard expression).
17307 It would be nice if it also handled
17309 <URL:news://sunsite.auc.dk/>
17311 which should correspond to `B nntp RET sunsite.auc.dk' in *Group*.
17316 Take a look at w3-menu.el in the Emacs-W3 distribution - this works out
17317 really well. Each menu is 'named' by a symbol that would be on a
17318 gnus-*-menus (where * would be whatever, but at least group, summary, and
17319 article versions) variable.
17321 So for gnus-summary-menus, I would set to '(sort mark dispose ...)
17323 A value of '1' would just put _all_ the menus in a single 'GNUS' menu in
17324 the main menubar. This approach works really well for Emacs-W3 and VM.
17328 nndoc should take care to create unique Message-IDs for all its
17331 gnus-score-followup-article only works when you have a summary buffer
17332 active. Make it work when posting from the group buffer as well.
17333 (message-sent-hook).
17335 rewrite gnus-demon to use run-with-idle-timers.
17338 * Enhancements to Gnus:
17342 * gnus-servers (gnus-start-server-buffer?)--enters Gnus and goes
17343 straight to the server buffer, without opening any connections to
17346 * gnus-server-read-server-newsrc--produces a buffer very similar to
17347 the group buffer, but with only groups from that server listed;
17348 quitting this buffer returns to the server buffer.
17351 add a command to check the integrity of an nnfolder folder --
17352 go through the article numbers and see that there are no duplicates,
17356 `unsmileyfy-buffer' to undo smileification.
17359 a command to give all relevant info on an article, including all
17363 when doing `-request-accept-article', the backends should do
17364 the nnmail duplicate checking.
17367 allow `message-signature-file' to be a function to return the
17368 value of the signature file.
17371 In addition, I would love it if I could configure message-tab so that it
17372 could call `bbdb-complete-name' in other headers. So, some sort of
17375 (setq message-tab-alist
17376 '((message-header-regexp message-expand-group)
17377 ("^\\(To\\|[cC]c\\|[bB]cc\\)" bbdb-complete-name)))
17379 then you could run the relevant function to complete the information in
17383 cache the newsgroups file locally to avoid reloading it all the time.
17386 a command to import a buffer into a group.
17389 nnweb should allow fetching by Message-ID from servers.
17392 point in the article buffer doesn't always go to the
17393 beginning of the buffer when selecting new articles.
17396 a command to process mark all unread articles.
17399 `gnus-gather-threads-by-references-and-subject' -- first
17400 do gathering by references, and then go through the dummy roots and
17401 do more gathering by subject.
17404 gnus-uu-mark-in-numerical-order -- process mark articles in
17405 article numerical order.
17408 (gnus-thread-total-score
17409 (gnus-id-to-thread (mail-header-id (gnus-summary-article-header))))
17413 sorting by score is wrong when using sparse threads.
17416 a command to fetch an arbitrary article -- without having to be
17417 in the summary buffer.
17420 a new nncvs backend. Each group would show an article, using
17421 version branches as threading, checkin date as the date, etc.
17424 http://www.dejanews.com/forms/dnsetfilter_exp.html ?
17425 This filter allows one to construct advance queries on the Dejanews
17426 database such as specifying start and end dates, subject, author,
17427 and/or newsgroup name.
17430 new Date header scoring type -- older, newer
17433 use the summary toolbar in the article buffer.
17436 a command to fetch all articles that are less than X days old.
17439 in pick mode, `q' should save the list of selected articles in the
17440 group info. The next time the group is selected, these articles
17441 will automatically get the process mark.
17444 Isn't it possible to (also?) allow M-^ to automatically try the
17445 default server if it fails on the current server? (controlled by a
17446 user variable, (nil, t, 'ask)).
17449 make it possible to cancel articles using the select method for the
17453 `gnus-summary-select-article-on-entry' or something. It'll default
17454 to t and will select whatever article decided by `gnus-auto-select-first'.
17457 a new variable to control which selection commands should be unselecting.
17458 `first', `best', `next', `prev', `next-unread', `prev-unread' are
17462 be able to select groups that have no articles in them
17463 to be able to post in them (using the current select method).
17466 be able to post via DejaNews.
17469 `x' should retain any sortings that have been performed.
17472 allow the user to specify the precedence of the secondary marks. Also
17473 allow them to be displayed separately.
17476 gnus-summary-save-in-pipe should concatenate the results from
17477 the processes when doing a process marked pipe.
17480 a new match type, like Followup, but which adds Thread matches on all
17481 articles that match a certain From header.
17484 a function that can be read from kill-emacs-query-functions to offer
17485 saving living summary buffers.
17488 a function for selecting a particular group which will contain
17489 the articles listed in a list of article numbers/id's.
17492 a battery of character translation functions to translate common
17493 Mac, MS (etc) characters into ISO 8859-1.
17496 (defun article-fix-m$word ()
17497 "Fix M$Word smartquotes in an article."
17500 (let ((buffer-read-only nil))
17501 (goto-char (point-min))
17502 (while (search-forward "\221" nil t)
17503 (replace-match "`" t t))
17504 (goto-char (point-min))
17505 (while (search-forward "\222" nil t)
17506 (replace-match "'" t t))
17507 (goto-char (point-min))
17508 (while (search-forward "\223" nil t)
17509 (replace-match "\"" t t))
17510 (goto-char (point-min))
17511 (while (search-forward "\224" nil t)
17512 (replace-match "\"" t t)))))
17517 (add-hook 'gnus-exit-query-functions
17519 (if (and (file-exists-p nnmail-spool-file)
17520 (> (nnheader-file-size nnmail-spool-file) 0))
17521 (yes-or-no-p "New mail has arrived. Quit Gnus anyways? ")
17522 (y-or-n-p "Are you sure you want to quit Gnus? "))))
17526 allow message-default-headers to be a function.
17529 new Date score match types -- < > = (etc) that take floating point
17530 numbers and match on the age of the article.
17533 gnus-cacheable-groups
17537 > > > If so, I've got one gripe: It seems that when I fire up gnus 5.2.25
17538 > > > under xemacs-19.14, it's creating a new frame, but is erasing the
17539 > > > buffer in the frame that it was called from =:-O
17541 > > Hm. How do you start up Gnus? From the toolbar or with
17542 > > `M-x gnus-other-frame'?
17544 > I normally start it up from the toolbar; at
17545 > least that's the way I've caught it doing the
17550 all commands that react to the process mark should push
17551 the current process mark set onto the stack.
17554 gnus-article-hide-pgp
17555 Selv ville jeg nok ha valgt å slette den dersom teksten matcher
17557 "\\(This\s+\\)?[^ ]+ has been automatically signed by"
17559 og det er maks hundre tegn mellom match-end og ----linja. Men -det-
17560 er min type heuristikk og langt fra alles.
17563 `gnus-subscribe-sorted' -- insert new groups where they would have been
17564 sorted to if `gnus-group-sort-function' were run.
17567 gnus-(group,summary)-highlight should respect any `face' text props set
17571 use run-with-idle-timer for gnus-demon instead of the
17572 home-brewed stuff for better reliability.
17575 add a way to select which NoCeM type to apply -- spam, troll, etc.
17578 nndraft-request-group should tally autosave files.
17581 implement nntp-retry-on-break and nntp-command-timeout.
17584 gnus-article-highlight-limit that says when not to highlight (long)
17588 (nnoo-set SERVER VARIABLE VALUE)
17594 interrupitng agent fetching of articles should save articles.
17597 command to open a digest group, and copy all the articles there to the
17601 a variable to disable article body highlights if there's more than
17602 X characters in the body.
17605 handle 480/381 authinfo requests separately.
17608 include the texi/dir file in the distribution.
17611 format spec to "tab" to a position.
17614 Move all prompting to the new `M-n' default style.
17617 command to display all dormant articles.
17620 gnus-auto-select-next makeover -- list of things it should do.
17623 a score match type that adds scores matching on From if From has replied
17624 to something someone else has said.
17627 Read Netscape discussion groups:
17628 snews://secnews.netscape.com/netscape.communicator.unix
17631 One command to edit the original version if an article, and one to edit
17632 the displayed version.
17635 @kbd{T v} -- make all process-marked articles the children of the
17639 Switch from initial text to the new default text mechanism.
17642 How about making it possible to expire local articles? Will it be
17643 possible to make various constraints on when an article can be
17644 expired, e.g. (read), (age > 14 days), or the more interesting (read
17648 New limit command---limit to articles that have a certain string
17649 in the head or body.
17652 Allow breaking lengthy NNTP commands.
17655 gnus-article-highlight-limit, to disable highlighting in big articles.
17658 Editing an article should put the article to be edited
17659 in a special, unique buffer.
17662 A command to send a mail to the admin-address group param.
17665 A Date scoring type that will match if the article
17666 is less than a certain number of days old.
17669 New spec: %~(tab 56) to put point on column 56
17672 Allow Gnus Agent scoring to use normal score files.
17675 Rething the Agent active file thing. `M-g' doesn't update the active
17676 file, for instance.
17679 With dummy roots, `^' and then selecing the first article
17680 in any other dummy thread will make Gnus highlight the
17681 dummy root instead of the first article.
17684 Solve the halting problem.
17693 @section The Manual
17697 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
17698 either @code{texi2dvi}
17700 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
17701 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
17703 to get what you hold in your hands now.
17705 The following conventions have been used:
17710 This is a @samp{string}
17713 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
17716 This is a @file{file}
17719 This is a @code{symbol}
17723 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
17727 (setq flargnoze "yes")
17730 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
17733 (setq flumphel 'yes)
17736 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
17737 ever get them confused.
17741 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
17742 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
17743 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
17744 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
17745 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
17746 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
17747 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
17755 @section Terminology
17757 @cindex terminology
17762 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
17763 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
17764 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
17765 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
17766 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
17770 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
17771 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
17772 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
17773 not posting, and replying is not following up.
17777 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
17781 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
17786 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
17787 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
17788 is all done by the backends.
17792 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
17793 default, way of getting news.
17797 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
17798 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
17803 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
17804 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
17808 A message that has been posted as news.
17811 @cindex mail message
17812 A message that has been mailed.
17816 A mail message or news article
17820 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
17825 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
17830 A line from the head of an article.
17834 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
17835 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
17839 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
17840 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
17841 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
17842 normal @sc{head} format.
17846 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
17847 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
17848 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
17849 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
17850 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
17851 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
17853 @item killed groups
17854 @cindex killed groups
17855 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
17856 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
17858 @item zombie groups
17859 @cindex zombie groups
17860 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
17863 @cindex active file
17864 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
17865 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
17866 is rather large, as you might surmise.
17869 @cindex bogus groups
17870 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
17871 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
17872 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
17875 @cindex activating groups
17876 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
17877 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
17878 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
17882 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
17884 @item select method
17885 @cindex select method
17886 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
17889 @item virtual server
17890 @cindex virtual server
17891 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
17892 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
17893 whole is a virtual server.
17897 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
17898 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
17901 @item ephemeral groups
17902 @cindex ephemeral groups
17903 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
17904 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
17905 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
17908 @cindex solid groups
17909 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
17910 group buffer are solid groups.
17912 @item sparse articles
17913 @cindex sparse articles
17914 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
17915 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
17919 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
17920 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
17924 @cindex thread root
17925 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
17926 articles in the thread.
17930 An article that has responses.
17934 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
17938 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
17939 specified by RFC1153.
17945 @node Customization
17946 @section Customization
17947 @cindex general customization
17949 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
17950 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
17951 for some quite common situations.
17954 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
17955 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
17956 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
17957 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
17961 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
17962 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
17964 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
17965 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
17966 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
17970 @item gnus-read-active-file
17971 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
17972 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
17973 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
17974 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
17975 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
17977 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
17978 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
17979 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
17980 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
17984 @node Slow Terminal Connection
17985 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
17987 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
17988 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
17989 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
17993 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
17994 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
17995 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
17996 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
17997 horizontal and vertical recentering.
17999 @item gnus-visible-headers
18000 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
18001 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
18002 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
18003 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
18005 @item gnus-article-display-hook
18006 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
18008 (setq gnus-article-display-hook
18009 '(gnus-article-hide-headers gnus-article-hide-signature
18010 gnus-article-hide-citation))
18013 @item gnus-use-full-window
18014 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
18015 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
18016 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
18017 want to read them anyway.
18019 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
18020 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
18023 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
18024 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
18025 lines, which might save some time.
18029 @node Little Disk Space
18030 @subsection Little Disk Space
18033 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
18034 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
18038 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
18039 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
18040 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
18041 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
18044 @item gnus-save-killed-list
18045 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
18046 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
18047 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
18048 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
18054 @subsection Slow Machine
18055 @cindex slow machine
18057 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
18058 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
18060 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
18061 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
18063 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
18064 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
18065 summary buffer faster.
18067 Set @code{gnus-article-display-hook} to @code{nil} to make article
18068 processing a bit faster.
18072 @node Troubleshooting
18073 @section Troubleshooting
18074 @cindex troubleshooting
18076 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
18084 Make sure your computer is switched on.
18087 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
18088 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
18092 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
18093 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
18094 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
18095 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
18098 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
18102 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
18103 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
18104 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
18105 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
18106 something like that.
18109 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
18112 @cindex reporting bugs
18114 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
18116 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
18117 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
18118 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
18119 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
18121 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
18122 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
18123 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
18124 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
18127 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
18128 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
18129 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
18130 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
18131 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
18132 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
18134 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
18135 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
18136 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
18139 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
18140 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
18142 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
18143 @cindex ding mailing list
18144 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
18145 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
18149 @node A Programmers Guide to Gnus
18150 @section A Programmer@'s Guide to Gnus
18152 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
18153 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
18154 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
18155 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
18158 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
18159 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
18160 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
18161 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
18162 and general methods of operation.
18165 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
18166 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
18167 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
18168 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
18169 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
18170 * Group Info:: The group info format.
18171 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
18172 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
18173 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
18177 @node Gnus Utility Functions
18178 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
18179 @cindex Gnus utility functions
18180 @cindex utility functions
18182 @cindex internal variables
18184 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
18185 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
18186 Below is a list of the most common ones.
18190 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
18191 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
18192 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
18194 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
18195 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
18196 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
18198 @item gnus-group-real-name
18199 @findex gnus-group-real-name
18200 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
18203 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
18204 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
18205 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
18206 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
18208 @item gnus-get-info
18209 @findex gnus-get-info
18210 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
18212 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
18213 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
18214 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
18217 @item gnus-continuum-version
18218 @findex gnus-continuum-version
18219 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
18220 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
18223 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
18224 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
18225 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
18227 @item gnus-news-group-p
18228 @findex gnus-news-group-p
18229 Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
18231 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
18232 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
18233 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
18235 @item gnus-server-to-method
18236 @findex gnus-server-to-method
18237 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
18239 @item gnus-server-equal
18240 @findex gnus-server-equal
18241 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
18243 @item gnus-group-native-p
18244 @findex gnus-group-native-p
18245 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
18247 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
18248 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
18249 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
18251 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
18252 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
18253 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
18255 @item group-group-find-parameter
18256 @findex group-group-find-parameter
18257 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
18258 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
18260 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
18261 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
18262 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
18264 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
18265 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
18266 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
18268 @item gnus-check-backend-function
18269 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
18270 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
18271 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
18274 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
18278 @item gnus-read-method
18279 @findex gnus-read-method
18280 Prompts the user for a select method.
18285 @node Backend Interface
18286 @subsection Backend Interface
18288 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
18289 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
18290 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
18291 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
18292 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
18293 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
18295 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
18296 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
18297 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
18298 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
18299 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
18300 been opened, the function should fail.
18302 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
18303 name. Take this example:
18307 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
18308 (nntp-port-number 4324))
18311 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
18312 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
18314 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
18315 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
18316 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
18318 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
18319 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
18320 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
18322 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
18323 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
18324 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
18325 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
18326 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
18327 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
18330 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
18331 some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
18332 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
18333 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
18336 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
18339 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
18342 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
18343 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
18344 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
18345 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
18346 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
18347 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
18351 @node Required Backend Functions
18352 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
18356 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
18358 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
18359 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
18360 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
18361 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
18363 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
18364 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
18365 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
18366 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
18368 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
18369 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
18370 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
18371 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
18372 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
18373 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
18374 number, do maximum fetches.
18376 Here's an example HEAD:
18379 221 1056 Article retrieved.
18380 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
18381 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
18382 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
18383 Subject: Re: Something very droll
18384 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
18385 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
18387 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
18388 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
18389 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
18393 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
18394 these in the data buffer.
18396 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
18400 head = error / valid-head
18401 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
18402 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
18403 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
18404 header = <text> eol
18407 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
18408 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
18412 nov-buffer = *nov-line
18413 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
18414 field = <text except TAB>
18417 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
18421 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
18423 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
18424 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
18426 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
18427 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
18428 server. In fact, it should do so.
18430 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
18431 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
18434 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
18436 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
18437 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
18440 There should be no data returned.
18443 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
18445 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
18446 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
18447 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
18448 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
18450 There should be no data returned.
18453 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
18455 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
18456 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
18457 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
18458 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
18460 There should be no data returned.
18463 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
18465 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
18467 There should be no data returned.
18470 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
18472 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
18473 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
18474 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
18475 it would be nice if that were possible.
18477 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
18478 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
18479 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
18480 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
18481 into its article buffer.
18483 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
18484 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
18485 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
18486 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
18487 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
18488 on successful article retrieval.
18491 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
18493 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
18494 making @var{group} the current group.
18496 If @var{FAST}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
18499 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
18502 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
18505 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
18506 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
18507 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
18508 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
18509 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
18510 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
18511 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
18512 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
18515 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
18516 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
18517 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
18521 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
18523 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
18524 a no-op on most backends.
18526 There should be no data returned.
18529 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
18531 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
18534 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
18537 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
18538 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
18541 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
18542 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
18545 active-file = *active-line
18546 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
18548 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
18551 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
18552 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
18553 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
18556 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
18558 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
18559 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
18560 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
18561 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
18562 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
18563 clear if the posting could not be completed.
18565 There should be no result data from this function.
18570 @node Optional Backend Functions
18571 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
18575 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
18577 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
18578 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
18579 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
18581 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
18582 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
18583 former is in the same format as the data from
18584 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
18585 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
18588 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
18592 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
18594 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
18595 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
18596 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
18597 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
18598 should return the (altered) group info.
18600 There should be no result data from this function.
18603 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
18605 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
18606 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
18607 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
18608 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
18609 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
18610 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
18611 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
18612 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
18614 There should be no result data from this function.
18617 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
18619 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
18620 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
18621 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
18622 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
18623 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
18625 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
18626 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
18627 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
18630 There should be no result data from this function.
18633 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
18635 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
18636 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
18637 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
18638 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
18639 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
18640 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
18641 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
18643 There should be no result data from this function.
18646 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
18648 The result data from this function should be a description of
18652 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
18654 description = <text>
18657 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
18659 The result data from this function should be the description of all
18660 groups available on the server.
18663 description-buffer = *description-line
18667 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
18669 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
18670 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
18671 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
18674 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
18676 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
18678 There should be no return data.
18681 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
18683 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
18684 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
18685 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
18686 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
18687 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
18690 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
18693 There should be no result data returned.
18696 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
18699 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
18700 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
18702 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
18703 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
18704 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
18705 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
18706 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
18707 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
18709 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
18710 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
18713 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
18714 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
18716 There should be no data returned.
18719 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
18721 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
18722 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
18723 this function in short order.
18725 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
18726 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
18728 There should be no data returned.
18731 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
18733 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
18734 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
18736 There should be no data returned.
18739 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
18741 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
18742 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
18743 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
18745 There should be no data returned.
18748 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
18750 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
18751 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
18753 There should be no data returned.
18758 @node Error Messaging
18759 @subsubsection Error Messaging
18761 @findex nnheader-report
18762 @findex nnheader-get-report
18763 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
18764 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
18765 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
18766 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
18767 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
18768 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
18771 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
18773 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
18776 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
18777 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
18778 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
18779 takes one argument---the server symbol.
18781 Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
18782 so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
18783 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
18786 @node Writing New Backends
18787 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
18789 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
18790 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
18791 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
18792 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
18793 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
18796 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
18797 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
18798 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
18800 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
18801 package called @code{nnoo}.
18803 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
18804 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
18810 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
18811 parameters. For instance:
18814 (nnoo-declare nndir
18818 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
18819 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
18822 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
18823 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
18824 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
18826 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
18827 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
18828 a function in those backends.
18831 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
18832 "Where nndir will look for groups."
18833 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
18836 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
18837 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
18838 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
18840 @item nnoo-define-basics
18841 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
18845 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
18849 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
18850 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
18851 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
18853 @item nnoo-map-functions
18854 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
18855 functions from the parent backends.
18858 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
18859 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
18860 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
18863 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
18864 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
18865 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
18866 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
18869 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
18870 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
18871 haven't already been defined.
18877 nnmh-request-newgroups)
18881 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
18882 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
18883 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
18888 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
18891 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
18892 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
18896 (require 'nnheader)
18900 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
18902 (nnoo-declare nndir
18905 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
18906 "Where nndir will look for groups."
18907 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
18909 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
18910 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
18913 (defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
18914 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
18915 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
18917 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
18918 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
18920 ;;; Interface functions.
18922 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
18924 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
18925 (setq nndir-directory
18926 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
18928 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
18929 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
18930 (push `(nndir-current-group
18931 ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
18933 (push `(nndir-top-directory
18934 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
18936 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
18938 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
18939 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
18940 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
18941 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
18942 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
18946 nnmh-status-message
18948 nnmh-request-newgroups))
18954 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
18955 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
18957 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
18958 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
18959 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
18960 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
18962 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
18963 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
18968 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
18971 The abilities can be:
18975 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
18977 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
18979 This backend supports both mail and news.
18981 This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
18984 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
18985 articles and groups.
18987 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
18988 true for almost all backends.
18989 @item prompt-address
18990 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
18991 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
18992 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
18996 @node Mail-like Backends
18997 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
18999 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
19000 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
19001 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
19002 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
19005 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
19006 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
19007 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
19010 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
19011 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
19014 This function takes four parameters.
19018 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
19021 @item exit-function
19022 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
19024 @item temp-directory
19025 Where the temporary files should be stored.
19028 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
19029 performed for one group only.
19032 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
19033 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
19034 find the article number assigned to this article.
19036 The function also uses the following variables:
19037 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
19038 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
19039 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
19040 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
19044 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
19045 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
19049 @node Score File Syntax
19050 @subsection Score File Syntax
19052 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
19053 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
19054 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
19056 Here's a typical score file:
19060 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
19067 BNF definition of a score file:
19070 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
19071 element = rule / atom
19072 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
19073 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
19074 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
19075 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
19077 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
19078 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
19079 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
19080 date-header = "date"
19081 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
19082 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
19083 score = "nil" / <integer>
19084 date = "nil" / <natural number>
19085 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
19086 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
19087 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
19088 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
19089 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
19090 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
19091 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
19092 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
19093 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
19094 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
19095 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
19096 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
19097 exclude-files / read-only / touched
19098 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
19099 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
19100 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
19101 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
19102 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
19103 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
19104 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
19105 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
19106 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
19107 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
19108 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
19109 eval = "eval" space <form>
19110 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
19113 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
19116 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
19117 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
19118 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
19119 one looong line, then that's ok.
19121 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
19122 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
19126 @subsection Headers
19128 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
19129 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
19130 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
19131 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
19133 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
19134 RFC1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
19135 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
19136 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
19137 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
19138 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
19139 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
19141 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
19142 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
19143 @code{xref}. There are macros for accessing and setting these
19144 slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
19145 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
19147 The @code{xref} slot is really a @code{misc} slot. Any extra info will
19154 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
19155 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
19157 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
19158 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
19159 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
19160 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
19162 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
19166 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
19169 is transformed into
19172 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
19175 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
19176 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
19179 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
19182 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
19183 is slightly tricky:
19186 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
19192 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
19195 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
19201 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
19208 and is equal to the previous range.
19210 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
19211 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
19212 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
19216 range = simple-range / normal-range
19217 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
19218 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
19219 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
19220 number *[ " " contents ]
19223 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
19224 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
19225 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
19226 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
19227 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
19232 @subsection Group Info
19234 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
19235 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
19236 describes the group.
19238 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
19239 second is a more complex one:
19242 ("no.group" 5 (1 . 54324))
19244 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
19245 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
19247 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
19250 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
19251 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
19252 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
19253 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
19254 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
19255 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
19256 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
19257 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
19258 this section is about.
19260 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
19261 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
19262 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
19264 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
19267 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
19268 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
19269 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
19270 group = quote <string> quote
19271 ralevel = rank / level
19272 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
19273 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
19274 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
19276 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
19277 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
19278 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
19279 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
19282 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
19283 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
19286 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
19287 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
19290 @item gnus-info-group
19291 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
19292 @findex gnus-info-group
19293 @findex gnus-info-set-group
19294 Get/set the group name.
19296 @item gnus-info-rank
19297 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
19298 @findex gnus-info-rank
19299 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
19300 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
19302 @item gnus-info-level
19303 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
19304 @findex gnus-info-level
19305 @findex gnus-info-set-level
19306 Get/set the group level.
19308 @item gnus-info-score
19309 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
19310 @findex gnus-info-score
19311 @findex gnus-info-set-score
19312 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
19314 @item gnus-info-read
19315 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
19316 @findex gnus-info-read
19317 @findex gnus-info-set-read
19318 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
19320 @item gnus-info-marks
19321 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
19322 @findex gnus-info-marks
19323 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
19324 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
19326 @item gnus-info-method
19327 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
19328 @findex gnus-info-method
19329 @findex gnus-info-set-method
19330 Get/set the group select method.
19332 @item gnus-info-params
19333 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
19334 @findex gnus-info-params
19335 @findex gnus-info-set-params
19336 Get/set the group parameters.
19339 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
19340 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
19342 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
19343 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
19344 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
19345 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
19348 @node Extended Interactive
19349 @subsection Extended Interactive
19350 @cindex interactive
19351 @findex gnus-interactive
19353 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
19354 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
19355 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
19358 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
19359 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
19364 The best thing to do would have been to implement
19365 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
19366 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
19367 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
19368 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
19369 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
19370 @code{interactive}.
19372 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
19377 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
19378 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
19382 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
19383 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
19384 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
19387 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
19391 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
19395 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
19401 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
19402 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
19406 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
19407 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
19408 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
19410 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
19411 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
19412 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
19413 Gnus, that's very useful.
19415 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
19416 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
19417 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
19418 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
19419 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
19420 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
19421 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
19422 following function:
19425 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
19429 (,function ,@@args))
19433 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
19434 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
19435 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
19438 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
19439 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
19440 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
19442 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
19443 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
19444 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
19447 @node Various File Formats
19448 @subsection Various File Formats
19451 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
19452 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
19456 @node Active File Format
19457 @subsubsection Active File Format
19459 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
19460 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
19463 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
19466 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
19467 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
19468 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
19469 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
19470 no.general 1000 900 y
19473 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
19476 active = *group-line
19477 group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
19478 group = <non-white-space string>
19480 high-number = <non-negative integer>
19481 low-number = <positive integer>
19482 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
19485 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
19486 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
19489 @node Newsgroups File Format
19490 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
19492 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
19493 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
19494 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
19497 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
19498 Here's the definition:
19502 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
19503 group = <non-white-space string>
19505 description = <string>
19510 @node Emacs for Heathens
19511 @section Emacs for Heathens
19513 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
19514 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
19515 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
19516 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
19517 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
19518 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
19519 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
19523 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
19524 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
19529 @subsection Keystrokes
19533 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
19536 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
19539 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
19540 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
19541 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
19542 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
19543 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
19544 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
19546 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
19547 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
19548 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
19549 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
19550 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
19551 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
19552 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
19554 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
19555 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
19556 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
19557 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
19558 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
19559 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
19560 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
19562 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
19563 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
19564 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
19565 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
19566 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
19572 @subsection Emacs Lisp
19574 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
19575 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
19576 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
19577 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
19579 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
19580 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
19581 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
19582 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
19583 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
19584 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
19585 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
19588 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
19589 write the following:
19592 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
19595 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
19596 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
19597 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
19600 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
19601 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
19602 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
19603 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
19604 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
19606 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
19607 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
19608 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
19612 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
19616 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
19619 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
19620 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
19623 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
19626 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
19627 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
19630 @include gnus-faq.texi