10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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282 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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291 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
293 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
296 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
297 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
298 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
299 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
300 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
301 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
302 License'' in the Emacs manual.
304 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
305 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
306 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
308 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
309 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
310 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
311 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
319 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
321 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
322 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
324 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
325 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
326 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
327 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
328 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
329 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
330 License'' in the Emacs manual.
332 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
333 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
334 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
336 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
337 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
338 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
339 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
347 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
350 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
351 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
353 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
355 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
356 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
357 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
358 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
359 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
360 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
361 License'' in the Emacs manual.
363 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
364 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
365 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
367 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
368 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
369 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
370 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
379 @top The Gnus Newsreader
383 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
384 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
385 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
388 This manual corresponds to Oort Gnus v0.10.
399 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
400 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
402 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
403 being accused of plagiarism:
405 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
406 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
407 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
408 can even read news with it!
410 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
411 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
412 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
413 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
414 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
420 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
421 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
422 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
423 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
424 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
425 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
426 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
427 * Various:: General purpose settings.
428 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
429 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
430 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
431 * Key Index:: Key Index.
433 Other related manuals
435 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
436 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; MIME-specific parts.
437 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
438 * PGG:(pgg). PGP/MIME with Gnus.
441 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
445 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
446 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
447 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
448 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
449 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
450 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
451 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
452 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
453 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
454 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
455 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
459 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
460 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
461 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
465 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
466 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
467 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
468 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
469 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
470 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
471 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
472 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
473 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
474 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
475 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
476 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
477 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
478 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
479 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
480 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
481 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
485 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
486 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
487 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
491 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
492 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
493 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
494 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
495 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
499 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
500 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
501 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
502 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
503 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
507 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
508 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
509 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
510 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
511 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
512 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
513 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
514 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
515 * Threading:: How threads are made.
516 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
517 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
518 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
519 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
520 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
521 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
522 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
523 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
524 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
525 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
526 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
527 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
528 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
529 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
530 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
531 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
532 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
533 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
534 or reselecting the current group.
535 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
536 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
537 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
538 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
540 Summary Buffer Format
542 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
543 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
544 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
545 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
549 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
550 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
552 Reply, Followup and Post
554 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
555 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
556 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
557 * Canceling and Superseding::
561 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
562 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
563 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
565 * Generic Marking Commands::
566 * Setting Process Marks::
570 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
571 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
572 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
576 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
577 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
579 Customizing Threading
581 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
582 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
583 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
584 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
588 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
589 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
590 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
591 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
592 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
593 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
597 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
598 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
599 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
603 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
604 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
605 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
606 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
607 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
608 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
609 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
610 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
611 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
612 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
614 Alternative Approaches
616 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
617 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
619 Various Summary Stuff
621 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
622 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
623 * Summary Generation Commands::
624 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
628 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
629 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
630 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
631 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
632 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
636 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
637 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
638 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
639 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
640 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
641 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
642 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
643 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
647 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
648 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
649 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
650 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
651 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
652 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
653 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
654 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
658 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
659 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
660 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
661 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
662 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
663 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
664 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
668 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
669 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
673 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
674 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
675 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
679 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
680 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
681 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
682 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
683 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
684 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
685 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
686 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
687 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
688 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
689 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
690 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
691 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
695 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
696 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
697 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
699 Choosing a Mail Back End
701 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
702 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
703 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
704 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
705 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
706 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
711 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
712 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
713 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
714 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
715 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
716 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
720 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
721 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
722 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
723 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
724 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
728 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
729 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
730 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
731 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
732 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
736 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
740 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
741 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
742 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
746 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
747 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
751 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
752 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
753 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
754 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
755 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
756 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
757 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
758 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
759 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
760 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
761 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
765 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
766 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
767 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
771 * Group Agent Commands::
772 * Summary Agent Commands::
773 * Server Agent Commands::
777 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
778 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
779 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
780 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
781 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
782 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
783 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
784 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
785 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
786 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
787 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
788 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
789 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
790 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
791 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
792 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
793 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
797 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
798 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
799 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
800 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
804 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
805 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
806 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
810 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
811 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
812 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
813 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
814 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
815 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
816 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
817 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
818 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
819 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
820 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
821 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
822 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
823 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
824 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
825 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
826 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
827 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
828 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
832 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
833 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
834 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
835 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
836 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
837 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
838 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
839 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
843 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
844 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
845 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
846 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
847 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
851 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
852 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
853 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
854 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
855 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
859 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
860 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
861 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
862 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
863 * Filtering Spam Using spam.el::
864 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics (spam-stat.el)::
868 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
869 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
870 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
871 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
872 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
873 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
874 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
875 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
876 * Frequently Asked Questions::
880 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
881 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
882 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
883 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
884 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
885 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
886 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
887 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
888 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
892 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
893 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
894 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
895 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
896 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
900 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
901 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
902 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
903 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
907 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
908 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
909 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
910 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
911 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
912 * Group Info:: The group info format.
913 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
914 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
915 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
919 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
920 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
921 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
922 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
923 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
924 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
928 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
929 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
933 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
934 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
940 @chapter Starting Gnus
945 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
946 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
949 @findex gnus-other-frame
950 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
951 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
952 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
954 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
955 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
956 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
958 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
959 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
962 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
963 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
964 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
965 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
966 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
967 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
968 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
969 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
970 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
971 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
972 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
976 @node Finding the News
977 @section Finding the News
980 @vindex gnus-select-method
982 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
983 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
984 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
985 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
988 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
989 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
992 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
995 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
998 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1001 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1002 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1003 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1005 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1007 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
1008 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1009 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1010 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1011 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
1012 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
1014 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1015 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1016 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1017 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1019 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1020 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1021 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1022 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1023 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1024 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1025 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1026 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1027 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1030 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1032 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1033 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1034 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1035 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1036 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1037 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1039 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1041 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1042 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1043 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1044 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1045 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1046 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1049 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1050 you would typically set this variable to
1053 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1057 @node The First Time
1058 @section The First Time
1059 @cindex first time usage
1061 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
1062 be subscribed by default.
1064 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1065 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1066 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1067 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1070 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1071 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1072 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1074 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1075 help you with most common problems.
1077 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1078 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1082 @node The Server is Down
1083 @section The Server is Down
1084 @cindex server errors
1086 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1087 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1088 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1090 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1091 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1092 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1093 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1094 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1095 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1096 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1098 @findex gnus-no-server
1099 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1101 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1102 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1103 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1104 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1105 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1106 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1107 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1111 @section Slave Gnusae
1114 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1115 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1116 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1117 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1119 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1120 @code{.newsrc} file.
1122 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1123 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1124 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1125 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1126 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1127 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1128 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1130 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1131 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1132 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1133 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1134 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1135 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1136 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1137 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1139 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1140 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1142 If the @code{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1143 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1144 file. If you answer "yes", the unsaved changes to the master will be
1145 incorporated into the slave. If you answer "no", the slave may see some
1146 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1148 @node Fetching a Group
1149 @section Fetching a Group
1150 @cindex fetching a group
1152 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1153 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1154 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1155 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1156 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1157 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1163 @cindex subscription
1165 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1166 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1167 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1168 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1169 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1170 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1171 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1172 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1173 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1176 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1177 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1178 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1182 @node Checking New Groups
1183 @subsection Checking New Groups
1185 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1186 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1187 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1188 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1189 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1190 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1191 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1192 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1193 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1194 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1196 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1197 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1198 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1199 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1200 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1201 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1202 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1203 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1204 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1205 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1206 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1208 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1209 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1210 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1211 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1212 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1213 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1216 @node Subscription Methods
1217 @subsection Subscription Methods
1219 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1220 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1221 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1223 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1224 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1226 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1230 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1231 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1232 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1233 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1234 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1236 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1237 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1238 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1239 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1241 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1242 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1243 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1245 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1246 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1247 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1248 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1249 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1250 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1251 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1252 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1253 up. Or something like that.
1255 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1256 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1257 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1258 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1259 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1261 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1262 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1263 Kill all new groups.
1265 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1266 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1267 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1268 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1269 topic parameter that looks like
1275 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1278 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1283 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1284 A closely related variable is
1285 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1286 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1287 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1288 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1291 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1292 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1293 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1294 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1297 @node Filtering New Groups
1298 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1300 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1301 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1302 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1305 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1308 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1309 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1310 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1311 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1312 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1313 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1314 subscribing these groups.
1315 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1316 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1318 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1319 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1320 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1321 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1322 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1323 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1324 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1325 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1327 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1328 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1329 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1330 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1331 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1332 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1333 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1334 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1335 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1336 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1339 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1340 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1343 @node Changing Servers
1344 @section Changing Servers
1345 @cindex changing servers
1347 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1348 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1349 very flaky and you want to use another.
1351 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1352 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1356 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1357 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1358 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1359 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1362 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1363 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1364 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1365 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1367 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1368 @findex gnus-change-server
1369 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1370 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1371 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1372 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1373 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1375 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1376 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1377 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1378 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1379 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1381 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1382 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1383 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1384 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1385 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1386 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1388 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1389 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1390 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1391 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1393 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1394 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1395 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1396 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1397 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1398 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1399 cache for all groups).
1403 @section Startup Files
1404 @cindex startup files
1409 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1410 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1412 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1413 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1414 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1415 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1416 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1417 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1418 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1420 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1421 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1422 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1423 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1424 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1425 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1427 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1428 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1429 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1430 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1431 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1432 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1433 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1434 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1435 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1436 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1438 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1439 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1440 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1441 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1442 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1443 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1444 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1445 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1446 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1447 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1448 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1449 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1451 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1452 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1453 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1454 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1456 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1457 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1458 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1459 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1460 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1461 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1462 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1463 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1464 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1465 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1468 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1469 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1471 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1472 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1475 @vindex gnus-init-file
1476 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1477 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1478 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1479 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1480 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1481 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1482 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1483 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1484 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1490 @cindex dribble file
1493 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1494 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1495 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1496 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1497 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1500 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1501 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1504 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1505 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1506 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1508 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1509 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1510 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1511 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1512 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1513 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1515 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1516 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1517 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1520 @node The Active File
1521 @section The Active File
1523 @cindex ignored groups
1525 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1526 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1527 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1529 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1530 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1531 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1532 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1533 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1534 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1535 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1538 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1539 @c if you set it to anything else.
1541 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1543 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1544 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1545 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1547 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1548 you actually subscribe to.
1550 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1551 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1552 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1553 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1555 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1556 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1557 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1558 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1559 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1560 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1562 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1563 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1564 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1567 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1568 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1569 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1570 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1571 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1572 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1574 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1575 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1577 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1578 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1580 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1581 secondary select methods.
1584 @node Startup Variables
1585 @section Startup Variables
1589 @item gnus-load-hook
1590 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1591 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1592 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1593 times you start Gnus.
1595 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1596 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1597 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1599 @item gnus-startup-hook
1600 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1601 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1603 @item gnus-started-hook
1604 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1605 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1608 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1609 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1610 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1611 generating the group buffer.
1613 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1614 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1615 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1616 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1617 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1618 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1619 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1620 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1622 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1623 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1624 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1625 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1626 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1627 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1629 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1630 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1631 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1633 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1634 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1635 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1637 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1638 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1639 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1640 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1646 @chapter Group Buffer
1647 @cindex group buffer
1649 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1651 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1652 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1653 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1654 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1655 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1656 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1657 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1658 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1659 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1660 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1661 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1662 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1663 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1664 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1665 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1666 @c human rights at 9...
1669 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1670 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1671 long as Gnus is active.
1675 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1676 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1677 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1678 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1679 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1680 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1681 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1682 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1688 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1689 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1690 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1691 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1692 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1693 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1694 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1695 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1696 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1697 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1698 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1699 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1700 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1701 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1702 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1703 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1704 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1708 @node Group Buffer Format
1709 @section Group Buffer Format
1712 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1713 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1714 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1718 @node Group Line Specification
1719 @subsection Group Line Specification
1720 @cindex group buffer format
1722 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1723 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1725 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1728 25: news.announce.newusers
1729 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1734 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1735 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1736 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1737 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1739 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1740 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1741 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1742 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1743 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1744 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1746 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1748 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1749 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1750 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1751 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1752 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1754 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1755 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1756 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1758 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1763 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1766 Whether the group is subscribed.
1769 Level of subscribedness.
1772 Number of unread articles.
1775 Number of dormant articles.
1778 Number of ticked articles.
1781 Number of read articles.
1784 Number of unseen articles.
1787 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1788 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1790 Gnus uses this estimation because the @sc{nntp} protocol provides
1791 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1792 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1793 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1794 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1795 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1796 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1797 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1800 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1803 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1812 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1813 comment element in the group parameters.
1816 Newsgroup description.
1819 @samp{m} if moderated.
1822 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1828 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1834 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1838 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1841 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1842 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1843 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1844 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1845 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1848 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1850 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1854 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1857 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1861 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1862 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1863 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1864 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1865 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1866 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1871 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1872 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1873 group, or a bogus native group.
1876 @node Group Modeline Specification
1877 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1878 @cindex group modeline
1880 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1881 The mode line can be changed by setting
1882 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1883 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1887 The native news server.
1889 The native select method.
1893 @node Group Highlighting
1894 @subsection Group Highlighting
1895 @cindex highlighting
1896 @cindex group highlighting
1898 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1899 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1900 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1901 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1902 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1904 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1908 (cond (window-system
1909 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1910 (defface my-group-face-1
1911 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1912 (defface my-group-face-2
1913 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1914 (defface my-group-face-3
1915 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1916 (defface my-group-face-4
1917 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1918 (defface my-group-face-5
1919 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1921 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1922 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1923 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1924 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1925 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1926 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1929 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1931 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1938 The number of unread articles in the group.
1942 Whether the group is a mail group.
1944 The level of the group.
1946 The score of the group.
1948 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1950 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1951 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1953 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1954 topic being inserted.
1957 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1958 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1959 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1961 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1962 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1963 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1964 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1965 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1968 @node Group Maneuvering
1969 @section Group Maneuvering
1970 @cindex group movement
1972 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1973 expected, hopefully.
1979 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1980 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1981 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1987 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1988 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1989 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1993 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1994 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1998 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1999 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2003 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2004 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2005 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2009 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2010 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2011 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2014 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2020 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2021 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2022 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2027 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2028 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2029 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2033 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2034 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2035 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2038 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2039 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2040 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2041 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2045 @node Selecting a Group
2046 @section Selecting a Group
2047 @cindex group selection
2052 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2053 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2054 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2055 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2056 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2057 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2058 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
2059 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
2060 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
2061 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
2063 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2064 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2065 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2067 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2068 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2073 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2074 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2075 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2076 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2077 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2081 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2082 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2083 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2084 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2085 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2086 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2087 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2088 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2089 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2090 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2093 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2094 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2095 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2096 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2097 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2100 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2101 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2102 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2103 doing any processing of its contents
2104 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2105 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2106 manner will have no permanent effects.
2110 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2111 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
2112 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2113 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2114 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2115 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2116 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2117 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2120 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2121 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2122 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2123 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2124 Which article this is is controlled by the
2125 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2131 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2134 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2137 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2139 @item unseen-or-unread
2140 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2141 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2145 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2149 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2150 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2152 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2153 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2154 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2155 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2159 @node Subscription Commands
2160 @section Subscription Commands
2161 @cindex subscription
2169 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2170 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2171 Toggle subscription to the current group
2172 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2178 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2179 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2180 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2181 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2187 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2188 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2189 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2195 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2196 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2199 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2200 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2201 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2202 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2203 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2209 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2210 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2214 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2215 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2218 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2219 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2220 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2221 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2222 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2223 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2224 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2225 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2226 @file{.newsrc} file.
2230 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2240 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2241 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2242 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2243 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2244 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2245 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2250 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2251 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2252 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2256 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2257 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2258 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2260 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2261 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2262 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2263 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2264 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2265 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2272 @section Group Levels
2276 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2277 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2278 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2279 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2280 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2282 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2288 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2289 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2290 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2291 prompted for a level.
2294 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2295 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2296 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2297 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2298 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2299 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2300 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2301 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2302 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2303 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2304 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2305 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2306 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2307 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2308 reasons of efficiency.
2310 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2311 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2313 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2314 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2315 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2316 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2317 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2318 groups are hidden, in a way.
2320 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2321 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2322 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2323 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2324 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2325 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2327 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2328 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2329 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2330 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2331 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2332 list of killed groups.)
2334 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2335 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2336 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2338 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2339 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2340 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2341 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2342 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2343 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2344 relevant valid ranges.
2346 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2347 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2348 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2349 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2350 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2351 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2354 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2355 one with the best level.
2357 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2358 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2359 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2362 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2363 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2364 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2365 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2368 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2369 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2370 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2371 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2373 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2374 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2375 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2376 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2377 to 5. The default is 6.
2381 @section Group Score
2386 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2387 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2388 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2391 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2392 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2393 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2394 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2395 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2396 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2397 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2398 least significant part.))
2400 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2401 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2402 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2403 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2404 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2405 action after each summary exit, you can add
2406 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2407 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2408 slow things down somewhat.
2411 @node Marking Groups
2412 @section Marking Groups
2413 @cindex marking groups
2415 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2416 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2417 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2418 bidding on those groups.
2420 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2421 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2422 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2430 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2431 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2437 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2438 Remove the mark from the current group
2439 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2443 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2444 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2448 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2449 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2453 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2454 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2458 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2459 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2460 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2463 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2465 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2466 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2467 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2468 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2469 the command to be executed.
2472 @node Foreign Groups
2473 @section Foreign Groups
2474 @cindex foreign groups
2476 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2477 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2478 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2479 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2486 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2487 @cindex making groups
2488 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2489 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2490 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2494 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2495 @cindex renaming groups
2496 Rename the current group to something else
2497 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2498 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2504 @findex gnus-group-customize
2505 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2509 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2510 @cindex renaming groups
2511 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2512 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2516 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2517 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2518 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2522 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2523 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2524 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2528 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2530 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2531 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2536 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2537 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2541 @cindex (ding) archive
2542 @cindex archive group
2543 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2544 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2545 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2546 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2547 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2548 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2549 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2553 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2555 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2556 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2557 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2558 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2562 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2564 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2565 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2566 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2570 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2571 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2573 Make a group based on some file or other
2574 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2575 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2576 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2577 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2578 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2579 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2580 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2581 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2582 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2586 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2587 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2588 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2589 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2593 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2597 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2598 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2599 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2600 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2601 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2602 @xref{Web Searches}.
2604 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2605 to a particular group by using a match string like
2606 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2609 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2610 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2611 This function will delete the current group
2612 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2613 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2614 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2615 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2616 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2620 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2621 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2622 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2626 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2627 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2628 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2631 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2634 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2635 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2636 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2637 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2638 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2639 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2643 @node Group Parameters
2644 @section Group Parameters
2645 @cindex group parameters
2647 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2648 Here's an example group parameter list:
2651 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2655 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2656 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2657 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2658 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2660 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2661 is an alist of regexps and values.
2663 The following group parameters can be used:
2668 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2671 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2674 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2675 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2676 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2677 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2678 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2680 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2681 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2682 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2683 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2684 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2685 list address instead.
2687 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2691 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2694 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2697 It is totally ignored
2698 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2699 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2701 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2702 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2703 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2704 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2705 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2707 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2708 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2709 sending the message.
2711 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2712 @cindex Mail List Groups
2713 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2714 entering summary buffer.
2716 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2721 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2722 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2723 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2724 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2725 headers for your posts to these lists. Look here @pxref{(message)Mailing
2726 Lists} for a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2728 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2729 directly uses this group parameter.
2733 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2734 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2735 of whether it has any unread articles.
2737 @item broken-reply-to
2738 @cindex broken-reply-to
2739 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2740 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2741 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2742 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2743 broken behavior. So there!
2747 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2748 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2752 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2753 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2754 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2759 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2760 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2761 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2762 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2763 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2764 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2765 (@pxref{Archived Messages}). CAVEAT:: It yields an error putting
2766 @code{(gcc-self . t)} in groups of a @code{nntp} server or so, because
2767 a @code{nntp} server doesn't accept articles.
2771 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2772 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2773 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2775 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2778 @cindex total-expire
2779 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2780 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2781 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2782 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2785 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2789 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2790 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2791 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2792 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2793 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2794 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2795 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2798 @cindex score file group parameter
2799 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2800 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2801 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2804 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2805 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2806 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2807 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2810 @cindex admin-address
2811 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2812 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2813 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2814 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2818 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2819 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2823 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2826 Display the last INTEGER articles in the group. This is the same as
2827 entering the group with C-u INTEGER.
2830 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2834 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2836 Here are some examples:
2840 Display only unread articles.
2843 Display everything except expirable articles.
2845 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2846 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2850 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2851 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2852 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2853 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2854 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2858 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2859 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2860 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2864 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2865 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2866 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2870 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2871 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2872 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2874 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2876 @item ignored-charsets
2877 @cindex ignored-charset
2878 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2879 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2880 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2882 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2885 @cindex posting-style
2886 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2887 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2888 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2889 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2890 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2892 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2893 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2894 like this in the group parameters:
2899 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2904 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2905 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2909 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2910 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2911 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2912 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2913 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2917 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2918 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2919 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2920 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2922 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2923 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2924 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2925 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2928 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2929 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2933 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2936 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2937 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2938 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2939 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2940 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2941 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2942 @code{eval}ed there.
2944 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
2945 A use for this feature, is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
2946 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
2947 @samp{nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps} has the tag
2948 @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this tag can be
2949 removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for the group by
2950 putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")} into the group
2951 parameters for the group.
2954 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2955 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2956 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2957 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2958 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2962 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2963 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2964 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2965 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2966 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2968 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2969 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2973 (setq gnus-parameters
2975 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2976 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2977 (gnus-summary-line-format
2978 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2982 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2986 (gnus-use-scoring t))
2990 (broken-reply-to . t))))
2993 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
2994 the @code{to-group} example shows.
2997 @node Listing Groups
2998 @section Listing Groups
2999 @cindex group listing
3001 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3009 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3010 List all groups that have unread articles
3011 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3012 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3013 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
3014 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3021 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3022 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3023 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3024 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3025 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3026 unsubscribed groups).
3030 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3031 List all unread groups on a specific level
3032 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3033 with no unread articles.
3037 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3038 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3039 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3040 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3045 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3046 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3050 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3051 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3052 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3056 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3057 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3061 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3062 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3063 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3064 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3065 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3066 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3067 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3068 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3072 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3073 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3074 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3078 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3079 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3080 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3084 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3085 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3089 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3090 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3094 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3095 List groups limited within the current selection
3096 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3100 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3101 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3105 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3106 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3110 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3111 @cindex visible group parameter
3112 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3113 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3114 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3115 get the same effect.
3117 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3118 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3119 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3120 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3121 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3124 @node Sorting Groups
3125 @section Sorting Groups
3126 @cindex sorting groups
3128 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3129 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3130 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3131 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3132 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3133 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3138 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3139 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3140 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3142 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3143 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3144 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3146 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3147 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3148 Sort by group level.
3150 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3151 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3152 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3154 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3155 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3156 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3157 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3159 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3160 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3161 Sort by number of unread articles.
3163 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3164 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3165 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3167 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3168 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3169 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3174 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3175 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3179 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3180 some sorting criteria:
3184 @kindex G S a (Group)
3185 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3186 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3187 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3190 @kindex G S u (Group)
3191 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3192 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3193 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3196 @kindex G S l (Group)
3197 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3198 Sort the group buffer by group level
3199 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3202 @kindex G S v (Group)
3203 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3204 Sort the group buffer by group score
3205 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3208 @kindex G S r (Group)
3209 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3210 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3211 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3214 @kindex G S m (Group)
3215 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3216 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3217 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3220 @kindex G S n (Group)
3221 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3222 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3223 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3227 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3228 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3230 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3231 commands will sort in reverse order.
3233 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3237 @kindex G P a (Group)
3238 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3239 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3240 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3243 @kindex G P u (Group)
3244 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3245 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3246 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3249 @kindex G P l (Group)
3250 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3251 Sort the groups by group level
3252 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3255 @kindex G P v (Group)
3256 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3257 Sort the groups by group score
3258 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3261 @kindex G P r (Group)
3262 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3263 Sort the groups by group rank
3264 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3267 @kindex G P m (Group)
3268 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3269 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3270 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3273 @kindex G P n (Group)
3274 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3275 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3276 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3279 @kindex G P s (Group)
3280 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3281 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3285 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3289 @node Group Maintenance
3290 @section Group Maintenance
3291 @cindex bogus groups
3296 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3297 Find bogus groups and delete them
3298 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3302 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3303 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3304 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3305 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3306 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3310 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3311 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3312 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3313 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3314 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3315 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3318 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3319 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3320 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3321 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3326 @node Browse Foreign Server
3327 @section Browse Foreign Server
3328 @cindex foreign servers
3329 @cindex browsing servers
3334 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3335 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3336 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3337 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3340 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3341 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3342 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3343 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3345 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3350 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3351 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3355 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3356 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3359 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3360 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3361 Enter the current group and display the first article
3362 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3365 @kindex RET (Browse)
3366 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3367 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3371 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3372 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3373 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3379 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3380 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3384 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3385 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3389 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3390 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3391 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3396 @section Exiting Gnus
3397 @cindex exiting Gnus
3399 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3404 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3405 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3406 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3407 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3411 @findex gnus-group-exit
3412 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3413 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3417 @findex gnus-group-quit
3418 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3419 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3422 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3423 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3424 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3425 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3426 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3431 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3432 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3433 trying to customize meta-variables.
3438 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3439 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3440 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3446 @section Group Topics
3449 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3450 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3451 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3452 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3453 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3454 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3458 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3459 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3470 2: alt.religion.emacs
3473 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3475 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3476 13: comp.sources.unix
3479 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3481 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3482 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3483 is a toggling command.)
3485 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3486 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and
3487 now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3488 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3491 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3492 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3493 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3496 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3500 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3501 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3502 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3503 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3504 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3508 @node Topic Commands
3509 @subsection Topic Commands
3510 @cindex topic commands
3512 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3513 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3514 definitions slightly.
3516 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3517 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3518 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3519 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3520 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3521 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3523 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3530 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3531 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3532 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3536 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3538 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3539 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3540 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3541 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3544 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3545 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3546 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3547 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3551 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3552 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3553 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3554 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3560 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3561 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3562 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3566 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3567 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3568 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3571 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3572 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3573 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3574 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3575 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3577 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3578 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3582 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3583 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3590 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3592 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3593 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3594 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3595 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3596 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3597 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3601 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3607 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3608 Move the current group to some other topic
3609 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3610 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3614 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3615 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3619 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3620 Copy the current group to some other topic
3621 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3622 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3626 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3627 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3628 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3632 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3633 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3634 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3638 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3639 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3640 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3641 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3642 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3643 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3644 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3647 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3648 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3652 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3653 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3654 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3658 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3659 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3660 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3664 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3665 Toggle hiding empty topics
3666 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3670 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3671 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3672 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3675 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3676 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3677 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3678 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3681 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3682 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3683 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3684 expiry process (if any)
3685 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3689 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3690 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3693 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3694 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3695 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3699 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3700 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3701 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3704 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3705 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3706 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3709 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3710 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3711 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3715 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3716 @cindex group parameters
3717 @cindex topic parameters
3719 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3720 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3725 @node Topic Variables
3726 @subsection Topic Variables
3727 @cindex topic variables
3729 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3730 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3732 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3733 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3734 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3747 Number of groups in the topic.
3749 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3751 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3754 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3755 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3756 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3759 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3760 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3762 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3763 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3764 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3768 @subsection Topic Sorting
3769 @cindex topic sorting
3771 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3777 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3778 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3779 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3780 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3783 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3784 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3785 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3786 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3789 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3790 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3791 Sort the current topic by group level
3792 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3795 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3796 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3797 Sort the current topic by group score
3798 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3801 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3802 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3803 Sort the current topic by group rank
3804 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3807 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3808 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3809 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3810 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3813 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3814 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3815 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3816 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3820 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3821 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3822 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3823 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3827 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3828 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3832 @node Topic Topology
3833 @subsection Topic Topology
3834 @cindex topic topology
3837 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3843 2: alt.religion.emacs
3846 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3848 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3849 13: comp.sources.unix
3852 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3853 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3854 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3859 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3860 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3864 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3865 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3866 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3867 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3868 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3869 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3871 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3872 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3873 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3876 @node Topic Parameters
3877 @subsection Topic Parameters
3878 @cindex topic parameters
3880 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3881 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3882 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3884 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3889 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3890 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3891 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3894 @item subscribe-level
3895 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3896 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3897 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3901 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3902 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3903 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3904 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3910 2: alt.religion.emacs
3914 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3916 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3917 13: comp.sources.unix
3921 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3922 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3923 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3924 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3925 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3926 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3928 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3929 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3930 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3931 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3932 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3934 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3935 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3936 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3937 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3938 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3939 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3940 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3941 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3944 @node Misc Group Stuff
3945 @section Misc Group Stuff
3948 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3949 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3950 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3951 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3952 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3959 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3960 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3961 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3965 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3966 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3967 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3968 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3969 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3970 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3971 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3975 @findex gnus-group-mail
3976 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3977 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3978 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3979 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3983 @findex gnus-group-news
3984 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3985 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
3986 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3988 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
3989 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
3990 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
3991 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
3992 for this to work though.
3996 Variables for the group buffer:
4000 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4001 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4002 is called after the group buffer has been
4005 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4006 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4007 is called after the group buffer is
4008 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4011 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4012 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4013 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4014 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4016 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4017 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4018 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4019 whether they are empty or not.
4021 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4022 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4023 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4024 non-ASCII group names.
4028 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4029 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4032 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4033 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4034 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4035 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4036 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
4037 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is nil.
4041 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4042 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4047 @node Scanning New Messages
4048 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4049 @cindex new messages
4050 @cindex scanning new news
4056 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4057 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4058 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4059 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4060 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4061 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4066 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4067 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4068 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4069 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4070 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4071 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4072 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4074 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4075 @cindex activating groups
4077 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4078 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4083 @findex gnus-group-restart
4084 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4085 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4086 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4090 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4091 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4093 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4094 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4098 @node Group Information
4099 @subsection Group Information
4100 @cindex group information
4101 @cindex information on groups
4108 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4109 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4112 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4113 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4114 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4115 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4116 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4117 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4118 for fetching the file.
4120 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4121 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4125 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4126 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4128 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4129 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4132 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4133 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4134 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4138 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4139 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4140 @cindex control message
4141 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4142 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4143 group if given a prefix argument.
4145 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-nil, Gnus
4146 will open the control messages in a browser using @code{browse-url}.
4147 Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp} and displayed in an
4150 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4151 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode}
4152 (@pxref{(emacs)Compressed Files}).
4156 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4158 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4159 @cindex describing groups
4160 @cindex group description
4161 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4162 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4163 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4167 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4168 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4169 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4176 @findex gnus-version
4177 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4181 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4182 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4185 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4188 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4189 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4193 @node Group Timestamp
4194 @subsection Group Timestamp
4196 @cindex group timestamps
4198 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4199 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4200 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4203 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4206 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4208 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4209 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4212 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4213 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4216 This will result in lines looking like:
4219 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4220 0: custom 19961002T012713
4223 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4224 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4228 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4229 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4232 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4233 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4237 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4238 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4239 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4240 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4242 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4248 @subsection File Commands
4249 @cindex file commands
4255 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4256 @vindex gnus-init-file
4257 @cindex reading init file
4258 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4259 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4263 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4264 @cindex saving .newsrc
4265 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4266 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4267 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4270 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4271 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4272 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4277 @node Sieve Commands
4278 @subsection Sieve Commands
4279 @cindex group sieve commands
4281 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4282 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4283 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4284 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4285 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4287 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4288 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4289 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4290 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4291 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4292 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4293 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4294 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4295 regenerate the Sieve script.
4297 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4298 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4299 is generated. If it is non-nil (the default) articles is placed in
4300 all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article is only
4301 placed in the group with the first matching rule. For example, the
4302 group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4303 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4304 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is nil. (When
4305 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-nil, it looks the same except that
4306 the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4309 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4310 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4315 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4321 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4322 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4323 @cindex generating sieve script
4324 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4325 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4329 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4330 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4331 @cindex updating sieve script
4332 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4333 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4334 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4339 @node Summary Buffer
4340 @chapter Summary Buffer
4341 @cindex summary buffer
4343 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4344 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4346 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4347 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4349 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4352 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4353 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4354 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4355 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4356 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4357 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4358 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4359 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4360 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4361 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4362 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4363 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4364 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4365 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4366 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4367 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4368 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4369 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4370 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4371 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4372 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4373 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4374 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4375 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4376 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4377 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4378 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4379 or reselecting the current group.
4380 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4381 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4382 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4383 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4387 @node Summary Buffer Format
4388 @section Summary Buffer Format
4389 @cindex summary buffer format
4393 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4394 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4395 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4401 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4402 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4403 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4404 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4407 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4408 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4409 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4410 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4411 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4412 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4413 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4414 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4415 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4416 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4417 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4420 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4421 'mail-extract-address-components)
4424 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4425 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4426 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4427 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4430 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4431 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4433 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4434 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4435 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4436 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4437 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4439 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4440 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4441 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4442 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4443 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4444 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4446 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4448 The following format specification characters and extended format
4449 specification(s) are understood:
4455 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4456 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4458 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4459 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4460 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4462 Full @code{From} header.
4464 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4466 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4469 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4470 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4471 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4472 may be more thorough.
4474 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4477 Number of lines in the article.
4479 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4480 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4482 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4483 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4485 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4487 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4490 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4491 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4493 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4494 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4496 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4497 for adopted articles.
4499 One space for each thread level.
4501 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4503 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4506 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4507 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4508 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4511 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4513 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4514 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4515 default level. If the difference between
4516 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4517 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4525 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4527 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4533 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4534 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4536 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4537 article has any children.
4543 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4544 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4546 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4547 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4548 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4549 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4550 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4551 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4554 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4555 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4556 There can only be one such area.
4558 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4559 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4560 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4561 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4562 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4563 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4565 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4566 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4568 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4571 @node To From Newsgroups
4572 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4576 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4577 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4578 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4579 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4580 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4584 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4585 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4586 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4590 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4591 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4594 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4595 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4598 @findex gnus-extra-header
4599 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4600 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4601 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4604 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4608 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4609 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4610 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4611 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4612 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4613 headers are used instead.
4617 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4618 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4619 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4620 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4621 this variable, by entering the server buffer using `^', and then `g' on
4622 the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause regeneration.
4624 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4625 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4626 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4627 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4629 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4633 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4635 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4636 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4637 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4638 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4642 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4645 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4646 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4649 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4650 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4651 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4657 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4658 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4661 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4662 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4664 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4665 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4666 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4667 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4669 Here are the elements you can play with:
4675 Unprefixed group name.
4677 Current article number.
4679 Current article score.
4683 Number of unread articles in this group.
4685 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4688 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4689 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4690 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4691 and no unselected ones.
4693 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4694 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4696 Subject of the current article.
4698 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4700 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4702 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4704 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4706 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4708 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4712 @node Summary Highlighting
4713 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4717 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4718 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4719 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4720 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4721 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4723 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4724 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4725 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4726 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4728 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4729 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4730 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4731 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4733 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4734 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4735 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4736 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4737 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4738 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4741 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4742 ((> score default) . bold))
4744 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4745 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4749 @node Summary Maneuvering
4750 @section Summary Maneuvering
4751 @cindex summary movement
4753 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4754 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4756 None of these commands select articles.
4761 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4762 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4763 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4764 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4765 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4769 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4770 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4771 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4772 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4773 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4776 @kindex G g (Summary)
4777 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4778 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4779 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4782 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4783 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4784 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4785 to the group buffer.
4787 Variables related to summary movement:
4791 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4792 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4793 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4794 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4795 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4796 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4797 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4798 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4799 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4800 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4801 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4802 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4803 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4804 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4806 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4807 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4808 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4809 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4810 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4811 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4812 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4814 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4816 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4817 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4818 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4819 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4820 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4822 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4823 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4824 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4825 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4826 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4827 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4828 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4829 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4832 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4833 the given number of lines from the top.
4838 @node Choosing Articles
4839 @section Choosing Articles
4840 @cindex selecting articles
4843 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4844 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4848 @node Choosing Commands
4849 @subsection Choosing Commands
4851 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4852 and they all select and display an article.
4854 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4855 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4859 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4860 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4861 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4862 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4867 @kindex G n (Summary)
4868 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4869 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4870 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4875 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4876 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4877 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4882 @kindex G N (Summary)
4883 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4884 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4889 @kindex G P (Summary)
4890 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4891 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4894 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4895 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4896 Go to the next article with the same subject
4897 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4900 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4901 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4902 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4903 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4907 @kindex G f (Summary)
4909 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4910 Go to the first unread article
4911 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4915 @kindex G b (Summary)
4917 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4918 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4919 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4920 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
4925 @kindex G l (Summary)
4926 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4927 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4930 @kindex G o (Summary)
4931 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4933 @cindex article history
4934 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4935 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4936 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4937 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4938 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4939 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4944 @kindex G j (Summary)
4945 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4946 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4947 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4952 @node Choosing Variables
4953 @subsection Choosing Variables
4955 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4958 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4959 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4960 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4961 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4962 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4963 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4965 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4966 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4967 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4968 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4970 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4971 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4972 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4973 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4974 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4975 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4976 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4977 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4978 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4979 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4980 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4981 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4982 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4983 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4988 @node Paging the Article
4989 @section Scrolling the Article
4990 @cindex article scrolling
4995 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4996 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4997 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4998 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4999 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5002 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5003 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5004 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5007 @kindex RET (Summary)
5008 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5009 Scroll the current article one line forward
5010 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5013 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5014 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5015 Scroll the current article one line backward
5016 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5020 @kindex A g (Summary)
5022 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5023 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5024 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5025 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5026 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5027 the way it came from the server.
5029 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5030 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5031 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5034 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5039 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5044 @kindex A < (Summary)
5045 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5046 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5047 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5052 @kindex A > (Summary)
5053 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5054 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5058 @kindex A s (Summary)
5060 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5061 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5062 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5066 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5067 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5072 @node Reply Followup and Post
5073 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5076 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5077 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5078 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5079 * Canceling and Superseding::
5083 @node Summary Mail Commands
5084 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5086 @cindex composing mail
5088 Commands for composing a mail message:
5094 @kindex S r (Summary)
5096 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5097 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5098 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5099 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5100 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5105 @kindex S R (Summary)
5106 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5107 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5108 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5109 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5110 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5113 @kindex S w (Summary)
5114 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5115 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5116 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5117 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5118 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
5121 @kindex S W (Summary)
5122 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5123 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5124 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5125 the process/prefix convention.
5128 @kindex S v (Summary)
5129 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5130 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5131 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5132 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5133 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5134 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5137 @kindex S V (Summary)
5138 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5139 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5140 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5141 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5144 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5145 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5146 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5147 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5150 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5151 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5152 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5153 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5154 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5158 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5159 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5160 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5161 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5162 Forward the current article to some other person
5163 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5164 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5165 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5166 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5167 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5168 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5169 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5170 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5171 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime}
5177 @kindex S m (Summary)
5178 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5179 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5180 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5181 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5182 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5187 @kindex S i (Summary)
5188 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5189 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5190 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5191 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5193 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5194 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
5195 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5196 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5197 for this to work though.
5200 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5201 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5202 @cindex bouncing mail
5203 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5204 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5205 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5206 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5207 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5208 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5209 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5210 very well fail, though.
5213 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5214 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5215 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5216 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5217 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5218 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5219 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5220 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5221 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5222 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5224 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5225 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5226 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5227 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5228 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5230 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5231 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5234 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5235 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5236 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5237 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5238 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5241 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5242 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5243 @cindex crossposting
5244 @cindex excessive crossposting
5245 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5246 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5248 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5249 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5250 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5251 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5252 command understands the process/prefix convention
5253 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5257 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5258 Manual}, for more information.
5261 @node Summary Post Commands
5262 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5264 @cindex composing news
5266 Commands for posting a news article:
5272 @kindex S p (Summary)
5273 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5274 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5275 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5276 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5277 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5282 @kindex S f (Summary)
5283 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5284 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5285 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5289 @kindex S F (Summary)
5291 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5292 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5293 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5294 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5295 process/prefix convention.
5298 @kindex S n (Summary)
5299 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5300 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5301 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5304 @kindex S N (Summary)
5305 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5306 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5307 message through mail and include the original message
5308 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5309 the process/prefix convention.
5312 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5313 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5314 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5315 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5316 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5317 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5318 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5319 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5320 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5321 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5322 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5323 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5324 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section.
5327 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5328 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5330 @cindex making digests
5331 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5332 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5333 process/prefix convention.
5336 @kindex S u (Summary)
5337 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5338 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5339 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5340 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5343 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5344 Manual}, for more information.
5347 @node Summary Message Commands
5348 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5352 @kindex S y (Summary)
5353 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5354 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5355 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5356 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5357 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5362 @node Canceling and Superseding
5363 @subsection Canceling Articles
5364 @cindex canceling articles
5365 @cindex superseding articles
5367 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5368 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5370 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5372 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5374 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5375 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5376 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5377 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5378 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5379 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5381 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5382 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5385 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5386 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5387 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5389 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5390 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5391 your original article.
5393 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5395 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5396 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5397 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5400 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5401 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5402 have posted almost the same article twice.
5404 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5405 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5406 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5407 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5408 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5409 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5410 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5411 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5412 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5413 canceled/superseded.
5415 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5417 @node Delayed Articles
5418 @section Delayed Articles
5419 @cindex delayed sending
5420 @cindex send delayed
5422 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5423 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5424 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5425 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5428 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5431 @findex gnus-delay-article
5432 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5433 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5434 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5435 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5439 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5440 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5441 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5442 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5445 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5446 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5447 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5450 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5451 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5452 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5453 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5454 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5455 that means a time tomorrow.
5458 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5459 couple of variables:
5462 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5463 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5464 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5465 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5467 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5468 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5469 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5470 formats described above.
5472 @item gnus-delay-group
5473 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5474 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5475 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5476 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5478 @item gnus-delay-header
5479 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5480 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5481 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5482 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5485 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5486 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5487 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5488 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5489 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5491 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5492 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5493 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5494 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5495 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5496 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5499 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5500 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5501 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5502 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5503 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-nil,
5504 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5505 argument is ignored.
5507 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5508 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5509 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5513 @node Marking Articles
5514 @section Marking Articles
5515 @cindex article marking
5516 @cindex article ticking
5519 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5521 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5522 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5523 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5525 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5528 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5529 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5530 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5534 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5538 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5539 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5540 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5544 @node Unread Articles
5545 @subsection Unread Articles
5547 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5552 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5553 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5555 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5556 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5557 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5558 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5559 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5560 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5561 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5564 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5565 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5567 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5568 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5569 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5570 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5574 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5575 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5577 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5582 @subsection Read Articles
5583 @cindex expirable mark
5585 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5590 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5591 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5592 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5595 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5596 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5599 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5600 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5601 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5604 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5605 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5608 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5609 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5612 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5613 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5616 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5617 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5620 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5621 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5624 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5625 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5628 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5629 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5633 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5634 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5635 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5639 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5640 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5642 One more special mark, though:
5646 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5647 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5649 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5650 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5651 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5652 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5658 @subsection Other Marks
5659 @cindex process mark
5662 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5668 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5669 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5670 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5671 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5672 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5675 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5676 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5677 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5678 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5681 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5682 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5683 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5686 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5687 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5688 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5691 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5692 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5693 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5694 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5697 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5698 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5699 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5700 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5701 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5702 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5705 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5706 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5707 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5708 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5711 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5712 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, some articles might not
5713 have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you are
5714 offline (unplugged). These articles get the @samp{@@} mark in the
5715 first column. (The variable @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls
5716 which character to use.)
5719 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5720 The Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics} downloads some articles
5721 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5722 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5723 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5724 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5728 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5729 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5730 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5731 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5732 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5735 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5736 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5737 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5738 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5739 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5740 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5744 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5745 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5746 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5748 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5749 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5750 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5754 @subsection Setting Marks
5755 @cindex setting marks
5757 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5762 @kindex M c (Summary)
5763 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5764 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5765 @cindex mark as unread
5766 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5767 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5773 @kindex M t (Summary)
5774 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5775 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5776 @xref{Article Caching}.
5781 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5782 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5783 Mark the current article as dormant
5784 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5788 @kindex M d (Summary)
5790 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5791 Mark the current article as read
5792 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5796 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5797 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5798 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5803 @kindex M k (Summary)
5804 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5805 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5806 and then select the next unread article
5807 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5811 @kindex M K (Summary)
5812 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5813 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5814 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5815 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5818 @kindex M C (Summary)
5819 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5820 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5821 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5824 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5825 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5826 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5827 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5830 @kindex M H (Summary)
5831 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5832 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5833 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5836 @kindex M h (Summary)
5837 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5838 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5839 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5842 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5843 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5844 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5845 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5848 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5849 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5850 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5851 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5855 @kindex M e (Summary)
5857 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5858 Mark the current article as expirable
5859 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5862 @kindex M b (Summary)
5863 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5864 Set a bookmark in the current article
5865 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5868 @kindex M B (Summary)
5869 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5870 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5871 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5874 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5875 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5876 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5877 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5880 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5881 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5882 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5883 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5886 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5887 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5888 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5889 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5890 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5893 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5894 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5895 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5896 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5897 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5898 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5899 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5900 The default is @code{t}.
5903 @node Generic Marking Commands
5904 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5906 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5907 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5908 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5909 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5910 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5913 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5914 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5917 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5918 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5919 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5920 to list in this manual.
5922 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5923 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5924 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5925 article, you could say something like:
5928 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5929 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5930 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5936 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5937 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5941 @node Setting Process Marks
5942 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5943 @cindex setting process marks
5945 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
5946 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
5947 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
5948 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
5949 commands into the cache. For more information,
5950 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
5957 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5958 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5959 Mark the current article with the process mark
5960 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5961 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5965 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5966 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5967 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5968 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5971 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5972 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5973 Remove the process mark from all articles
5974 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5977 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5978 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5979 Invert the list of process marked articles
5980 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5983 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5984 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5985 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5986 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5989 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5990 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5991 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5992 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5995 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5996 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5997 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6001 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6002 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6005 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6006 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6007 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6008 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6011 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6012 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6013 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6014 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6017 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6018 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6019 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6020 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6023 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6024 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6025 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6028 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6029 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6030 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6031 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6034 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6035 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6036 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6039 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6040 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6041 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6042 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6045 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6046 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6047 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6048 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6051 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6052 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6053 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6054 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6057 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6058 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6059 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6060 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6064 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
6065 set process marks based on article body contents.
6072 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6073 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6074 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6077 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6078 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6079 additional articles.
6085 @kindex / / (Summary)
6086 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6087 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6088 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6092 @kindex / a (Summary)
6093 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6094 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6095 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6099 @kindex / x (Summary)
6100 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6101 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6102 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6103 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6108 @kindex / u (Summary)
6110 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6111 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6112 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6113 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6114 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6117 @kindex / m (Summary)
6118 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6119 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6120 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6123 @kindex / t (Summary)
6124 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6125 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6126 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6127 articles younger than that number of days.
6130 @kindex / n (Summary)
6131 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6132 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6133 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6134 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6137 @kindex / w (Summary)
6138 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6139 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6140 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6144 @kindex / . (Summary)
6145 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6146 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6147 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6150 @kindex / v (Summary)
6151 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6152 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6153 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6156 @kindex / p (Summary)
6157 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6158 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6159 group parameter predicate
6160 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). See @pxref{Group
6161 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
6165 @kindex M S (Summary)
6166 @kindex / E (Summary)
6167 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6168 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6169 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6172 @kindex / D (Summary)
6173 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6174 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6175 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6178 @kindex / * (Summary)
6179 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6180 Include all cached articles in the limit
6181 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6184 @kindex / d (Summary)
6185 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6186 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6187 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6190 @kindex / M (Summary)
6191 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6192 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6195 @kindex / T (Summary)
6196 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6197 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6200 @kindex / c (Summary)
6201 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6202 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6203 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6206 @kindex / C (Summary)
6207 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6208 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6209 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6210 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6213 @kindex / N (Summary)
6214 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6215 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6216 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6219 @kindex / o (Summary)
6220 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6221 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6222 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6230 @cindex article threading
6232 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6233 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6234 hierarchical fashion.
6236 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6237 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6238 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6239 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6240 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6241 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6242 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6244 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6248 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6251 A tree-like article structure.
6254 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6257 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6258 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6259 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6260 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6261 called loose threads.
6263 @item thread gathering
6264 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6266 @item sparse threads
6267 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6268 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6274 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6275 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6279 @node Customizing Threading
6280 @subsection Customizing Threading
6281 @cindex customizing threading
6284 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6285 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6286 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6287 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
6292 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6295 @cindex loose threads
6298 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6299 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6300 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6301 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6302 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6303 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6305 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6306 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6307 There are four possible values:
6311 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6312 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6313 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6314 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6315 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6320 @cindex adopting articles
6325 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6326 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6327 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6328 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6331 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6332 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6333 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6334 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6335 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6336 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6337 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6338 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6339 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6340 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to t.
6343 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6344 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6345 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6349 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6350 display them after one another.
6353 Don't gather loose threads.
6356 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6357 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6358 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6359 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6360 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6361 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6362 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6363 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6364 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6365 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6366 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6368 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6369 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6370 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6373 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6374 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6375 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6376 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6377 simplification is used.
6379 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6380 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6381 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6382 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6384 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6386 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6392 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6393 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6394 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6395 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6400 (mapconcat 'identity
6401 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6403 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6406 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6409 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6410 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6411 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6412 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6413 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6414 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6416 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6419 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6420 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6421 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6423 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6424 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6427 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6428 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6429 Remove excessive whitespace.
6431 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6432 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6433 Remove all whitespace.
6436 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6439 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6440 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6441 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6442 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6443 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6444 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6445 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6446 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6448 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6449 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6450 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6451 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6452 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6453 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6454 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6455 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6456 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6460 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6461 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6462 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6463 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6465 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6466 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6467 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6470 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6474 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6475 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6481 @node Filling In Threads
6482 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6485 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6486 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6487 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6488 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6489 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6490 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6491 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6492 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6493 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6494 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6495 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6496 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6499 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6500 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6501 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6503 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6504 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6505 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6506 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6507 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6508 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6509 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6510 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6511 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6512 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6513 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6514 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6515 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6516 @code{nil} by default.
6518 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6519 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6520 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6521 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6522 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6523 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6524 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6526 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6527 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6528 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6533 @node More Threading
6534 @subsubsection More Threading
6537 @item gnus-show-threads
6538 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6539 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6540 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6541 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6542 slower and more awkward.
6544 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6545 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6546 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6549 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6550 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6551 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
6556 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6557 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6558 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6561 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6562 unread, but you get my drift.)
6565 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6566 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6567 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6568 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6569 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6570 threads are expunged.
6572 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6573 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6574 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6577 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6578 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6579 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6580 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6581 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6582 result in a new thread.
6584 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6585 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6586 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6589 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6590 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6591 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6592 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6593 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6594 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6595 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6596 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6597 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6598 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6599 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6604 @node Low-Level Threading
6605 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6609 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6610 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6611 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6613 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6614 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6615 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6616 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6617 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6618 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6619 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6620 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6621 meaningful. Here's one example:
6624 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6626 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6627 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6629 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6631 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6638 @node Thread Commands
6639 @subsection Thread Commands
6640 @cindex thread commands
6646 @kindex T k (Summary)
6647 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6648 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6649 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6650 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6651 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6656 @kindex T l (Summary)
6657 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6658 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6659 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6660 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6663 @kindex T i (Summary)
6664 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6665 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6666 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6669 @kindex T # (Summary)
6670 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6671 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6672 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6675 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6676 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6677 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6678 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6681 @kindex T T (Summary)
6682 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6683 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6686 @kindex T s (Summary)
6687 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6688 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6689 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6692 @kindex T h (Summary)
6693 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6694 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6697 @kindex T S (Summary)
6698 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6699 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6702 @kindex T H (Summary)
6703 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6704 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6707 @kindex T t (Summary)
6708 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6709 Re-thread the current article's thread
6710 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6711 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6714 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6715 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6716 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6717 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6721 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6722 understand the numeric prefix.
6727 @kindex T n (Summary)
6729 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6731 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6732 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6733 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6736 @kindex T p (Summary)
6738 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6740 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6741 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6742 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6745 @kindex T d (Summary)
6746 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6747 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6750 @kindex T u (Summary)
6751 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6752 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6755 @kindex T o (Summary)
6756 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6757 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6760 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6761 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6762 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6763 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6764 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6765 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6766 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6767 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6768 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6769 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6770 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6771 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6775 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6776 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6778 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6779 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6780 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6781 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6782 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6783 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6784 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6785 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6786 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6787 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6788 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6789 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6790 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6792 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6793 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6794 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6795 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6796 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6797 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6798 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6799 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6801 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6802 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6803 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6805 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6806 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6807 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6808 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6809 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6810 ascending article order.
6812 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6813 by number, you could do something like:
6816 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6817 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6818 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6819 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6822 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6823 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6824 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6825 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6826 which the articles arrived.
6828 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6832 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6834 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6835 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6838 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6839 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6840 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6841 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6844 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6845 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6846 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6847 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6848 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6849 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
6850 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6851 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
6852 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
6853 variable. It is very similar to the
6854 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
6855 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
6856 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6857 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
6858 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
6859 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
6860 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6862 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6866 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6867 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6868 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6873 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6874 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6875 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6876 @cindex article pre-fetch
6879 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6880 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6881 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6882 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6883 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6885 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6886 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
6888 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6889 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6890 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6891 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6892 connection is blocked.
6894 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6895 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6896 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6897 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
6899 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6900 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6901 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6902 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6905 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6908 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6909 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6910 happen automatically.
6912 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6913 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6914 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6915 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6916 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6917 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6918 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6920 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6921 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6922 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6923 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6924 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6925 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6926 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6927 data structure as the only parameter.
6929 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6932 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6933 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6934 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6935 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6938 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6941 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6942 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
6943 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6945 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6946 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6947 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6948 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6952 Remove articles when they are read.
6955 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6958 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6960 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6961 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6962 @c from the next group.
6965 @node Article Caching
6966 @section Article Caching
6967 @cindex article caching
6970 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6971 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6972 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6973 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6974 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6976 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6978 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6979 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6980 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6981 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6982 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6983 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6984 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6985 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6987 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6988 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6989 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6990 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6991 as dormant, and don't worry.
6993 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6995 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6996 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6997 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6998 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6999 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7000 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7001 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7002 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7003 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7004 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7006 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7007 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7008 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7009 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7010 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7011 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
7012 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7013 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7014 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7015 not then be downloaded by this command.
7017 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7018 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7019 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7020 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7021 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7022 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7024 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7025 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7026 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7027 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7028 variables, the group is not cached.
7030 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7031 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7032 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7033 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7034 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7035 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7036 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7037 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
7038 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7041 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7042 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7043 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7044 where, isn't that cool?
7046 @node Persistent Articles
7047 @section Persistent Articles
7048 @cindex persistent articles
7050 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7051 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7052 useful in my opinion.
7054 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7055 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7056 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7057 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7058 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7059 the expiry going on at the news server.
7061 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7062 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7063 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7069 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7070 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7073 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7074 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7075 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7076 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7080 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7082 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7083 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7084 interested in persistent articles:
7087 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7091 @node Article Backlog
7092 @section Article Backlog
7094 @cindex article backlog
7096 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7097 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7098 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7099 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7100 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7101 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7102 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7103 increase memory usage some.
7105 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7106 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7107 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7108 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7109 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7110 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7111 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7113 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
7116 @node Saving Articles
7117 @section Saving Articles
7118 @cindex saving articles
7120 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7121 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7122 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7123 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7124 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7126 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7127 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7128 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7130 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7131 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7132 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7134 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7135 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7136 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7137 deleted before saving.
7143 @kindex O o (Summary)
7145 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7146 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7147 Save the current article using the default article saver
7148 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7151 @kindex O m (Summary)
7152 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7153 Save the current article in mail format
7154 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7157 @kindex O r (Summary)
7158 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7159 Save the current article in rmail format
7160 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7163 @kindex O f (Summary)
7164 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7165 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7166 Save the current article in plain file format
7167 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7170 @kindex O F (Summary)
7171 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7172 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7173 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7176 @kindex O b (Summary)
7177 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7178 Save the current article body in plain file format
7179 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7182 @kindex O h (Summary)
7183 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7184 Save the current article in mh folder format
7185 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7188 @kindex O v (Summary)
7189 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7190 Save the current article in a VM folder
7191 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7195 @kindex O p (Summary)
7197 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7198 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7199 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7200 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7201 complete headers in the piped output.
7204 @kindex O P (Summary)
7205 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7206 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7207 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7208 external program Muttprint (see
7209 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
7210 options to use is controlled by the variable
7211 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7215 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7216 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7217 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7218 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7219 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7220 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7221 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7222 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7223 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7224 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7225 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7226 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7230 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7231 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7232 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7233 functions below, or you can create your own.
7237 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7238 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7239 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7240 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7241 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7242 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7243 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7245 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7246 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7247 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7248 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7249 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7250 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7252 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7253 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7254 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7255 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7256 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7257 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7258 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7260 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7261 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7262 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7263 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7264 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7265 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7267 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7268 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7269 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7270 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7271 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7273 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7274 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7275 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7276 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7277 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7280 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7281 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7282 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7283 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7284 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7286 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7287 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7288 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7289 reader to use this setting.
7292 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7293 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7294 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7295 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7298 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7299 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7300 available functions that generate names:
7304 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7305 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7306 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7308 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7309 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7310 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7312 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7313 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7314 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7316 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7317 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7318 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7320 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7321 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7322 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7325 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7326 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7327 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7328 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7329 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7333 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7334 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7335 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7336 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7339 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7340 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7341 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7342 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7343 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7344 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7345 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7346 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7347 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7349 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7350 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7351 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7352 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7354 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7355 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7356 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7359 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7360 lots of mail groups called things like
7361 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7362 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7363 following will do just that:
7366 (defun my-save-name (group)
7367 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7368 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7370 (setq gnus-split-methods
7371 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7376 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7377 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7378 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7379 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7380 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7381 all the files in the top level directory
7382 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7383 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7384 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7385 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7387 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7388 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7389 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7390 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7391 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7394 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7398 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7399 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7400 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7403 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7404 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7405 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7406 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7409 @node Decoding Articles
7410 @section Decoding Articles
7411 @cindex decoding articles
7413 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7414 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7417 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7418 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7419 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7420 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7421 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7422 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7426 @cindex article series
7427 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7428 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7429 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7430 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7431 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7433 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7434 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7435 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7437 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7438 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7439 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7441 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7442 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7443 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7446 @node Uuencoded Articles
7447 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7449 @cindex uuencoded articles
7454 @kindex X u (Summary)
7455 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7456 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7457 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7460 @kindex X U (Summary)
7461 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7462 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7463 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7466 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7467 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7468 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7471 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7472 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7473 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7474 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7478 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7479 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7480 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7481 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7482 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7484 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7485 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7486 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7487 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7490 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7491 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7492 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7493 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7494 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7495 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7499 @node Shell Archives
7500 @subsection Shell Archives
7502 @cindex shell archives
7503 @cindex shared articles
7505 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7506 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7507 some commands to deal with these:
7512 @kindex X s (Summary)
7513 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7514 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7517 @kindex X S (Summary)
7518 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7519 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7522 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7523 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7524 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7527 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7528 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7529 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7530 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7534 @node PostScript Files
7535 @subsection PostScript Files
7541 @kindex X p (Summary)
7542 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7543 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7546 @kindex X P (Summary)
7547 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7548 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7549 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7552 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7553 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7554 View the current PostScript series
7555 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7558 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7559 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7560 View and save the current PostScript series
7561 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7566 @subsection Other Files
7570 @kindex X o (Summary)
7571 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7572 Save the current series
7573 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7576 @kindex X b (Summary)
7577 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7578 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7579 doesn't really work yet.
7583 @node Decoding Variables
7584 @subsection Decoding Variables
7586 Adjective, not verb.
7589 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7590 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7591 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7595 @node Rule Variables
7596 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7597 @cindex rule variables
7599 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7600 variables are of the form
7603 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7610 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7611 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7613 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7614 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
7617 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7618 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7621 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7622 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7623 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7624 user and default view rules.
7626 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7627 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7628 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7633 @node Other Decode Variables
7634 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7637 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7639 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7640 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7641 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7642 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7643 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7647 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7648 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7651 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7652 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7653 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7656 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7657 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7658 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7659 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7660 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7663 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7664 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7665 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7667 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7668 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7669 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7670 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7671 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7674 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7675 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7676 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7678 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7679 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7680 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7681 looking for files to display.
7683 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7684 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7685 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7688 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7689 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7690 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7693 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7694 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7695 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7698 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7699 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7700 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7703 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7704 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7705 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7706 decoded articles as unread.
7708 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7709 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7710 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7711 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7713 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7714 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7715 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7717 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7718 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7720 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7721 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7722 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7723 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7725 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7726 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7727 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7728 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7729 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7730 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7731 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7732 simply dropped them.
7737 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7738 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7742 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7743 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7744 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7745 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7746 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7747 for you when you post the article.
7749 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7750 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7751 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7752 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7754 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7755 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7756 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7757 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7758 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7759 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7760 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7762 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7763 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7764 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7765 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7766 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7767 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7768 Default is @code{t}.
7774 @subsection Viewing Files
7775 @cindex viewing files
7776 @cindex pseudo-articles
7778 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7779 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7780 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7781 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7782 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7783 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7784 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7786 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7787 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7788 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7789 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7791 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7792 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7793 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7795 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7796 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7797 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7798 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7799 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7801 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7802 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7803 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7804 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7805 a list of parameters to that command.
7807 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7808 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7809 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7811 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7812 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7813 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7816 @node Article Treatment
7817 @section Article Treatment
7819 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7820 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7821 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7822 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7823 these articles easier.
7826 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7827 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7828 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7829 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7830 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7831 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7832 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7833 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7834 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7835 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7839 @node Article Highlighting
7840 @subsection Article Highlighting
7841 @cindex highlighting
7843 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7844 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7849 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7850 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7851 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7852 Do much highlighting of the current article
7853 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7854 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7857 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7858 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7859 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7860 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7861 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7862 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7863 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7864 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7865 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7866 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7867 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7868 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7871 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7872 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7873 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7875 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7878 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7880 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7881 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7882 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7884 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7885 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7886 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7888 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7889 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7890 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7891 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7892 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7893 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7895 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7896 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7897 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7899 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7900 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7901 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7903 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7904 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7905 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7906 that it's a citation.
7908 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7909 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7910 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7912 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7913 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7914 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7916 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7917 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7918 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7919 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7925 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7926 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7927 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7928 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7929 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7930 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7931 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7932 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7937 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7940 @node Article Fontisizing
7941 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7943 @cindex article emphasis
7945 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7946 @kindex W e (Summary)
7947 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7948 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7949 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7950 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7952 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7953 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7954 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7955 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7956 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7957 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7958 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7959 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7963 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7964 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7965 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7974 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7975 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7976 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7977 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7978 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7979 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7980 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7981 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7982 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7983 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7984 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7985 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7986 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7988 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7989 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7990 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7994 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7997 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7999 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8000 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8001 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8002 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8004 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8007 @node Article Hiding
8008 @subsection Article Hiding
8009 @cindex article hiding
8011 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8012 too much cruft in most articles.
8017 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8018 @findex gnus-article-hide
8019 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8020 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8021 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
8024 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8025 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8026 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8030 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8031 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8032 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8033 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8036 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8037 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8038 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8042 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8043 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8044 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8045 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8046 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8047 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8048 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8049 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8053 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8054 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8055 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8056 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8061 @kindex W W p (Summary)
8062 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
8063 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
8064 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
8065 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
8066 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
8067 articles that have signatures in them do:
8069 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
8071 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
8073 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
8074 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
8076 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
8079 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
8084 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8085 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8086 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8087 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8090 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8091 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8092 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8093 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8096 @cindex stripping advertisements
8097 @cindex advertisements
8098 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8099 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8100 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8101 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8102 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8103 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8104 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8105 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8106 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8107 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8110 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8111 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8112 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8116 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8117 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8118 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8119 @code{(ADDRESS . BANNER)}, where ADDRESS is a regexp matching a mail
8120 address in the From header, BANNER is one of a symbol @code{signature},
8121 an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}, a regexp and @code{nil}.
8122 If ADDRESS matches author's mail address, it will remove things like
8123 advertisements. For example, if a sender has the mail address
8124 @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a banner something like
8125 @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he sends, you can use the
8126 following element to remove them:
8129 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" . "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8135 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8136 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8137 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8138 customizing the hiding:
8142 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8143 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8144 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8145 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8146 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8147 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8148 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8153 Starting point of the hidden text.
8155 Ending point of the hidden text.
8157 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8159 Number of lines of hidden text.
8162 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8163 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8164 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8165 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8166 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8171 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8172 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8174 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8175 following two variables:
8178 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8179 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8180 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8181 50), hide the cited text.
8183 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8184 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8185 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8190 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8191 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8192 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8193 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8194 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8195 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8199 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8200 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8201 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8203 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8204 citation customization.
8206 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8210 @node Article Washing
8211 @subsection Article Washing
8213 @cindex article washing
8215 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8216 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8218 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8219 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8222 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8223 articles by default.
8228 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8229 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8233 @kindex W l (Summary)
8234 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8235 Remove page breaks from the current article
8236 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8240 @kindex W r (Summary)
8241 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8242 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8243 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8244 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8245 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8246 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8248 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8249 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8250 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8251 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8254 @kindex W m (Summary)
8255 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8256 @c @icon{gnus-summary-morse-message}
8257 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8261 @kindex W t (Summary)
8263 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8264 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8265 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8268 @kindex W v (Summary)
8269 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8270 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8271 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8274 @kindex W o (Summary)
8275 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8276 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8279 @kindex W d (Summary)
8280 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8281 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8283 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8285 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8286 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8287 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8288 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8291 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8292 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8293 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8294 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8297 @kindex W k (Summary)
8298 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8299 @cindex Outlook Express
8300 Deuglify broken Outlook (Express) articles and redisplay
8301 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8304 @kindex W w (Summary)
8305 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8306 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8308 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8312 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8313 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8314 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8317 @kindex W C (Summary)
8318 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8319 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8320 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8323 @kindex W c (Summary)
8324 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8325 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8326 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8327 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8328 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8331 @kindex W q (Summary)
8332 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8333 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8334 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
8335 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
8336 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
8337 readable to me. Note that this is usually done automatically by
8338 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
8339 header that says that this encoding has been done.
8340 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8343 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8344 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8345 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8346 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8347 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is usually done
8348 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8349 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8351 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8354 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8355 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8356 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8357 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8358 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8361 @kindex W u (Summary)
8362 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8363 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8364 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8365 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8366 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8369 @kindex W h (Summary)
8370 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8371 Treat @sc{html} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8372 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8373 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @sc{html}.
8375 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8377 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8378 The default is to use the function specified by
8379 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{(emacs-mime)Display
8380 Customization}) to convert the @sc{html}, but this is controlled by
8381 the @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions
8382 you can use include:
8389 Use emacs-w3m (see @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/} for more
8393 Use Links (see @uref{http://artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mikulas/links/}).
8396 Use Lynx (see @uref{http://lynx.browser.org/}).
8399 Use html2text -- a simple @sc{html} converter included with Gnus.
8404 @kindex W b (Summary)
8405 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8406 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8407 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8410 @kindex W B (Summary)
8411 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8412 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8413 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8416 @kindex W p (Summary)
8417 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8418 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8419 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8420 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8421 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8422 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8423 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8426 @kindex W s (Summary)
8427 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8428 Verify a signed (PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}) message
8429 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8432 @kindex W a (Summary)
8433 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8434 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8435 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8438 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8439 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8440 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8441 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8444 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8445 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8446 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8447 lines with a single empty line.
8448 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8451 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8452 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8453 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8454 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8457 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8458 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8459 Do all the three commands above
8460 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8463 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8464 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8465 Remove all blank lines
8466 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8469 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8470 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8471 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8472 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8475 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8476 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8477 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8478 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8482 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8485 @node Article Header
8486 @subsection Article Header
8488 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8493 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8494 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8495 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8498 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8499 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8500 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8501 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8504 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8505 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8506 Fold all the message headers
8507 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8511 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8512 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8513 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8518 @node Article Buttons
8519 @subsection Article Buttons
8522 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8523 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8524 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8525 button on these references.
8527 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8528 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8529 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links and man pages.
8530 This is controlled by two variables, one that handles article bodies and
8531 one that handles article heads:
8535 @item gnus-button-alist
8536 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8537 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8540 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8546 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8547 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8548 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8549 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8550 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}.
8553 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8554 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8555 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8558 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8559 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8560 avoid false matches.
8563 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8566 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8567 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8571 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8574 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8577 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8578 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8579 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8580 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8581 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8584 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8587 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8589 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8590 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8591 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8592 default values of the variables above.
8594 @item gnus-article-button-face
8595 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8596 Face used on buttons.
8598 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8599 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8600 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8604 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8608 @subsection Article Date
8610 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8611 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8612 when the article was sent.
8617 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8618 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8619 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8620 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8623 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8624 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8626 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8627 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8630 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8631 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8632 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8635 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8636 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8637 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8638 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8641 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8642 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8643 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8644 @findex format-time-string
8645 Display the date using a user-defined format
8646 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8647 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8648 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8649 for a list of possible format specs.
8652 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8653 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8654 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8655 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8656 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8657 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8660 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8663 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8664 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8667 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8668 into wonderful absurdities.
8670 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8673 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8676 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8677 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8681 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8682 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8683 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8684 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8685 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8686 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8687 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8691 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8692 preferred format automatically.
8695 @node Article Display
8696 @subsection Article Display
8701 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
8702 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8704 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8705 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8707 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8708 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8710 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8711 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8713 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8718 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8719 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8720 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8721 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8724 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8725 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
8726 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8729 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8730 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8731 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8734 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8735 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8736 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8737 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8740 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8741 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8742 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8743 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
8746 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8747 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8748 Remove all images from the article buffer
8749 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
8755 @node Article Signature
8756 @subsection Article Signature
8758 @cindex article signature
8760 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8761 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8762 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8763 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8764 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8765 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8766 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8767 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8768 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8771 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8772 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8773 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8774 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8775 ; line of dashes. Shame!
8776 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
8777 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
8778 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
8781 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
8784 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
8785 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
8786 signature when displaying articles.
8790 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
8793 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
8796 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
8797 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
8799 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
8800 in question is not a signature.
8803 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
8804 listed above. Here's an example:
8807 (setq gnus-signature-limit
8808 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
8811 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
8812 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
8813 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
8814 signature after all.
8817 @node Article Miscellania
8818 @subsection Article Miscellania
8822 @kindex A t (Summary)
8823 @findex gnus-article-babel
8824 Translate the article from one language to another
8825 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
8831 @section MIME Commands
8832 @cindex MIME decoding
8834 @cindex viewing attachments
8836 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
8837 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
8843 @kindex K v (Summary)
8844 View the @sc{mime} part.
8847 @kindex K o (Summary)
8848 Save the @sc{mime} part.
8851 @kindex K c (Summary)
8852 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
8855 @kindex K e (Summary)
8856 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8859 @kindex K i (Summary)
8860 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8863 @kindex K | (Summary)
8864 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8867 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8872 @kindex K b (Summary)
8873 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8874 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8878 @kindex K m (Summary)
8879 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8880 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8881 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8882 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8883 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8886 @kindex X m (Summary)
8887 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8888 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8889 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8890 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8893 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8894 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
8895 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8896 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8899 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8900 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
8901 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8902 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8905 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8906 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
8907 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8908 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8910 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8911 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8912 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8913 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
8914 include @sc{mime} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
8915 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8918 @kindex W M v (Summary)
8919 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
8920 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
8921 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
8928 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
8929 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
8930 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8931 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
8934 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
8937 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
8941 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8942 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8943 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8944 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8945 displayed or this variable is overridden by
8946 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
8949 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8950 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8951 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8952 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8953 displayed. This variable overrides
8954 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
8956 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
8957 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
8958 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
8960 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
8961 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
8962 If this is non-nil, then all @sc{mime} parts get buttons. The default
8963 value is @code{nil}.
8965 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
8966 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
8967 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
8968 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
8969 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
8970 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
8971 save all jpegs into some directory).
8973 Here's an example function the does the latter:
8976 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
8977 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
8979 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
8980 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
8981 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
8982 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
8983 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
8986 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8987 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8988 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
8990 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8991 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8992 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
8993 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
8995 Ready-made functions include@*
8996 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
8997 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
8998 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
8999 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9000 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9001 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9002 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9003 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9004 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9005 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9006 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9007 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9009 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9010 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9012 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9013 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9014 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9017 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9018 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9019 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9020 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9024 to your @file{.gnus} file.
9033 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
9034 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9035 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
9036 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9037 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9038 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9039 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9041 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9042 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9043 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9044 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9046 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
9047 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9048 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9049 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9050 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9051 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9052 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9053 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9055 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9056 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9057 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
9058 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9059 quoted-printable header encoding.
9061 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9062 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9063 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9067 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9070 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9071 means encode all charsets),
9073 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9074 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9075 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9082 @cindex coding system aliases
9083 @cindex preferred charset
9085 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9087 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9088 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9091 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9092 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9095 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9096 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
9098 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9101 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9104 This will almost do the right thing.
9106 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9110 (codepage-setup 1251)
9111 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9115 @node Article Commands
9116 @section Article Commands
9123 @kindex A P (Summary)
9124 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9125 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9126 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9127 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9128 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9129 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9134 @node Summary Sorting
9135 @section Summary Sorting
9136 @cindex summary sorting
9138 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9139 can't really see why you'd want that.
9144 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9145 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9146 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9149 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9150 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9151 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9154 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9155 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9156 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9159 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9160 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9161 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9164 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9165 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9166 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9169 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9170 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9171 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9174 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9175 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9176 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9179 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9180 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9181 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9184 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9185 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9186 Sort using the default sorting method
9187 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9190 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9191 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9192 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9193 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9194 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9198 @node Finding the Parent
9199 @section Finding the Parent
9200 @cindex parent articles
9201 @cindex referring articles
9206 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9207 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9208 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9209 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
9210 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9211 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9212 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9213 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9214 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9216 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9217 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9218 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9219 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9220 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9224 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9225 @kindex A R (Summary)
9226 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9227 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9230 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9231 @kindex A T (Summary)
9232 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9233 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9234 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9235 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9236 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9237 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9238 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9240 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9241 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9242 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9243 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9244 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9245 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9248 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9249 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9251 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9252 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
9253 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9254 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9255 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9256 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9257 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9260 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9261 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9262 by giving this command a prefix.
9264 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9265 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9266 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9267 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
9268 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
9269 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9272 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9273 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9274 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9277 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9278 then ask Google if that fails:
9281 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9283 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9286 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9287 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9288 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9289 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9290 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9291 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9292 support this at all.
9295 @node Alternative Approaches
9296 @section Alternative Approaches
9298 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9299 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9302 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9303 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9308 @subsection Pick and Read
9309 @cindex pick and read
9311 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9312 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9313 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9314 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9316 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9317 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9318 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9319 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9320 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9321 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9323 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9328 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9329 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9330 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9331 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9332 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9333 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9334 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9335 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9338 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9339 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9340 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9341 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9345 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9346 Unpick the thread or article
9347 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9348 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9349 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9350 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9351 the thread or article at that line.
9355 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9356 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9357 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9358 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9359 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9360 will still be visible when you are reading.
9364 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9365 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9366 which is mapped to the same function
9367 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9369 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9372 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9375 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9376 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9378 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9379 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9380 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9382 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9383 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9384 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9385 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9386 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9387 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9388 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9392 @subsection Binary Groups
9393 @cindex binary groups
9395 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9396 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9397 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9398 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9399 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9400 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9401 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9404 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9405 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9406 command, when you have turned on this mode
9407 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9409 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9410 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9414 @section Tree Display
9417 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9418 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9419 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9420 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9423 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9426 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9427 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9428 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9430 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9431 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9432 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9433 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9434 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9436 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9437 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9438 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9439 default is @code{modeline}.
9441 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9442 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9443 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9444 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9445 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9446 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9447 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9453 The name of the poster.
9455 The @code{From} header.
9457 The number of the article.
9459 The opening bracket.
9461 The closing bracket.
9466 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9468 Variables related to the display are:
9471 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9472 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9473 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9474 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9475 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9476 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9478 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9479 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9480 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9481 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9485 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9486 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9487 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9488 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9489 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9490 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9491 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9492 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9493 other windows displayed next to it.
9495 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9499 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9500 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9503 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9504 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9505 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9506 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9507 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9508 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9509 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9513 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9516 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9526 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9530 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9531 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9533 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9535 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9540 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9541 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9542 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9545 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9546 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9547 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9548 (gnus-add-configuration
9552 (summary 0.75 point)
9557 @xref{Window Layout}.
9560 @node Mail Group Commands
9561 @section Mail Group Commands
9562 @cindex mail group commands
9564 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9565 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9567 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9568 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9573 @kindex B e (Summary)
9574 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9575 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9576 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9577 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9578 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9581 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9582 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9583 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9584 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9585 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9586 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9589 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9590 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9591 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9592 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9593 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9594 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9597 @kindex B m (Summary)
9599 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9600 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9601 Move the article from one mail group to another
9602 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9603 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9606 @kindex B c (Summary)
9608 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9609 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9610 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9611 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9612 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9615 @kindex B B (Summary)
9616 @cindex crosspost mail
9617 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9618 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9619 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9620 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9621 be properly updated.
9624 @kindex B i (Summary)
9625 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9626 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9627 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9628 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9631 @kindex B I (Summary)
9632 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9633 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9634 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9635 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9638 @kindex B r (Summary)
9639 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9640 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9641 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9642 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9643 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9644 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9645 (which is the default).
9649 @kindex B w (Summary)
9651 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9652 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9653 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9654 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9655 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9656 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9657 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9660 @kindex B q (Summary)
9661 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9662 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9663 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9664 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9667 @kindex B t (Summary)
9668 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9669 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9670 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9673 @kindex B p (Summary)
9674 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9675 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
9676 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9677 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9678 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9679 article from your news server (or rather, from
9680 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9681 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9682 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9683 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9684 just not have arrived yet.
9687 @kindex K E (Summary)
9688 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
9689 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
9690 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
9691 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
9692 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
9696 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9697 @cindex moving articles
9698 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
9699 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9700 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9701 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9702 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9703 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9704 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9707 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9708 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9709 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9710 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9714 @node Various Summary Stuff
9715 @section Various Summary Stuff
9718 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9719 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9720 * Summary Generation Commands::
9721 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9725 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9726 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9727 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9729 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9730 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9731 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9732 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9733 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9734 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9737 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9738 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9739 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9740 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9741 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9743 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9744 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9745 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9748 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9749 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9750 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
9751 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
9752 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
9753 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
9754 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
9755 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
9756 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
9757 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
9759 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9760 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9761 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
9762 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
9763 list of articles to be selected.
9765 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
9766 the list in one particular group:
9769 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
9770 (if (string= group "some.group")
9771 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
9775 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
9776 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
9777 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
9778 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
9779 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
9780 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
9781 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
9782 buffers. For example:
9785 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
9786 '(message-use-followup-to
9787 (gnus-visible-headers .
9788 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
9794 @node Summary Group Information
9795 @subsection Summary Group Information
9800 @kindex H f (Summary)
9801 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
9802 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
9803 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
9804 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
9805 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
9806 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
9807 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
9808 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
9809 be used for fetching the file.
9812 @kindex H d (Summary)
9813 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
9814 Give a brief description of the current group
9815 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
9816 rereading the description from the server.
9819 @kindex H h (Summary)
9820 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
9821 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
9822 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
9825 @kindex H i (Summary)
9826 @findex gnus-info-find-node
9827 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
9831 @node Searching for Articles
9832 @subsection Searching for Articles
9837 @kindex M-s (Summary)
9838 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
9839 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
9840 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
9843 @kindex M-r (Summary)
9844 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
9845 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
9846 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
9850 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
9851 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
9852 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
9853 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
9854 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
9855 search backward instead.
9857 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
9858 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
9861 @kindex M-& (Summary)
9862 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
9863 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
9864 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
9867 @node Summary Generation Commands
9868 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
9873 @kindex Y g (Summary)
9874 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
9875 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
9878 @kindex Y c (Summary)
9879 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
9880 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9881 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
9884 @kindex Y d (Summary)
9885 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
9886 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9887 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
9892 @node Really Various Summary Commands
9893 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
9899 @kindex C-d (Summary)
9900 @kindex A D (Summary)
9901 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
9902 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
9903 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
9904 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
9905 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
9906 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
9907 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
9908 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
9912 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
9913 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
9914 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
9915 several documents into one biiig group
9916 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
9917 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
9918 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
9919 command understands the process/prefix convention
9920 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9923 @kindex C-t (Summary)
9924 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
9925 Toggle truncation of summary lines
9926 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
9927 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
9928 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
9932 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
9933 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
9934 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
9937 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
9938 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
9939 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9940 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
9943 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
9944 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
9945 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9946 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
9951 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
9952 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
9953 @cindex summary exit
9954 @cindex exiting groups
9956 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
9957 group and return you to the group buffer.
9963 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
9965 @findex gnus-summary-exit
9966 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
9967 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
9968 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
9969 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
9970 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
9971 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
9972 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
9973 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
9974 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
9975 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
9979 @kindex Z E (Summary)
9981 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
9982 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
9983 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
9987 @kindex Z c (Summary)
9989 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
9990 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
9991 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
9992 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
9995 @kindex Z C (Summary)
9996 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
9997 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
9998 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10001 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10002 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10003 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10004 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10007 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10008 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10009 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10010 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10011 all articles, both read and unread.
10015 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10016 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10017 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10018 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10019 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10020 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10021 articles, both read and unread.
10024 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10025 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10026 Exit the group and go to the next group
10027 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10030 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10031 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10032 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10033 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10036 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10037 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10038 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10039 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10040 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10041 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10044 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10045 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10046 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10047 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10049 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10050 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10051 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10052 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10053 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10054 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10055 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10056 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10057 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10058 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10059 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10060 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10062 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10064 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10065 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10066 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10067 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10068 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10069 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10070 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10071 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10072 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10075 @node Crosspost Handling
10076 @section Crosspost Handling
10080 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10081 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10082 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10083 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10084 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10085 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10088 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10089 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10090 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10091 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10092 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10094 @cindex cross-posting
10097 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10098 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
10099 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10100 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
10101 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10102 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10103 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10104 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10105 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10106 the cross reference mechanism.
10108 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10109 @cindex overview.fmt
10110 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10111 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10112 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10113 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10114 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10115 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10118 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10119 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10120 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10125 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10128 @node Duplicate Suppression
10129 @section Duplicate Suppression
10131 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10132 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10133 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10134 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10139 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10140 is evil and not very common.
10143 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10144 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10147 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10148 different @sc{nntp} servers.
10151 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10154 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10155 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10157 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10158 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10159 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10160 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10161 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10162 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10163 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10166 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10167 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10168 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10169 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10170 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10171 saw the article in.
10174 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10175 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10176 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10178 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10179 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10180 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10181 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10182 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10183 session are suppressed.
10185 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10186 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10187 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10188 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10190 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10191 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10192 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10193 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10196 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10197 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10198 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10199 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10200 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10201 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10202 to you to figure out, I think.
10207 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10208 The formats that are supported are PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} and @sc{s/mime},
10209 however you need some external programs to get things to work:
10213 To handle PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or gpg.el as
10214 well as a OpenPGP implementation (such as GnuPG).
10217 To handle @sc{s/mime} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10218 or newer is recommended.
10222 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10223 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10226 @item mm-verify-option
10227 @vindex mm-verify-option
10228 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10229 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10230 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10232 @item mm-decrypt-option
10233 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10234 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10235 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10236 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10241 @section Mailing List
10243 @kindex A M (summary)
10244 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10245 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10246 either add a `to-list' group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10247 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10248 summary buffer, or say:
10251 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-mailing-list-mode)
10254 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10259 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10260 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10261 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10264 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10265 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10266 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10269 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10270 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10271 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10275 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10276 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10277 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10280 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10281 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10282 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10285 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10286 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10287 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10291 @node Article Buffer
10292 @chapter Article Buffer
10293 @cindex article buffer
10295 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10296 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10297 tell Gnus otherwise.
10300 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10301 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
10302 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10303 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10304 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10308 @node Hiding Headers
10309 @section Hiding Headers
10310 @cindex hiding headers
10311 @cindex deleting headers
10313 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10314 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10316 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10317 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10318 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10319 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10320 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10321 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10322 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
10323 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10324 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10326 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10330 @item gnus-visible-headers
10331 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10332 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10333 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10334 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10336 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10337 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10340 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10343 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10346 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10347 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10348 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10349 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10350 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10351 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10353 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10354 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10357 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10360 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10363 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10364 variable will have no effect.
10368 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10369 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10370 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10371 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10372 the headers are to be displayed.
10374 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10375 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10378 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10381 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10382 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10384 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10385 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10386 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10387 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10388 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10389 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10390 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10393 These conditions are:
10396 Remove all empty headers.
10398 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10399 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10401 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10402 @code{From} header.
10404 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10407 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10408 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10410 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10413 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10415 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10418 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10421 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10422 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10425 This is also the default value for this variable.
10429 @section Using MIME
10432 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10433 while people stand around yawning.
10435 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10436 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10438 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10439 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10440 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10442 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
10443 @findex gnus-display-mime
10444 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
10445 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
10446 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
10447 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
10449 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
10453 @findex gnus-article-press-button
10454 @item RET (Article)
10455 @kindex RET (Article)
10456 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
10457 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
10458 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If builtin viewers can not display
10459 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
10460 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
10461 object is displayed inline.
10463 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
10464 @item M-RET (Article)
10465 @kindex M-RET (Article)
10467 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10468 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
10470 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
10472 @kindex t (Article)
10473 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
10474 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
10476 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
10478 @kindex C (Article)
10479 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10480 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
10482 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
10484 @kindex o (Article)
10485 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
10486 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
10488 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
10489 @item C-o (Article)
10490 @kindex C-o (Article)
10491 Prompt for a file name, then save the @sc{mime} object and strip it from
10492 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
10493 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
10494 like. The stripped @sc{mime} object will be referred via the
10495 message/external-body @sc{mime} type.
10496 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
10498 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
10500 @kindex c (Article)
10501 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
10502 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}).
10504 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
10506 @kindex p (Article)
10507 Print the @sc{mime} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
10508 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
10509 @file{.mailcap} file.
10511 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
10513 @kindex i (Article)
10514 Insert the contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
10515 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
10516 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
10517 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
10518 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
10521 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
10523 @kindex E (Article)
10524 View the @sc{mime} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
10525 viewer is available, use an external viewer
10526 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
10528 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
10530 @kindex e (Article)
10531 View the @sc{mime} object with an external viewer.
10532 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
10534 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
10536 @kindex | (Article)
10537 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
10539 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
10541 @kindex . (Article)
10542 Interactively run an action on the @sc{mime} object
10543 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
10547 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
10548 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
10551 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
10552 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
10553 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
10554 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
10555 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
10556 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
10557 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
10558 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
10559 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
10561 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10563 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10566 @node Customizing Articles
10567 @section Customizing Articles
10568 @cindex article customization
10570 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10571 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
10572 called automatically when you select the articles.
10574 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10575 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10576 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10577 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10579 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10580 for sensible values.
10584 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10587 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10590 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10593 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10596 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10600 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10601 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10602 regexps in the list.
10605 A list where the first element is not a string:
10607 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10608 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10609 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10613 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10618 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10619 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10620 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10621 considered to contain just a single part.
10623 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10624 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10625 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10626 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10627 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10628 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10629 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10631 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10632 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10633 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10634 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10637 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10638 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10640 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10642 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10643 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10644 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10645 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10646 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10647 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10648 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10649 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
10650 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10651 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
10652 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
10654 @xref{Article Washing}.
10656 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10657 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10658 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10659 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10660 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10661 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10662 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10664 @xref{Article Date}.
10666 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10667 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10668 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10672 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10674 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10676 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10677 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10678 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10682 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10686 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10687 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10688 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10689 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10690 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10691 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10692 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10693 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10695 @xref{Article Hiding}.
10697 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10698 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10699 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10701 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
10703 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10704 @item gnus-treat-translate
10705 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10707 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
10708 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
10709 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
10710 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
10712 @xref{Article Header}.
10717 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10718 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10719 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
10720 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
10721 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
10725 @node Article Keymap
10726 @section Article Keymap
10728 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
10729 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
10730 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
10731 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
10734 A few additional keystrokes are available:
10739 @kindex SPACE (Article)
10740 @findex gnus-article-next-page
10741 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
10744 @kindex DEL (Article)
10745 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
10746 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
10749 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
10750 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
10751 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
10752 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
10753 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
10756 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
10757 @findex gnus-article-mail
10758 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
10759 given a prefix, include the mail.
10762 @kindex s (Article)
10763 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
10764 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
10765 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
10768 @kindex ? (Article)
10769 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
10770 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
10771 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
10774 @kindex TAB (Article)
10775 @findex gnus-article-next-button
10776 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
10777 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
10780 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
10781 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
10782 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
10785 @kindex R (Article)
10786 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
10787 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
10788 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
10789 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10793 @kindex F (Article)
10794 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
10795 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
10796 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
10797 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10805 @section Misc Article
10809 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
10810 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
10811 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
10812 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
10815 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
10816 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
10818 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
10819 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
10821 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
10822 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
10823 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
10824 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
10825 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
10826 the contents of the article buffer.
10828 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
10829 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
10830 Hook called in article mode buffers.
10832 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10833 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10834 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
10835 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
10837 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
10838 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
10839 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
10840 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
10841 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
10847 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
10848 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
10849 performed. The characters and their meaning:
10854 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
10857 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
10860 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
10861 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
10862 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
10865 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
10868 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
10871 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
10876 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
10880 @vindex gnus-break-pages
10882 @item gnus-break-pages
10883 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
10884 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
10885 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
10886 paging will not be done.
10888 @item gnus-page-delimiter
10889 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
10890 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
10895 @node Composing Messages
10896 @chapter Composing Messages
10897 @cindex composing messages
10900 @cindex sending mail
10905 @cindex using s/mime
10906 @cindex using smime
10908 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
10909 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
10910 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
10911 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
10912 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
10913 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
10916 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
10917 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
10918 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
10919 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
10920 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
10921 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
10922 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
10923 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
10926 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
10927 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
10933 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
10936 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
10937 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
10938 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
10939 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
10940 @code{nil} include all headers.
10942 @item gnus-add-to-list
10943 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
10944 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
10945 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
10947 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10948 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10949 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus requests confirmation when replying to news.
10950 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
10951 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
10956 @node Posting Server
10957 @section Posting Server
10959 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
10960 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
10962 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
10964 It can be quite complicated.
10966 @vindex gnus-post-method
10967 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
10968 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
10969 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
10970 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
10971 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
10972 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
10973 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
10974 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
10975 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
10978 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
10981 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
10982 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
10983 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
10984 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
10986 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
10987 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
10989 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
10990 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
10993 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
10994 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
10996 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
10997 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
10998 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
10999 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11000 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @sc{smtp}
11001 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11002 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11003 package correctly. An example:
11006 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11007 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11010 To the thing similar to this, there is @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}.
11011 It is useful if your ISP requires the POP-before-SMTP authentication.
11012 See the documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
11014 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11015 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11016 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11018 @node Mail and Post
11019 @section Mail and Post
11021 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11025 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11026 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11027 @cindex mailing lists
11029 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11030 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
11031 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11032 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11033 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11034 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11035 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11036 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11037 still a pain, though.
11041 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11042 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11043 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11046 @findex ispell-message
11048 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11051 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11052 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11055 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11059 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11060 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11062 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11065 Modify to suit your needs.
11068 @node Archived Messages
11069 @section Archived Messages
11070 @cindex archived messages
11071 @cindex sent messages
11073 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11074 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11075 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11076 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11079 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11080 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11083 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11084 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
11085 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11088 (nnfolder "archive"
11089 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11090 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11091 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11092 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11095 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11096 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11097 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11098 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11101 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11102 '(nnfolder "archive"
11103 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11104 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11105 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11108 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11110 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11111 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11112 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11114 This variable can be used to do the following:
11119 Messages will be saved in that group.
11121 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11122 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11123 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11124 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11125 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11126 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11127 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11128 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11132 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11134 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11135 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11138 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11143 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11145 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11148 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11150 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11153 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11155 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11156 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11157 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11158 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11161 More complex stuff:
11163 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11164 '((if (message-news-p)
11169 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11170 messages in one file per month:
11173 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11174 '((if (message-news-p)
11176 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11179 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11180 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11182 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11183 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11184 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11185 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11186 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11187 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11188 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11189 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11190 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11191 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11193 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11194 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11195 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11196 this will disable archiving.
11199 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11200 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11201 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11202 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11203 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11206 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11207 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11208 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11211 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11212 but the latter is the preferred method.
11214 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11215 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11216 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11218 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11219 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11220 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11221 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11222 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11223 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11224 changed in the future.
11229 @node Posting Styles
11230 @section Posting Styles
11231 @cindex posting styles
11234 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11236 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11237 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11238 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11241 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11242 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11243 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11244 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11245 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11250 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11251 (organization "What me?"))
11253 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11254 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11255 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11258 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11259 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11260 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11261 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11262 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11263 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11264 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11265 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11267 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11268 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11269 If it is the form @code{(header MATCH REGEXP)}, then Gnus will look in
11270 the original article for a header whose name is MATCH and compare that
11271 REGEXP. MATCH and REGEXP are strings. (There original article is the
11272 one you are replying or following up to. If you are not composing a
11273 reply or a followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11274 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with no
11275 arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11276 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11277 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
11280 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11281 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11282 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
11283 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
11284 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
11285 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
11286 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
11287 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
11288 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
11289 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
11292 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11293 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11294 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11295 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11296 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11297 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11298 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11299 references chars lines xref extra.
11301 @vindex message-reply-headers
11303 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11304 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11305 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11307 @findex message-mail-p
11308 @findex message-news-p
11310 So here's a new example:
11313 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11315 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11317 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11318 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11320 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11321 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; A form
11322 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11323 (message-news-p ;; A function symbol
11324 (signature my-news-signature))
11325 (window-system ;; A value symbol
11326 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11327 ;; If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.
11328 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11329 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11330 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; A user defined function
11331 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11332 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11333 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11334 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11336 (From (save-excursion
11337 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11338 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11340 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11343 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11344 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11345 if you fill many roles.
11352 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11353 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11354 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11355 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11356 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11358 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11359 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11360 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11361 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11362 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11366 @vindex nndraft-directory
11367 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11368 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11369 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11370 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11371 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11372 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11374 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11375 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11378 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11379 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11380 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11381 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11382 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11383 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11384 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11385 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11386 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11387 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11388 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11389 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11390 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11391 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11393 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11394 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11395 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11397 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11398 @kindex D e (Draft)
11399 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11400 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11401 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11403 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11406 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11407 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11408 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11409 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11410 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11411 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11412 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11415 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11416 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11417 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11420 @node Rejected Articles
11421 @section Rejected Articles
11422 @cindex rejected articles
11424 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11425 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11426 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11427 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11429 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
11430 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11431 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11432 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
11433 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11435 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11436 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11437 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11439 @node Signing and encrypting
11440 @section Signing and encrypting
11442 @cindex using s/mime
11443 @cindex using smime
11445 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
11446 format or @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}. For decoding such messages,
11447 see the @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
11448 (@pxref{Security}).
11450 For PGP, Gnus supports two external libraries, @sc{gpg.el} and
11451 @sc{Mailcrypt}, you need to install at least one of them. The
11452 @sc{s/mime} support in Gnus requires the external program OpenSSL.
11454 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11455 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11456 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11457 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11458 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11459 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11460 automatically encrypted messages.
11462 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @sc{mime} part is
11463 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11464 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11469 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11470 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11472 Digitally sign current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11475 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11476 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11478 Digitally sign current message using PGP.
11481 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11482 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11484 Digitally sign current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11487 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11488 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11490 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11493 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11494 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11496 Digitally encrypt current message using PGP.
11499 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11500 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11502 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11505 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11506 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11507 Remove security related MML tags from message.
11511 Also @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}.
11513 @node Select Methods
11514 @chapter Select Methods
11515 @cindex foreign groups
11516 @cindex select methods
11518 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11519 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11520 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11521 personal mail group.
11523 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11524 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11525 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11526 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11527 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11528 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11530 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11531 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11533 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11536 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11537 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11538 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11539 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11540 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11542 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11545 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11546 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11547 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11548 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11549 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11550 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11551 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11552 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11556 @node Server Buffer
11557 @section Server Buffer
11559 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11560 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11561 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11562 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11563 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11564 back end represents a virtual server.
11566 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11567 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11568 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11569 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11571 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11572 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11573 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11574 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11575 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11576 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11577 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11579 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11580 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11583 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11584 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11585 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11586 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11587 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11588 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11589 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11592 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11593 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11596 @node Server Buffer Format
11597 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11598 @cindex server buffer format
11600 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11601 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11602 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11603 variable, with some simple extensions:
11608 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11611 The name of this server.
11614 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11617 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11620 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11621 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11622 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11623 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11633 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11636 @node Server Commands
11637 @subsection Server Commands
11638 @cindex server commands
11644 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11645 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11649 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11650 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11653 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11654 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11655 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11659 @findex gnus-server-exit
11660 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11664 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11665 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11669 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11670 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11674 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
11675 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
11679 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
11680 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
11684 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
11685 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
11686 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
11691 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
11692 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
11693 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
11694 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
11699 @node Example Methods
11700 @subsection Example Methods
11702 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
11705 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
11708 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
11714 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
11715 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
11718 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
11719 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
11721 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
11722 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
11726 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
11729 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
11730 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
11732 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
11733 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
11734 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
11738 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
11741 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
11744 Here's the method for a public spool:
11748 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
11749 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
11755 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
11756 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
11757 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
11758 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
11759 should probably look something like this:
11763 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
11764 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
11765 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
11766 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11769 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
11770 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
11771 configuration to the example above:
11774 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
11777 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
11779 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
11780 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
11781 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
11785 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11786 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
11787 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
11788 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11791 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
11792 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
11793 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
11794 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
11797 @node Creating a Virtual Server
11798 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
11800 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
11801 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
11803 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
11804 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
11805 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
11807 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
11809 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
11810 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
11811 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
11812 will contain the following:
11822 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
11823 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
11824 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
11827 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
11828 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
11829 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
11832 @node Server Variables
11833 @subsection Server Variables
11835 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
11836 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
11837 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
11838 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
11839 won't change the "derived" variables.
11841 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
11842 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
11843 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
11844 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
11845 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
11846 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
11847 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
11848 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
11849 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
11853 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
11854 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
11855 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
11859 @node Servers and Methods
11860 @subsection Servers and Methods
11862 Wherever you would normally use a select method
11863 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
11864 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
11865 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
11869 @node Unavailable Servers
11870 @subsection Unavailable Servers
11872 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
11873 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
11874 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
11875 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
11876 actually the case or not.
11878 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
11879 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
11880 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
11881 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
11882 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
11883 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
11884 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
11885 it will regard that server as ``down''.
11887 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
11888 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
11890 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
11891 with the following commands:
11897 @findex gnus-server-open-server
11898 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
11899 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
11903 @findex gnus-server-close-server
11904 Close the connection (if any) to the server
11905 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
11909 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
11910 Mark the current server as unreachable
11911 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
11914 @kindex M-o (Server)
11915 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
11916 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
11917 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
11920 @kindex M-c (Server)
11921 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
11922 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
11923 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
11927 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
11928 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
11929 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
11933 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
11934 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
11940 @section Getting News
11941 @cindex reading news
11942 @cindex news back ends
11944 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
11945 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
11946 or it can read from a local spool.
11949 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
11950 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
11958 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
11959 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
11960 server as the, uhm, address.
11962 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
11963 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
11964 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
11965 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11967 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
11968 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
11969 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
11971 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
11976 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
11977 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
11978 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
11980 @cindex authentification
11981 @cindex nntp authentification
11982 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11983 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
11984 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
11985 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
11986 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
11987 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
11988 present in this hook.
11990 @item nntp-authinfo-function
11991 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
11992 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11993 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
11994 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
11995 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
11996 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
11997 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
11998 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
11999 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12000 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12001 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12005 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12008 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12010 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12011 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12012 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12013 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12014 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12015 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12016 @samp{force} is explained below.
12020 Here's an example file:
12023 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12024 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12027 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12028 have to be first, for instance.
12030 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12031 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12032 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12033 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12034 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12035 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12036 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12038 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12039 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12045 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12046 previously mentioned.
12048 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12050 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12051 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12052 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12053 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12054 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12057 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12058 '(("innd" (ding))))
12061 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12063 The default value is
12066 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12067 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12068 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12071 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12072 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12074 @item nntp-maximum-request
12075 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12076 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
12077 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12078 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12079 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12080 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12081 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12083 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12084 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12085 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12086 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
12087 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12088 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12089 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12090 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12091 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12092 no timeouts are done.
12094 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12095 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12096 @c @cindex PPP connections
12097 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12098 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12099 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12100 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
12101 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12102 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12103 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12104 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12105 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12106 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12108 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12109 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12110 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12111 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12112 @c described above.
12114 @item nntp-server-hook
12115 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12116 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
12119 @item nntp-buggy-select
12120 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12121 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12123 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12124 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12125 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
12126 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
12129 @item nntp-xover-commands
12130 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12133 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
12134 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12138 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12139 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
12140 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12141 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12142 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
12143 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12144 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12145 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12146 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12147 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12148 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12150 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12151 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12152 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
12154 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12155 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12156 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12157 server closes connection.
12159 @item nntp-record-commands
12160 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12161 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12162 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12163 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
12164 that doesn't seem to work.
12166 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12167 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12168 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12169 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12170 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12171 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12172 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12173 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12175 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12176 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12177 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12178 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12179 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12180 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12181 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12184 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12187 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12188 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12192 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12193 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12194 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12198 @node Direct Functions
12199 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12200 @cindex direct connection functions
12202 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12203 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
12204 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12205 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12208 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12209 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12210 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12213 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12214 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12215 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12216 this you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
12217 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also
12218 need @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
12219 define a server as follows:
12222 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
12224 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
12225 ;; however, openssl s_client -port doesn't like named ports
12227 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12228 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12229 (nntp-port-number 563)
12230 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12233 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12234 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12235 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12236 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12237 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12238 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12239 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12240 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12244 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12245 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12246 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12249 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12250 session, which is not a good idea.
12254 @node Indirect Functions
12255 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12256 @cindex indirect connection functions
12258 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12259 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
12260 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12261 the "via" family of connection: they're all prefixed with "via" to make
12262 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12263 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12266 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12267 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12268 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12269 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12270 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12272 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12275 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12276 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12277 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12278 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12280 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12281 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12282 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12283 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12284 @samp{ssh} for `nntp-via-rlogin-command', you may set this to
12285 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12286 this to @samp{("-t")} or @samp{("-C" "-t")} if the telnet command
12287 requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate host.
12290 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12291 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12292 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12293 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12295 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12298 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12299 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12300 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12303 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12304 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12305 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12306 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12308 @item nntp-via-user-password
12309 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12310 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12312 @item nntp-via-envuser
12313 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12314 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12315 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12316 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12318 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12319 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12320 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12321 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12328 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12333 @item nntp-via-user-name
12334 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12335 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12337 @item nntp-via-address
12338 @vindex nntp-via-address
12339 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12344 @node Common Variables
12345 @subsubsection Common Variables
12347 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12348 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12353 @item nntp-pre-command
12354 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12355 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
12356 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
12357 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
12358 wrapper for instance.
12361 @vindex nntp-address
12362 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
12364 @item nntp-port-number
12365 @vindex nntp-port-number
12366 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
12367 If you use @sc{nntp} over @sc{ssl}, you may want to use integer ports rather
12368 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews}), because
12369 external SSL tools may not work with named ports.
12371 @item nntp-end-of-line
12372 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12373 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
12374 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12375 using a non native connection function.
12377 @item nntp-telnet-command
12378 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12379 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
12380 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
12381 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
12383 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12384 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12385 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12392 @subsection News Spool
12396 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12397 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12398 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12401 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12402 anything else) as the address.
12404 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12405 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12406 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12407 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12411 @item nnspool-inews-program
12412 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12413 Program used to post an article.
12415 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12416 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12417 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12419 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12420 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12421 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12422 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12424 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12425 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12426 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
12427 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12429 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12430 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12431 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12433 @item nnspool-active-file
12434 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12435 The path to the active file.
12437 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12438 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12439 The path to the group descriptions file.
12441 @item nnspool-history-file
12442 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12443 The path to the news history file.
12445 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12446 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12447 The path to the active date file.
12449 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12450 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12451 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
12454 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12455 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12457 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12458 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
12459 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
12465 @section Getting Mail
12466 @cindex reading mail
12469 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12473 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12474 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12475 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12476 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12477 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12478 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12479 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12480 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12481 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12482 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12483 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12484 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12485 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12489 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12490 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12492 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12493 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12494 of a culture shock.
12496 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12497 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12499 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12500 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12501 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12502 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12504 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12506 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12507 deleted? How awful!
12509 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12510 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12511 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12512 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12515 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12516 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12517 they want to treat a message.
12519 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12520 via @sc{smtp}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12521 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12522 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12523 archived somewhere else.
12525 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12526 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12527 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12528 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12529 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12531 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12532 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12533 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12535 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12536 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12539 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12540 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12541 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12542 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12543 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12545 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12546 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12547 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12548 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12549 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12550 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12554 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12555 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12557 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12558 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12559 and things will happen automatically.
12561 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
12562 mail" back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
12565 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12568 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12569 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12570 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12571 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12572 like any other group.
12574 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12577 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12578 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12579 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12583 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12584 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12585 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12588 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12589 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12590 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12593 @node Splitting Mail
12594 @subsection Splitting Mail
12595 @cindex splitting mail
12596 @cindex mail splitting
12598 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
12599 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
12600 to be split into groups.
12603 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12604 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12605 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12606 ("mail.other" "")))
12609 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
12610 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
12611 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
12612 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
12613 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
12614 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
12615 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
12618 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
12621 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12622 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
12623 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
12624 mail belongs in that group.
12626 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
12627 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
12628 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
12629 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
12630 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
12631 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
12633 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
12634 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
12635 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
12636 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
12637 thinks should carry this mail message.
12639 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
12640 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
12641 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
12642 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
12644 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
12645 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
12646 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
12647 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
12648 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
12650 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
12653 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
12654 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
12655 links. If that's the case for you, set
12656 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
12657 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
12659 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
12660 @kindex nnmail-split-history
12661 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
12662 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
12663 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
12664 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
12667 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
12668 Header lines longer than the value of
12669 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
12672 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
12673 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
12674 By default the splitting codes MIME decodes headers so you can match
12675 on non-ASCII strings. The @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
12676 variable specifies the default charset for decoding. The behaviour
12677 can be turned off completely by binding
12678 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to nil, which is useful if you
12679 want to match articles based on the raw header data.
12681 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12682 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If
12683 you specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable
12684 @code{mail-sources} @pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}, however, then
12685 splitting does @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
12686 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-nil value to make splitting
12687 happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on other kinds
12690 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
12691 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
12692 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
12693 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
12694 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
12695 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
12696 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
12697 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
12698 month's rent money.
12702 @subsection Mail Sources
12704 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
12705 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
12709 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
12710 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
12711 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
12715 @node Mail Source Specifiers
12716 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
12718 @cindex mail server
12721 @cindex mail source
12723 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
12724 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
12729 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
12732 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
12733 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
12734 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
12737 The following mail source types are available:
12741 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
12747 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
12748 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
12749 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
12752 An example file mail source:
12755 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
12758 Or using the default path:
12764 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
12765 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
12766 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
12769 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
12773 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
12776 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
12780 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
12783 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
12785 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
12788 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
12792 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
12793 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
12794 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. That is,
12795 there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that directory and
12796 groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in
12797 the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
12798 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
12799 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
12800 scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
12801 to scan mail groups at a specified level.
12803 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12804 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
12805 that to a non-nil value, then the normal splitting process is applied
12806 to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
12812 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
12816 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
12820 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
12821 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
12822 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
12823 predicate are considered.
12827 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12831 An example directory mail source:
12834 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
12839 Get mail from a POP server.
12845 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
12846 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12849 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
12850 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
12851 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
12852 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
12853 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
12856 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
12860 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
12864 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
12865 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
12868 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
12871 The valid format specifier characters are:
12875 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
12876 included in this string.
12879 The name of the server.
12882 The port number of the server.
12885 The user name to use.
12888 The password to use.
12891 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12892 corresponding keywords.
12895 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12896 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12899 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12900 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12903 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
12904 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
12907 @item :authentication
12908 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
12909 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
12914 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
12915 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
12917 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
12918 default user name, and default fetcher:
12924 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
12927 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
12928 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
12931 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
12934 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
12938 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
12939 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
12940 contains exactly one mail.
12946 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
12947 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
12950 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
12951 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
12953 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
12954 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
12955 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
12958 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
12959 from locking problems).
12963 Two example maildir mail sources:
12966 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
12967 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
12971 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
12976 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
12977 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
12978 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
12979 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
12982 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, SSL/TLS and STARTTLS support you
12983 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
12989 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
12990 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12993 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
12994 @samp{993} for SSL/TLS connections.
12997 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
13001 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
13005 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13006 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13007 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{ssl},
13008 @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13010 @item :authentication
13011 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13012 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13013 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13014 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13017 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13018 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
13019 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13025 The valid format specifier characters are:
13029 The name of the server.
13032 User name from `imap-default-user'.
13035 The port number of the server.
13038 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13039 corresponding keywords.
13042 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13043 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13046 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13047 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13048 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
13049 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13050 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13051 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13054 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13055 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13056 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13057 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13060 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
13061 after finishing the fetch.
13065 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
13068 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13070 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13074 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
13075 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
13076 @uref{mail.yahoo..com}.
13078 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13079 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13081 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13087 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13088 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13091 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13095 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13099 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
13100 folder after finishing the fetch.
13104 An example webmail source:
13107 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13109 :password "secret")
13114 @item Common Keywords
13115 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13121 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
13122 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
13126 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13131 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13132 useful when you use local mail and news.
13137 @subsubsection Function Interface
13139 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13140 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13141 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13142 consider the following mail-source setting:
13145 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13146 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13149 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13150 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13151 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13152 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13153 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13155 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13158 @node Mail Source Customization
13159 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13161 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13162 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13166 @item mail-source-crash-box
13167 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13168 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
13169 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13171 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13172 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13173 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
13175 @item mail-source-directory
13176 @vindex mail-source-directory
13177 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13178 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13179 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13182 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13183 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13184 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13185 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13186 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13187 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13189 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13190 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13191 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13193 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13194 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13195 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
13196 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13201 @node Fetching Mail
13202 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13204 @vindex mail-sources
13205 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13206 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13207 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13208 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13210 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13211 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13214 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
13215 mail server, you'd say something like:
13220 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13221 :password "secret")))
13224 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13228 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13229 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13232 :password "secret")))
13236 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13237 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13238 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13239 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13240 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13241 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13245 @node Mail Back End Variables
13246 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13248 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13252 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13253 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13254 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13255 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13257 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13258 @item nnmail-split-hook
13259 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
13260 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
13261 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
13262 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13263 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13264 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13265 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13266 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13267 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13270 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13271 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13272 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13273 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13274 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13275 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13276 starting to handle the new mail) and
13277 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13278 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13279 default file modes the new mail files get:
13282 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13283 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13285 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13286 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13289 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13290 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13291 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13292 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13293 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13294 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13295 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13297 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13298 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13299 @findex delete-file
13300 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13302 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13303 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13304 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13305 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13306 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13308 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13309 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13310 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13311 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13312 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13314 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13315 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13316 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13321 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13322 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13323 @cindex mail splitting
13324 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13326 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13327 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13328 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13329 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13330 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13331 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13333 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13336 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
13337 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
13338 ;; from real errors.
13339 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13341 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
13342 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
13343 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
13344 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13345 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13346 ;; Other mailing lists...
13347 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13348 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13349 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
13350 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
13351 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
13352 ;; message was really cross-posted.
13353 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13354 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13356 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13357 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
13361 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13362 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13363 the five possible split syntaxes:
13368 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13369 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13373 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13374 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13375 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13376 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13377 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13378 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13379 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13380 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13383 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13384 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13385 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13386 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13389 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13390 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13393 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13394 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13397 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13398 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13399 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13400 function should return a @var{split}.
13403 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13404 body of the messages:
13407 (defun split-on-body ()
13409 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13410 (goto-char (point-min))
13411 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13415 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13416 when the @code{:} function is run.
13419 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13420 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
13421 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
13425 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13429 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13430 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13431 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13432 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13433 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13435 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13436 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
13437 are expanded as specified by the variable
13438 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
13439 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
13442 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13443 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13444 when all this splitting is performed.
13446 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13447 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13448 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13451 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13454 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13455 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13457 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13458 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13459 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13460 groupings 1 through 9.
13462 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13463 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13464 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13465 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13466 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13467 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13468 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13469 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13470 it once per thread.
13472 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
13473 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
13474 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
13477 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; or 'delete
13478 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
13480 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13481 ;; other splits go here
13485 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
13486 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
13487 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
13488 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
13489 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
13490 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
13491 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
13492 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
13493 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
13494 unless the group name matches the regexp
13495 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
13496 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
13497 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
13498 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
13499 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13500 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13501 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13502 messages goes into the new group.
13504 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
13505 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
13506 outgoing messages are written to an `outgoing' group, you could set
13507 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
13508 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
13512 @node Group Mail Splitting
13513 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13514 @cindex mail splitting
13515 @cindex group mail splitting
13517 @findex gnus-group-split
13518 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13519 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13520 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13521 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13522 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13523 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13524 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13525 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13527 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13528 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
13529 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
13530 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
13532 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
13533 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
13534 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13535 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13536 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13537 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13538 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13540 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13541 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13542 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13543 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13544 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13545 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13546 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13548 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13549 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13550 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13551 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13552 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13553 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13554 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13555 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13556 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13557 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13558 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13559 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13560 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13562 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13567 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13568 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13570 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13571 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13572 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13573 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13575 ((split-spec . catch-all))
13578 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
13579 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
13580 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
13583 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
13584 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
13585 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
13589 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
13590 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
13591 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13595 (: gnus-group-split-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
13598 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
13599 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
13600 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
13601 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
13602 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
13603 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
13604 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
13605 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
13606 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
13608 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
13609 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
13610 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
13611 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
13612 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
13613 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
13614 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
13615 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
13616 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
13618 @findex gnus-group-split-update
13619 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
13620 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
13621 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
13622 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
13623 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
13626 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
13629 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
13630 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
13631 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
13632 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
13633 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
13636 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
13637 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
13638 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
13639 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
13641 @node Incorporating Old Mail
13642 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
13643 @cindex incorporating old mail
13644 @cindex import old mail
13646 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
13647 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
13648 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
13651 Doing so can be quite easy.
13653 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
13654 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
13655 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
13656 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
13657 your @code{nnml} groups.
13663 Go to the group buffer.
13666 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
13667 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13670 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
13673 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
13674 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13677 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
13678 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13681 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
13682 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
13683 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
13684 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
13685 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
13687 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
13688 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
13689 using the new mail back end.
13692 @node Expiring Mail
13693 @subsection Expiring Mail
13694 @cindex article expiry
13696 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
13697 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
13698 different approach to mail reading.
13700 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
13701 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
13702 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
13703 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
13704 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
13705 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
13708 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
13709 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default keybindings, this means
13710 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
13711 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
13712 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
13713 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
13714 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
13715 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
13716 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
13718 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
13719 two features, called `auto-expire' and `total-expire', that can help you
13720 with this. In a nutshell, `auto-expire' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
13721 for you when you select an article. And `total-expire' means that Gnus
13722 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
13723 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
13724 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
13727 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
13728 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
13729 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
13730 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
13731 into its own group.)
13733 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
13734 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
13735 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
13736 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
13737 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
13738 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
13739 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring @pxref{Adaptive
13740 Scoring}. Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
13743 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13744 Groups that match the regular expression
13745 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
13746 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
13747 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
13749 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
13750 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
13751 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
13752 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
13755 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
13757 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
13758 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
13759 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
13762 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
13763 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
13764 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
13765 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
13766 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
13768 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
13769 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
13772 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13773 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
13776 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
13777 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
13779 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
13780 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
13781 don't really mix very well.
13783 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
13784 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
13785 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
13786 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
13789 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
13790 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
13791 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
13792 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
13795 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13797 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13799 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
13801 ((string= group "mail.junk")
13803 ((string= group "important")
13809 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
13810 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
13812 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
13813 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
13814 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
13817 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
13818 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
13820 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
13821 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
13822 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
13823 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
13824 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
13825 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
13826 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
13827 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
13828 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
13829 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
13830 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
13831 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
13832 name or @code{delete}.
13834 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
13836 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
13839 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13840 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13841 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
13842 expire mail to groups according to the variable
13843 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
13846 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13847 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13848 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
13849 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
13850 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
13853 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
13854 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
13855 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
13856 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
13857 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
13858 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
13860 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
13861 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
13862 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
13863 easier for procmail users.
13865 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
13866 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
13867 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
13868 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
13869 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
13870 caution. Even more dangerous is the
13871 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
13872 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
13873 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
13874 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
13875 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
13876 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
13877 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
13880 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
13882 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
13883 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
13884 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
13885 auto-expire turned on.
13889 @subsection Washing Mail
13890 @cindex mail washing
13891 @cindex list server brain damage
13892 @cindex incoming mail treatment
13894 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
13895 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
13896 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
13897 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
13898 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
13899 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
13901 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
13902 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
13903 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
13906 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
13907 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
13908 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
13909 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
13912 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13913 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13914 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
13915 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
13916 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
13919 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13920 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13921 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
13922 Emacs running on MS machines.
13926 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13927 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13928 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
13929 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
13932 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13933 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13934 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
13935 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
13937 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
13938 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
13939 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
13940 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
13941 into a feature by documenting it.)
13943 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13944 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13945 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
13946 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
13947 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
13948 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
13949 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
13952 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
13953 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
13956 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
13957 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
13960 This can also be done non-destructively with
13961 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
13963 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
13964 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
13965 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
13967 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13968 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13970 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
13971 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
13972 @code{References} headers.
13976 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13977 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13978 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
13982 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
13983 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
13984 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
13991 @subsection Duplicates
13993 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
13994 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
13995 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
13996 @cindex duplicate mails
13997 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
13998 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
13999 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14000 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14001 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14002 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14003 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14004 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14005 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14006 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14007 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14008 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14009 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14011 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14012 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14013 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14014 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14016 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14019 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14020 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14024 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14025 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
14026 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14027 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
14028 (any mail "mail.misc")
14035 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14036 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14041 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14042 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14043 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14044 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14045 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14048 @node Not Reading Mail
14049 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14051 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14052 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14053 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14055 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14056 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14057 mail, which should help.
14059 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14060 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14061 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14062 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14063 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14064 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14065 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
14066 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14067 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14068 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14069 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14071 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14072 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14076 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14077 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14079 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14080 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14081 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14083 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14084 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14085 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14086 Spool}). You might notice that only five back ends are listed below;
14087 @code{nnmaildir}'s documentation has not yet been completely
14088 incorporated into this manual. Until it is, you can find it at
14089 @uref{http://multivac.cwru.edu./nnmaildir/}.
14092 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14093 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
14094 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14095 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14096 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14097 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14101 @node Unix Mail Box
14102 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14104 @cindex unix mail box
14106 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14107 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14108 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14109 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14110 which group it belongs in.
14112 Virtual server settings:
14115 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14116 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14117 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14120 @item nnmbox-active-file
14121 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14122 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14123 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14125 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14126 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14127 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14128 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14133 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14137 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14138 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14139 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
14140 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14141 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14143 Virtual server settings:
14146 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14147 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14148 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14150 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14151 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14152 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14153 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14155 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14156 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14157 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14163 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14165 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
14167 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14168 format. It should be used with some caution.
14170 @vindex nnml-directory
14171 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14172 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14173 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14174 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14176 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14179 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14180 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14181 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14182 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14183 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14184 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14185 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14186 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14188 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14189 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14190 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14191 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14193 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14195 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14196 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14197 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14198 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14199 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14200 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14201 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14202 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14205 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14206 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14207 them next time it starts.
14209 Virtual server settings:
14212 @item nnml-directory
14213 @vindex nnml-directory
14214 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
14215 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
14218 @item nnml-active-file
14219 @vindex nnml-active-file
14220 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14221 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
14223 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14224 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14225 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14226 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
14228 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14229 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14230 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14233 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14234 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14235 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14236 default is @code{nil}.
14238 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14239 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14240 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14242 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14243 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14244 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14246 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14247 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14248 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14249 default is @code{nil}.
14251 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14252 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14253 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14255 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14256 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14257 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14262 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14263 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
14264 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14265 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14266 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14267 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14268 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14273 @subsubsection MH Spool
14275 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14277 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14278 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14279 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14280 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14282 Virtual server settings:
14285 @item nnmh-directory
14286 @vindex nnmh-directory
14287 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14288 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14291 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14292 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14293 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14297 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14298 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14299 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14300 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14301 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14302 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14303 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14308 @subsubsection Mail Folders
14310 @cindex mbox folders
14311 @cindex mail folders
14313 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
14314 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
14315 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
14318 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
14320 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
14321 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14322 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14323 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
14324 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
14325 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
14326 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
14327 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
14328 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
14329 @code{nnfolder} directory).
14331 Virtual server settings:
14334 @item nnfolder-directory
14335 @vindex nnfolder-directory
14336 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
14337 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14340 @item nnfolder-active-file
14341 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
14342 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
14344 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14345 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14346 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14347 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
14349 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
14350 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14351 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
14354 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14355 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14356 @cindex backup files
14357 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
14358 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
14359 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
14360 your @file{.emacs} file:
14363 (defun turn-off-backup ()
14364 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
14366 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
14369 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14370 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14371 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
14372 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
14373 extract some information from it before removing it.
14375 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14376 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14377 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14378 default is @code{nil}.
14380 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14381 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14382 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
14384 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
14385 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
14386 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
14387 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14389 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14390 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14391 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14392 default is @code{nil}.
14394 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14395 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14396 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
14398 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
14399 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
14400 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
14401 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14406 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
14407 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
14408 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
14409 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
14410 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
14411 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
14414 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
14415 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
14417 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
14418 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
14419 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
14420 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
14421 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
14423 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
14424 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
14425 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
14426 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
14427 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
14428 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
14429 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
14430 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
14433 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
14434 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
14435 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
14436 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
14441 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
14442 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
14443 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
14444 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
14445 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
14446 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
14447 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
14448 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
14449 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
14450 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
14451 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
14452 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
14453 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
14458 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
14459 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
14460 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
14461 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
14462 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
14463 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
14464 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
14465 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
14466 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
14467 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
14468 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
14469 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
14470 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
14471 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
14473 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
14474 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
14479 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
14480 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
14481 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
14482 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
14483 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
14484 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
14485 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
14486 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
14487 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
14488 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
14489 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
14490 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
14491 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
14492 provided by the active file and overviews.
14494 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
14495 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
14496 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
14497 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
14498 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
14501 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
14502 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
14507 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
14508 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
14509 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
14510 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
14511 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
14512 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
14513 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
14517 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
14518 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
14519 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
14520 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
14521 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
14522 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
14523 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
14524 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
14525 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
14527 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
14528 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
14529 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
14530 friendly mail back end all over.
14534 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
14535 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
14536 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
14537 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
14538 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
14539 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
14540 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to ReiserFS
14541 (@uref{http://www.namesys.com/}) or another non-block-structured
14544 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
14545 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
14546 This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
14547 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
14548 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
14549 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
14550 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
14551 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
14552 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
14553 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will undergo
14554 treatment such as duplicate checking.
14556 An article will not necessarily keep the same number across Gnus
14557 sessions; articles are renumbered starting from 1 for each Gnus session
14558 (more precisely, each time you open the @code{nnmaildir} server). This
14559 way, you don't get gaps in your article number ranges, and when entering
14560 large groups, Gnus is likely to give a more accurate article count. The
14561 price is that @code{nnmaildir} doesn't work with the cache or agent.
14562 This will probably be changed in the future.
14564 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
14565 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
14566 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
14567 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
14568 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
14571 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses group
14572 parameters slightly different from those of other mail back ends.
14574 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
14575 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
14576 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
14577 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
14578 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
14579 would) to make it use less memory.
14581 Startup and shutdown are likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than
14582 with other back ends. Everything in between is likely to be faster,
14583 depending in part on your file system.
14585 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
14586 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
14591 @node Browsing the Web
14592 @section Browsing the Web
14594 @cindex browsing the web
14598 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
14599 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
14600 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
14601 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
14602 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
14603 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
14604 even know what a news group is.
14606 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
14607 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
14608 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
14609 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
14610 you mad in the end.
14612 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
14615 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
14616 interfaces to these sources.
14620 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
14621 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
14622 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
14623 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
14624 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
14625 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
14628 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
14630 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
14631 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
14632 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
14633 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
14634 though, you should be ok.
14636 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
14637 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
14638 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
14639 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
14640 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
14642 @node Archiving Mail
14643 @subsection Archiving Mail
14644 @cindex archiving mail
14645 @cindex backup of mail
14647 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
14648 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
14649 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
14650 marks is fairly simple.
14652 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
14653 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
14656 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
14657 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
14658 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
14659 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
14660 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
14661 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
14662 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
14663 before you restore the data.
14665 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
14666 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
14667 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
14668 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
14669 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
14670 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
14671 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
14672 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
14673 is unnecessary in that case.
14676 @subsection Web Searches
14681 @cindex Usenet searches
14682 @cindex searching the Usenet
14684 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
14685 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
14686 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
14687 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
14688 searches without having to use a browser.
14690 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
14691 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
14692 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
14693 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
14694 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
14696 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
14697 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
14698 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
14699 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
14700 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
14701 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
14702 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
14703 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
14704 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
14705 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
14708 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
14709 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
14710 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
14711 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
14712 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
14713 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
14715 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
14716 to use @code{nnweb}.
14718 Virtual server variables:
14723 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
14724 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
14725 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
14728 @vindex nnweb-search
14729 The search string to feed to the search engine.
14731 @item nnweb-max-hits
14732 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
14733 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
14736 @item nnweb-type-definition
14737 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
14738 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
14739 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
14744 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
14748 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
14751 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
14754 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
14758 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
14765 @subsection Slashdot
14769 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
14770 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
14771 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
14773 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
14774 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
14777 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14778 '((nnslashdot "")))
14781 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
14782 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
14783 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
14784 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
14785 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
14788 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
14789 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14791 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
14792 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
14793 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
14794 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
14795 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
14796 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
14799 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
14802 @item nnslashdot-threaded
14803 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
14804 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
14805 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
14806 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
14807 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
14808 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
14810 @item nnslashdot-login-name
14811 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
14812 The login name to use when posting.
14814 @item nnslashdot-password
14815 @vindex nnslashdot-password
14816 The password to use when posting.
14818 @item nnslashdot-directory
14819 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
14820 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
14821 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
14823 @item nnslashdot-active-url
14824 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
14825 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
14826 news articles and comments. The default is
14827 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
14829 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
14830 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
14831 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
14833 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
14835 @item nnslashdot-article-url
14836 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
14837 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
14839 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
14841 @item nnslashdot-threshold
14842 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
14843 The score threshold. The default is -1.
14845 @item nnslashdot-group-number
14846 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
14847 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
14848 updated. The default is 0.
14855 @subsection Ultimate
14857 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
14859 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
14860 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
14861 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
14862 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
14864 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
14865 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
14866 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
14867 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
14868 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
14869 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
14870 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
14872 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
14875 @item nnultimate-directory
14876 @vindex nnultimate-directory
14877 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
14878 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
14883 @subsection Web Archive
14885 @cindex Web Archive
14887 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
14888 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
14889 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
14890 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14893 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
14894 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
14895 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
14896 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
14897 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
14898 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
14899 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
14901 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
14904 @item nnwarchive-directory
14905 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
14906 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
14907 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
14909 @item nnwarchive-login
14910 @vindex nnwarchive-login
14911 The account name on the web server.
14913 @item nnwarchive-passwd
14914 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
14915 The password for your account on the web server.
14923 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
14924 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
14925 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14928 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
14929 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
14932 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
14935 @item nnrss-directory
14936 @vindex nnrss-directory
14937 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
14938 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
14942 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
14943 the summary buffer.
14946 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
14947 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
14949 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
14951 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
14952 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
14955 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
14958 (require 'browse-url)
14960 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
14962 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
14965 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
14966 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
14969 (browse-url (cdr url))
14970 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
14971 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
14973 (eval-after-load "gnus"
14974 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
14975 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
14976 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
14979 @node Customizing w3
14980 @subsection Customizing w3
14986 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
14987 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
14988 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
14990 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
14991 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
14992 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
14995 (eval-after-load "w3"
14997 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
14998 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
14999 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
15000 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
15002 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
15005 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
15006 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
15015 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
15016 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
15017 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
15018 specify the network address of the server.
15020 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
15021 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
15022 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
15023 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
15024 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
15026 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
15027 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
15028 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
15029 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
15031 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
15032 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
15033 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
15034 usage explained in this section.
15036 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
15037 might look something like the following. (Note that for SSL/TLS, you
15038 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
15041 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15042 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
15043 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
15045 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15046 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
15047 ; a UW server running on localhost
15049 (nnimap-server-port 143)
15050 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15051 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
15052 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
15053 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
15054 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
15055 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
15056 (nnimap-stream network))
15057 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
15059 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
15060 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
15061 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
15064 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
15069 @item nnimap-address
15070 @vindex nnimap-address
15072 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
15073 server name if not specified.
15075 @item nnimap-server-port
15076 @vindex nnimap-server-port
15077 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
15079 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
15082 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15083 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
15086 @item nnimap-list-pattern
15087 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
15088 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
15089 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
15090 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
15091 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
15092 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
15094 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
15095 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
15096 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
15099 Example server specification:
15102 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15103 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
15104 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
15107 @item nnimap-stream
15108 @vindex nnimap-stream
15109 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
15110 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
15111 of SSL/TLS. (@sc{imap} over SSL/TLS is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
15112 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
15114 Example server specification:
15117 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15118 (nnimap-stream ssl))
15121 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
15125 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
15126 @samp{imtest} program.
15128 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
15130 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
15131 SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
15134 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
15135 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
15136 library @samp{ssl.el}.
15138 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
15140 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
15143 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
15144 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
15145 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
15146 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
15147 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
15148 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
15149 restrictions on @sc{imap} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
15150 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
15151 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
15154 @vindex imap-ssl-program
15155 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
15156 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
15157 and nnimap support it too - although the most recent versions of
15158 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
15159 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
15160 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
15161 to OpenSSL/SSLeay. You also need @samp{ssl.el} (from the W3
15162 distribution, for instance).
15164 @vindex imap-shell-program
15165 @vindex imap-shell-host
15166 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
15167 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
15169 @item nnimap-authenticator
15170 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
15172 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
15173 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
15175 Example server specification:
15178 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15179 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
15182 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
15186 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
15187 external program @code{imtest}.
15189 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
15192 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
15193 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
15195 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
15197 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
15199 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your email address as password.
15202 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
15204 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
15205 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
15206 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
15207 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
15208 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
15209 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
15212 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
15213 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
15214 running in circles yet?
15216 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
15217 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
15220 The possible options are:
15225 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
15228 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
15229 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
15230 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
15231 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
15233 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
15238 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
15239 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
15241 If non-nil (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as well),
15242 for other @sc{imap} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
15243 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
15244 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @sc{imap}
15245 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @sc{imap}
15248 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
15249 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
15252 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
15253 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15254 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
15255 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15258 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
15259 as ticked for other users.
15261 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
15263 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
15265 This variable contain the @sc{imap} search command sent to server when
15266 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
15267 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
15268 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
15270 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
15271 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
15272 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
15273 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
15275 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
15276 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
15278 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
15279 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
15280 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
15286 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
15287 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
15288 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
15289 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
15290 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
15295 @node Splitting in IMAP
15296 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
15297 @cindex splitting imap mail
15299 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
15300 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
15301 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
15302 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
15303 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
15307 Here are the variables of interest:
15311 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
15312 @cindex splitting, crosspost
15314 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
15316 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
15317 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
15319 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
15321 @item nnimap-split-inbox
15322 @cindex splitting, inbox
15324 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
15326 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
15327 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
15331 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
15332 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
15335 No nnmail equivalent.
15337 @item nnimap-split-rule
15338 @cindex Splitting, rules
15339 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
15341 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
15344 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
15345 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
15346 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
15347 Neither did I, we need examples.
15350 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15352 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
15353 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
15354 ("INBOX.private" "")))
15357 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
15358 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
15359 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
15361 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
15362 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
15366 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
15369 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
15370 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
15372 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
15373 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
15374 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
15375 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
15377 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
15378 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
15379 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
15380 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
15381 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
15382 them every time you fetch new mail.)
15384 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
15385 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
15386 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
15388 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
15389 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
15390 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15392 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
15394 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
15395 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
15396 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
15399 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15400 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
15401 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
15402 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
15403 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
15404 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
15407 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
15408 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
15409 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
15410 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
15411 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
15412 group/function elements.
15414 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
15416 @item nnimap-split-predicate
15418 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
15420 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
15421 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
15423 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
15424 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
15425 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
15428 @item nnimap-split-fancy
15429 @cindex splitting, fancy
15430 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
15431 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
15433 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15434 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
15435 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
15437 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
15438 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15439 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
15440 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15445 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
15446 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
15449 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
15453 @node Expiring in IMAP
15454 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
15455 @cindex expiring imap mail
15457 Even though @sc{nnimap} is not a proper @sc{nnmail} derived back end,
15458 it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
15459 Unlike splitting in IMAP (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}) it do not clone
15460 the @sc{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating @var{nnimap-expiry-wait})
15461 but reuse the @sc{nnmail} variables. What follows below are the
15462 variables used by the @sc{nnimap} expiry process.
15464 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @sc{imap} server is
15465 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
15466 @sc{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
15467 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
15468 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
15469 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
15470 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
15471 messages. Most do, fortunately.
15475 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
15476 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15478 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
15479 number, the symbol @var{immediate} or @var{never}.
15481 @item nnmail-expiry-target
15483 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
15484 @sc{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
15485 that if the destination is a IMAP group on the same server, the
15486 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
15490 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
15491 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
15492 @cindex editing imap acls
15493 @cindex Access Control Lists
15494 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
15496 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
15498 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
15499 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
15500 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
15503 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
15504 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
15505 editing window with detailed instructions.
15507 Some possible uses:
15511 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
15512 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
15513 follow the list without subscribing to it.
15515 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
15516 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
15517 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
15521 @node Expunging mailboxes
15522 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
15526 @cindex Manual expunging
15528 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
15530 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
15531 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
15532 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
15534 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
15537 @node A note on namespaces
15538 @subsection A note on namespaces
15539 @cindex IMAP namespace
15542 The IMAP protocol has a concept called namespaces, described by the
15543 following text in the RFC:
15546 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
15548 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
15549 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
15550 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
15551 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
15553 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
15554 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
15555 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
15556 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
15557 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
15558 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
15561 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the IMAP
15562 implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace prefixes in a way
15563 that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
15565 Specifically, University of Washington's IMAP server uses mailbox
15566 names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only in the
15567 @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is created
15568 (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed without
15569 the namespace prefix, i.e @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do not make it
15570 possible for the user to guarantee that user entered mailbox names
15571 will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands, you should
15572 simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in Gnus.
15574 See the UoW @sc{imapd} documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
15575 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
15576 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
15578 @node Other Sources
15579 @section Other Sources
15581 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
15582 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
15586 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
15587 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
15588 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
15589 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
15590 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
15594 @node Directory Groups
15595 @subsection Directory Groups
15597 @cindex directory groups
15599 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
15600 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
15603 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
15604 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
15605 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
15606 back end to read directories. Big deal.
15608 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
15609 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
15610 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
15611 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
15612 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
15614 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
15616 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
15617 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
15618 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
15619 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
15622 @node Anything Groups
15623 @subsection Anything Groups
15626 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
15627 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
15628 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
15631 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
15632 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
15633 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
15634 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
15635 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
15636 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
15637 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
15638 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
15639 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
15640 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
15643 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
15644 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
15645 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
15646 in the article buffer, just as usual.
15648 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
15649 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
15650 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
15651 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
15653 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
15654 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
15655 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
15656 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
15657 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
15658 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
15659 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
15660 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
15665 @item nneething-map-file-directory
15666 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
15667 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
15668 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
15670 @item nneething-exclude-files
15671 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
15672 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
15673 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
15675 @item nneething-include-files
15676 @vindex nneething-include-files
15677 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
15678 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
15680 @item nneething-map-file
15681 @vindex nneething-map-file
15682 Name of the map files.
15686 @node Document Groups
15687 @subsection Document Groups
15689 @cindex documentation group
15692 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
15693 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
15700 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
15705 The standard Unix mbox file.
15707 @cindex MMDF mail box
15709 The MMDF mail box format.
15712 Several news articles appended into a file.
15715 @cindex rnews batch files
15716 The rnews batch transport format.
15717 @cindex forwarded messages
15720 Forwarded articles.
15723 Netscape mail boxes.
15726 @sc{mime} multipart messages.
15728 @item standard-digest
15729 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
15732 A @sc{mime} digest of messages.
15734 @item lanl-gov-announce
15735 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
15737 @item rfc822-forward
15738 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
15741 The Outlook mail box.
15744 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
15747 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
15750 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
15753 An RFC934-forwarded message.
15759 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
15762 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
15768 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
15769 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
15770 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
15773 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
15774 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
15775 group. And that's it.
15777 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
15778 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
15779 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
15780 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
15781 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
15782 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
15783 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
15784 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
15785 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
15786 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
15788 Virtual server variables:
15791 @item nndoc-article-type
15792 @vindex nndoc-article-type
15793 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
15794 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
15795 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
15796 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
15797 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
15799 @item nndoc-post-type
15800 @vindex nndoc-post-type
15801 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
15802 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
15807 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
15811 @node Document Server Internals
15812 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
15814 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
15815 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
15816 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
15817 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
15819 First, here's an example document type definition:
15823 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
15824 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
15827 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
15828 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
15829 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
15830 types can be defined with very few settings:
15833 @item first-article
15834 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
15835 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
15838 @item article-begin
15839 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
15840 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
15842 @item head-begin-function
15843 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
15846 @item nndoc-head-begin
15847 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
15850 @item nndoc-head-end
15851 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
15852 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
15854 @item body-begin-function
15855 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
15859 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
15862 @item body-end-function
15863 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
15867 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
15870 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
15871 regexp will be totally ignored.
15875 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
15876 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
15877 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
15878 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
15879 something that's palatable for Gnus:
15882 @item prepare-body-function
15883 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
15884 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
15885 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
15887 @item article-transform-function
15888 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
15889 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
15890 body of the article.
15892 @item generate-head-function
15893 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
15894 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
15895 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
15896 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
15900 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
15905 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15906 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15907 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
15908 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
15909 (head-end . "^ ?$")
15910 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
15911 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
15912 (subtype digest guess))
15915 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
15916 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
15917 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
15918 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
15919 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
15921 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
15922 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
15923 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
15924 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
15925 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
15926 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
15927 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
15928 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
15929 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
15930 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
15938 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
15939 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
15940 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
15942 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
15943 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
15944 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
15947 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
15948 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
15949 that interested in doing things properly.
15951 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
15952 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
15955 First some terminology:
15960 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
15961 get news and/or mail from.
15964 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
15965 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
15968 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
15972 @item message packets
15973 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
15974 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
15975 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15977 @item response packets
15978 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
15979 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
15980 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15990 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
15991 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
15992 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
15993 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
15996 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
15999 You put the packet in your home directory.
16002 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
16003 the native or secondary server.
16006 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
16007 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
16010 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
16014 You transfer this packet to the server.
16017 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
16020 You then repeat until you die.
16024 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
16025 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
16028 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
16029 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
16030 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
16034 @node SOUP Commands
16035 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
16037 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
16041 @kindex G s b (Group)
16042 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
16043 Pack all unread articles in the current group
16044 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
16045 process/prefix convention.
16048 @kindex G s w (Group)
16049 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
16050 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
16053 @kindex G s s (Group)
16054 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
16055 Send all replies from the replies packet
16056 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
16059 @kindex G s p (Group)
16060 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
16061 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
16064 @kindex G s r (Group)
16065 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
16066 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
16069 @kindex O s (Summary)
16070 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
16071 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
16072 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
16073 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16078 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
16083 @item gnus-soup-directory
16084 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
16085 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
16086 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
16088 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
16089 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
16090 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
16091 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
16093 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
16094 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
16095 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
16096 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
16098 @item gnus-soup-packer
16099 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
16100 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16101 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
16103 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
16104 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
16105 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16106 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16108 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
16109 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
16110 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
16112 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16113 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16114 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
16115 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
16121 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
16124 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
16125 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
16126 you can read them at leisure.
16128 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
16132 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
16133 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
16134 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
16135 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
16137 @item nnsoup-directory
16138 @vindex nnsoup-directory
16139 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
16140 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
16142 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
16143 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
16144 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
16145 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
16147 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
16148 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
16149 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
16150 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
16151 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
16153 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
16154 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
16155 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
16156 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
16158 @item nnsoup-active-file
16159 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
16160 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
16161 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
16162 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
16163 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
16165 @item nnsoup-packer
16166 @vindex nnsoup-packer
16167 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
16168 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
16170 @item nnsoup-unpacker
16171 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
16172 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
16173 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16175 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
16176 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
16177 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
16180 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
16181 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
16182 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
16185 @item nnsoup-always-save
16186 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
16187 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
16193 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
16195 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
16196 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
16197 more for that to happen.
16199 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
16200 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
16201 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
16204 In specific, this is what it does:
16207 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
16208 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
16211 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
16212 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
16213 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
16216 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
16217 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
16218 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
16221 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
16222 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
16223 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
16225 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
16231 @item nngateway-address
16232 @vindex nngateway-address
16233 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
16235 @item nngateway-header-transformation
16236 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
16237 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
16238 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
16239 transformation should be called, and defaults to
16240 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
16241 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
16244 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
16245 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
16246 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
16249 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
16252 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
16255 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
16258 The following pre-defined functions exist:
16260 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16263 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16264 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16265 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
16267 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16269 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16270 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16271 @code{nngateway-address}.
16276 (setq gnus-post-method
16278 "mail2news@@replay.com"
16279 (nngateway-header-transformation
16280 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
16288 So, to use this, simply say something like:
16291 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
16296 @node Combined Groups
16297 @section Combined Groups
16299 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
16303 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
16304 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
16308 @node Virtual Groups
16309 @subsection Virtual Groups
16311 @cindex virtual groups
16312 @cindex merging groups
16314 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
16317 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
16318 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
16319 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
16321 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
16322 regexp to match component groups.
16324 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
16325 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
16326 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
16327 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
16328 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
16329 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
16330 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
16331 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
16333 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
16334 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
16337 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
16340 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
16341 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
16343 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
16344 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
16345 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
16346 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
16349 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
16352 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
16353 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
16354 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
16356 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
16357 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
16358 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
16359 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
16360 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
16362 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
16363 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
16364 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
16366 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
16367 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
16368 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
16369 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
16370 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
16371 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
16372 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
16373 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
16374 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
16375 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
16376 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
16378 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
16379 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
16380 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
16381 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
16382 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
16383 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
16384 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
16386 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
16387 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
16389 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
16390 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
16394 @node Kibozed Groups
16395 @subsection Kibozed Groups
16399 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
16400 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
16401 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
16402 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
16404 @kindex G k (Group)
16405 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
16408 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
16409 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
16410 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
16411 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
16413 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
16414 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
16415 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
16417 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
16418 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
16419 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
16420 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
16421 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
16422 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
16423 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
16424 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
16426 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
16427 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
16428 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
16429 Stranger things have happened.
16431 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
16432 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
16434 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
16435 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
16436 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
16437 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
16438 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
16439 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
16441 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
16442 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
16445 @node Gnus Unplugged
16446 @section Gnus Unplugged
16451 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
16453 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
16454 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
16455 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
16456 read news. Believe it or not.
16458 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
16459 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
16460 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
16461 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
16462 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
16464 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
16465 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
16466 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
16467 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
16468 reading news on a machine.
16470 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
16471 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
16473 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
16476 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
16477 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
16478 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
16479 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
16480 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
16481 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
16482 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
16483 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
16484 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
16485 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
16486 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
16491 @subsection Agent Basics
16493 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
16495 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
16496 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
16497 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
16498 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
16500 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
16501 connected to the net continuously.
16503 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
16504 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
16506 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
16511 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
16512 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
16513 already fetched while in this mode.
16516 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
16517 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
16518 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
16519 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
16520 Source Specifiers}).
16523 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
16524 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
16525 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
16526 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
16527 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
16530 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
16531 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
16532 then you read the news offline.
16535 And then you go to step 2.
16538 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
16544 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
16545 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
16546 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
16547 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
16548 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
16549 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
16550 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} groups in @code{gnus-select-method} and
16551 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
16554 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
16561 @node Agent Categories
16562 @subsection Agent Categories
16564 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
16565 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
16566 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
16567 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
16568 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
16569 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
16570 you're interested in the articles anyway.
16572 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
16573 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
16574 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
16575 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
16576 managing categories.
16579 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
16580 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
16581 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
16585 @node Category Syntax
16586 @subsubsection Category Syntax
16588 A category consists of two things.
16592 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
16593 are eligible for downloading; and
16596 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
16597 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
16598 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
16601 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
16602 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
16603 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
16604 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
16606 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
16607 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
16608 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
16610 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
16611 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
16612 operators sprinkled in between.
16614 Perhaps some examples are in order.
16616 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
16617 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
16623 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
16624 short (for some value of ``short'').
16626 Here's a more complex predicate:
16635 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
16636 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
16639 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
16640 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
16641 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
16643 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
16644 you want to do, you can write your own.
16648 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
16649 lines; default 100.
16652 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
16653 lines; default 200.
16656 True iff the article has a download score less than
16657 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
16660 True iff the article has a download score greater than
16661 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
16664 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
16665 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
16666 checksum and sees whether articles match.
16675 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
16676 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
16677 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
16680 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
16681 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
16682 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
16683 something along the lines of the following:
16686 (defun my-article-old-p ()
16687 "Say whether an article is old."
16688 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
16689 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
16692 with the predicate then defined as:
16695 (not my-article-old-p)
16698 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
16699 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
16703 (require 'gnus-agent)
16704 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
16705 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
16706 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
16709 and simply specify your predicate as:
16715 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
16716 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
16717 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
16718 just don't give a damn.
16720 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
16721 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
16722 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
16723 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
16724 parameters like so:
16727 (agent-predicate . short)
16730 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
16731 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
16732 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
16734 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
16737 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
16740 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
16741 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
16742 predicate is assumed to be a list.
16745 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
16746 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
16747 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
16748 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
16749 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
16750 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
16752 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
16753 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
16754 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
16755 if it's to be specific to that group.
16757 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
16764 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
16765 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
16771 Category specification
16775 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16781 Group Parameter specification
16784 (agent-score ("from"
16785 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16790 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
16796 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
16803 Category specification
16806 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
16812 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
16816 Group Parameter specification
16819 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
16822 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
16827 Use @code{normal} score files
16829 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
16830 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
16831 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
16832 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
16834 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
16835 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
16836 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
16837 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
16841 Category Specification
16848 Group Parameter specification
16851 (agent-score . file)
16856 @node Category Buffer
16857 @subsubsection Category Buffer
16859 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
16860 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
16861 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
16863 The following commands are available in this buffer:
16867 @kindex q (Category)
16868 @findex gnus-category-exit
16869 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
16872 @kindex k (Category)
16873 @findex gnus-category-kill
16874 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
16877 @kindex c (Category)
16878 @findex gnus-category-copy
16879 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
16882 @kindex a (Category)
16883 @findex gnus-category-add
16884 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
16887 @kindex p (Category)
16888 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
16889 Edit the predicate of the current category
16890 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
16893 @kindex g (Category)
16894 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
16895 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
16896 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
16899 @kindex s (Category)
16900 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
16901 Edit the download score rule of the current category
16902 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
16905 @kindex l (Category)
16906 @findex gnus-category-list
16907 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
16911 @node Category Variables
16912 @subsubsection Category Variables
16915 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
16916 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
16917 Hook run in category buffers.
16919 @item gnus-category-line-format
16920 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
16921 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
16922 Variables}). Valid elements are:
16926 The name of the category.
16929 The number of groups in the category.
16932 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
16933 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
16934 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
16936 @item gnus-agent-short-article
16937 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
16938 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
16940 @item gnus-agent-long-article
16941 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
16942 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
16944 @item gnus-agent-low-score
16945 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
16946 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
16949 @item gnus-agent-high-score
16950 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
16951 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
16957 @node Agent Commands
16958 @subsection Agent Commands
16960 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
16961 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
16962 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
16966 * Group Agent Commands::
16967 * Summary Agent Commands::
16968 * Server Agent Commands::
16971 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
16972 following incantation:
16974 @cindex gnus-agent-batch
16976 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch
16981 @node Group Agent Commands
16982 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
16986 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
16987 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
16988 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
16989 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
16992 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
16993 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
16994 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
16997 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
16998 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
16999 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
17000 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
17003 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
17004 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
17005 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
17006 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
17009 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
17010 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
17011 Add the current group to an Agent category
17012 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
17013 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17016 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
17017 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
17018 Remove the current group from its category, if any
17019 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
17020 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17023 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
17024 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17025 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
17031 @node Summary Agent Commands
17032 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
17036 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
17037 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
17038 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
17041 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
17042 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
17043 Remove the downloading mark from the article
17044 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
17047 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
17048 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
17049 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
17052 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
17053 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
17054 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
17057 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
17058 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
17059 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
17060 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
17065 @node Server Agent Commands
17066 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
17070 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
17071 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
17072 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
17073 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
17076 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
17077 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
17078 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
17079 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
17084 @node Agent as Cache
17085 @subsection Agent as Cache
17087 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
17088 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
17089 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
17090 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
17091 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
17092 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
17093 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
17094 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
17095 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
17097 This behaviour can be controlled by @code{gnus-agent-cache}
17098 (@pxref{Agent Variables}).
17101 @subsection Agent Expiry
17103 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17104 @findex gnus-agent-expire
17105 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
17106 @cindex Agent expiry
17107 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
17110 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
17111 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
17112 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
17113 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
17114 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
17115 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
17117 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} can also be a list of regexp/day pairs.
17118 The regexps will be matched against group names to allow differing
17119 expiry in different groups.
17122 (setq gnus-agent-expire-days
17128 If you use the list form, the last element must always be the default
17129 method---it must always match all groups.
17131 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
17132 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
17133 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
17134 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
17135 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
17137 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
17138 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
17139 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's a special
17140 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} command to fix possible problems.
17142 @node Agent and IMAP
17143 @subsection Agent and IMAP
17145 The Agent work with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
17146 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
17147 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
17148 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
17150 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
17151 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
17152 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
17153 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
17155 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
17156 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
17157 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
17158 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
17160 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17161 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
17162 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
17163 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
17164 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
17165 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
17167 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
17168 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
17169 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
17170 in the group buffer.
17172 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
17173 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
17178 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
17181 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
17185 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
17186 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
17187 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
17188 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
17189 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
17190 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
17191 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
17192 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
17195 @node Outgoing Messages
17196 @subsection Outgoing Messages
17198 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
17199 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
17200 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
17202 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
17203 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
17204 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
17205 messages in the draft group.
17209 @node Agent Variables
17210 @subsection Agent Variables
17213 @item gnus-agent-directory
17214 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
17215 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
17216 @file{~/News/agent/}.
17218 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
17219 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
17220 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
17221 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
17222 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
17225 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17226 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17227 Hook run when connecting to the network.
17229 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17230 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17231 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
17233 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17234 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17235 Hook run when after finishing fetching articles.
17237 @item gnus-agent-cache
17238 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
17239 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @sc{nov} and
17240 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
17241 The default is non-nil, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
17243 @item gnus-agent-go-online
17244 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
17245 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
17246 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
17247 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
17248 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
17249 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
17252 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
17253 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
17254 Perhaps not a Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
17255 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
17256 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
17257 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
17258 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
17259 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
17260 is only valid if the Agent is used.
17265 @node Example Setup
17266 @subsection Example Setup
17268 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
17269 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
17270 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
17273 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
17274 ;;; from your ISP's server.
17275 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
17277 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
17278 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
17279 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
17281 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
17282 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
17284 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
17285 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; The obsolete setting.
17286 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; Now the default.
17289 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
17290 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
17293 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
17294 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
17295 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
17296 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
17297 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
17300 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
17301 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
17302 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
17303 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
17304 back all the killed groups.)
17306 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
17307 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
17308 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
17311 @node Batching Agents
17312 @subsection Batching Agents
17314 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
17315 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
17316 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
17320 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
17324 @node Agent Caveats
17325 @subsection Agent Caveats
17327 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
17328 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
17332 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
17336 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
17338 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is `nil'.
17342 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
17343 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP and also uses the
17344 locally stored articles.
17351 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
17352 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
17353 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
17356 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
17357 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
17358 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
17359 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
17360 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
17362 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
17363 before generating the summary buffer.
17365 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
17366 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
17367 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
17369 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
17370 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
17371 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
17372 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
17375 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
17376 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
17377 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
17378 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
17379 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
17380 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
17381 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
17382 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
17383 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
17384 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
17385 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
17386 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
17387 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
17388 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
17389 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
17390 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
17391 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
17395 @node Summary Score Commands
17396 @section Summary Score Commands
17397 @cindex score commands
17399 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
17400 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
17401 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
17402 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
17403 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
17405 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
17406 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
17407 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
17408 score file the current one.
17410 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
17415 @kindex V s (Summary)
17416 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
17417 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
17420 @kindex V S (Summary)
17421 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
17422 Display the score of the current article
17423 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
17426 @kindex V t (Summary)
17427 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
17428 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
17429 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
17432 @kindex V w (Summary)
17433 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
17434 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
17437 @kindex V R (Summary)
17438 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
17439 Run the current summary through the scoring process
17440 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
17441 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
17442 effect you're having.
17445 @kindex V c (Summary)
17446 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
17447 Make a different score file the current
17448 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
17451 @kindex V e (Summary)
17452 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
17453 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
17454 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
17458 @kindex V f (Summary)
17459 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
17460 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
17461 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
17464 @kindex V F (Summary)
17465 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17466 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
17467 after editing score files.
17470 @kindex V C (Summary)
17471 @findex gnus-score-customize
17472 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
17473 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
17477 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
17482 @kindex V m (Summary)
17483 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
17484 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
17485 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
17488 @kindex V x (Summary)
17489 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
17490 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
17491 expunge all articles below this score
17492 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
17495 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
17496 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
17499 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
17500 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
17504 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
17505 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
17507 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
17508 keys are available:
17512 Score on the author name.
17515 Score on the subject line.
17518 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
17521 Score on the @code{References} line.
17527 Score on the number of lines.
17530 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
17533 Score on an "extra" header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
17534 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
17537 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
17538 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
17539 @file{ADAPT} files.)
17548 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
17554 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
17555 what headers you are scoring on.
17567 Substring matching.
17570 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
17599 Greater than number.
17604 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
17605 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
17606 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
17611 Temporary score entry.
17614 Permanent score entry.
17617 Immediately scoring.
17621 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
17622 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
17623 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
17627 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
17628 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
17629 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
17630 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
17632 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
17633 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
17634 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
17635 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
17636 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
17638 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
17639 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
17640 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
17641 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
17642 current score file.
17644 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
17645 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
17646 pretend they are keymaps or not.
17649 @node Group Score Commands
17650 @section Group Score Commands
17651 @cindex group score commands
17653 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
17658 @kindex W f (Group)
17659 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17660 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
17661 all the time. This command will flush the cache
17662 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
17666 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
17668 @findex gnus-batch-score
17669 @cindex batch scoring
17671 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
17675 @node Score Variables
17676 @section Score Variables
17677 @cindex score variables
17681 @item gnus-use-scoring
17682 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
17683 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
17684 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
17686 @item gnus-kill-killed
17687 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
17688 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
17689 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
17690 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
17691 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
17692 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
17693 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
17695 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
17696 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
17697 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
17698 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
17699 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
17701 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
17702 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
17703 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
17704 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
17706 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17707 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17708 @cindex score cache
17709 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
17710 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
17711 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
17712 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
17713 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
17714 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
17717 @item gnus-save-score
17718 @vindex gnus-save-score
17719 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
17720 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
17721 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
17723 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
17724 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
17725 across group visits.
17727 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17728 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17729 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
17730 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
17731 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
17732 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
17733 manually entered data.
17735 @item gnus-summary-default-score
17736 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
17737 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
17739 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
17740 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
17741 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
17742 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
17743 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
17744 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
17746 @item gnus-score-over-mark
17747 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
17748 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
17749 default. Default is @samp{+}.
17751 @item gnus-score-below-mark
17752 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
17753 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
17754 default. Default is @samp{-}.
17756 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17757 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17758 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
17759 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
17761 Predefined functions available are:
17764 @item gnus-score-find-single
17765 @findex gnus-score-find-single
17766 Only apply the group's own score file.
17768 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
17769 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
17770 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
17771 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
17772 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
17773 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
17774 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
17775 then a regexp match is done.
17777 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
17778 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
17780 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
17781 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
17782 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
17783 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
17785 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17786 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17787 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
17788 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
17789 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
17793 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
17794 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
17795 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
17796 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
17797 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
17798 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
17799 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
17802 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
17803 overall score file, you could use the value
17805 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
17806 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
17809 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
17810 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
17811 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
17812 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
17813 are expired. It's 7 by default.
17815 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17816 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17817 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
17818 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
17819 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
17820 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
17821 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
17822 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
17824 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17825 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17826 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
17828 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
17829 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
17830 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
17831 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
17832 threading---according to the current value of
17833 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
17834 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
17835 simplified in this manner.
17840 @node Score File Format
17841 @section Score File Format
17842 @cindex score file format
17844 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
17845 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
17846 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
17848 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
17852 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
17854 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
17856 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
17858 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
17863 (mark-and-expunge -10)
17867 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
17868 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
17869 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
17870 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
17874 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
17875 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
17877 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
17878 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
17879 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
17881 Six keys are supported by this alist:
17886 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
17887 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
17888 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
17889 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
17890 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
17891 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
17892 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
17893 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
17894 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
17895 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
17896 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
17897 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
17898 to articles that matches these score entries.
17900 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
17901 score entry has one to four elements.
17905 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
17906 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
17910 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
17911 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
17912 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
17913 is successful. If this element is not present, the
17914 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
17915 instead. This is 1000 by default.
17918 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
17919 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
17920 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
17921 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
17922 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
17925 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
17926 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
17927 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
17928 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
17931 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
17932 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
17933 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
17934 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
17935 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
17936 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
17937 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
17938 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
17939 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
17940 instead, if you feel like.
17943 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
17944 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
17945 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
17946 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
17947 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
17948 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
17951 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
17955 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
17956 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
17958 These predicates are true if
17961 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
17964 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
17965 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
17972 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
17973 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
17974 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
17975 it's not. I think.)
17977 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
17978 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
17979 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
17980 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
17983 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
17984 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
17985 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
17986 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
17987 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
17988 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
17989 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
17993 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
17994 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
17995 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
17996 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
17997 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
17998 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
17999 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
18000 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
18003 @item Head, Body, All
18004 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
18008 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
18009 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
18010 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
18011 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
18012 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
18013 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
18014 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
18018 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
18019 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
18020 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
18021 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
18022 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
18023 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
18024 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
18025 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
18026 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
18027 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
18028 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
18032 @cindex Score File Atoms
18034 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18035 lower than this number will be marked as read.
18038 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18039 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
18041 @item mark-and-expunge
18042 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18043 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
18046 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
18047 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
18048 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
18049 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
18050 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
18053 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
18054 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
18057 @item exclude-files
18058 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
18059 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
18063 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
18064 ignored when handling global score files.
18067 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
18068 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
18069 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
18070 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
18073 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
18074 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
18075 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
18076 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
18078 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
18082 (mark-and-expunge -100)
18085 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
18086 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
18087 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
18088 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
18089 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
18091 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
18092 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
18093 scoring rules exist.
18096 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
18097 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
18098 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
18099 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
18100 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
18101 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
18102 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18103 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
18104 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
18105 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
18106 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
18110 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
18111 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
18112 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
18113 file for a number of groups.
18116 @cindex local variables
18117 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
18118 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
18119 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
18120 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
18121 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
18125 @node Score File Editing
18126 @section Score File Editing
18128 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
18129 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
18130 with a mode for that.
18132 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
18133 additional commands:
18138 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
18139 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
18140 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
18141 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
18144 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
18145 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
18146 Insert the current date in numerical format
18147 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
18148 you were wondering.
18151 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
18152 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
18153 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
18154 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
18155 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
18160 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
18162 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
18163 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
18165 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
18166 e} to begin editing score files.
18169 @node Adaptive Scoring
18170 @section Adaptive Scoring
18171 @cindex adaptive scoring
18173 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
18174 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
18175 stupidity, to be precise.
18177 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
18178 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
18179 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
18180 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
18181 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18182 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
18183 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
18184 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
18185 variable to @code{(word line)}.
18187 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18188 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
18189 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
18190 might look something like this:
18193 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18194 '((gnus-unread-mark)
18195 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
18196 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
18197 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
18198 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
18199 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
18200 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
18201 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
18202 (gnus-ancient-mark)
18203 (gnus-low-score-mark)
18204 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
18207 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
18208 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
18209 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
18210 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
18211 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
18212 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
18215 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
18216 will be applied to each article.
18218 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
18219 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
18220 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
18221 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
18223 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
18224 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
18225 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
18226 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
18228 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
18229 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
18230 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
18231 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
18233 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
18234 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
18235 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
18236 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
18237 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
18238 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
18240 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
18241 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
18242 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
18243 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
18244 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
18245 aspirins afterwards.)
18247 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
18248 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
18249 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
18251 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
18252 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
18253 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
18255 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
18256 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
18257 let you use different rules in different groups.
18259 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
18260 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
18261 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
18264 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
18265 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
18266 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
18267 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
18268 the length of the match is less than
18269 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
18270 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
18273 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18274 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
18275 headers. If you adapt on words, the
18276 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
18277 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
18280 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18281 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
18282 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
18283 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
18284 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
18287 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
18288 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
18289 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
18290 score with 30 points.
18292 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
18293 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
18294 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
18295 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
18296 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
18298 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
18299 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
18300 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
18301 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
18302 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
18304 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
18305 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
18306 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
18307 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
18309 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
18310 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
18311 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
18312 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
18314 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
18315 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
18316 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
18317 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
18318 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
18320 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
18321 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
18322 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
18324 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
18325 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
18326 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
18327 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
18330 @node Home Score File
18331 @section Home Score File
18333 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
18334 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
18335 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
18336 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
18338 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
18339 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
18340 could perhaps use the same home score file.
18342 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
18343 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
18348 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
18352 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
18353 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
18357 A list. The elements in this list can be:
18361 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
18362 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
18365 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
18366 the home score file.
18369 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
18372 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
18377 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
18380 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18381 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
18384 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
18385 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
18387 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
18389 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18390 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
18393 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
18394 Other functions include
18397 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
18398 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
18399 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
18400 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
18404 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
18405 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
18406 their own home score files:
18409 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18410 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
18411 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
18412 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
18413 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
18416 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
18417 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
18418 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
18419 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
18420 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
18422 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
18423 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
18424 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
18425 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
18426 precedence over this variable.
18429 @node Followups To Yourself
18430 @section Followups To Yourself
18432 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
18433 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
18434 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
18435 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
18436 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
18437 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
18441 @item gnus-score-followup-article
18442 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
18443 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
18446 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
18447 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
18448 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
18452 @vindex message-sent-hook
18453 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
18454 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
18456 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
18460 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
18461 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
18465 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18466 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18469 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
18470 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
18475 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
18479 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
18480 is system-dependent.
18483 @node Scoring On Other Headers
18484 @section Scoring On Other Headers
18485 @cindex scoring on other headers
18487 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
18488 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
18489 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
18490 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
18491 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
18493 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
18494 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
18495 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
18496 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
18497 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
18499 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18502 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
18503 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
18506 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
18507 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
18508 time if you have much mail.
18510 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
18511 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
18517 @section Scoring Tips
18518 @cindex scoring tips
18524 @cindex scoring crossposts
18525 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
18526 the @code{Xref} header.
18528 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
18531 @item Multiple crossposts
18532 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
18533 more than, say, 3 groups:
18536 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
18540 @item Matching on the body
18541 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
18542 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
18543 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
18544 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
18545 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
18546 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
18547 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
18550 @item Marking as read
18551 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
18552 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
18553 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
18557 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
18559 @item Negated character classes
18560 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
18561 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
18562 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
18566 @node Reverse Scoring
18567 @section Reverse Scoring
18568 @cindex reverse scoring
18570 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
18571 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
18572 like this in your score file:
18576 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
18581 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
18582 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
18585 @node Global Score Files
18586 @section Global Score Files
18587 @cindex global score files
18589 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
18590 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
18591 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
18593 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
18594 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
18595 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
18597 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
18598 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
18599 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
18600 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
18601 files are applicable to which group.
18603 To use the score file
18604 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
18605 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
18609 (setq gnus-global-score-files
18610 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
18611 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
18614 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
18616 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
18617 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
18618 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
18619 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
18621 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
18622 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
18624 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
18625 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
18626 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
18627 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
18628 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
18629 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
18631 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
18637 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
18639 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
18641 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
18643 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
18644 lowered out of existence.
18646 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
18647 articles completely.
18650 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
18651 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
18652 old articles for a long time.
18655 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
18656 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
18657 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
18658 holding our breath yet?
18662 @section Kill Files
18665 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
18666 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
18667 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
18669 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
18670 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
18671 files into score files.
18673 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
18674 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
18675 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
18676 that isn't a very good idea.
18678 Normal kill files look like this:
18681 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18682 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
18686 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
18687 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
18689 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
18690 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
18693 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
18698 @kindex M-k (Summary)
18699 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
18700 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
18703 @kindex M-K (Summary)
18704 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
18705 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
18708 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
18713 @kindex M-k (Group)
18714 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
18715 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
18718 @kindex M-K (Group)
18719 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
18720 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
18723 Kill file variables:
18726 @item gnus-kill-file-name
18727 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
18728 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
18729 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
18730 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
18731 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
18732 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
18734 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18735 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18736 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
18737 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
18740 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
18741 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
18742 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
18743 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
18744 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
18745 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
18746 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
18747 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
18748 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
18750 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18751 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18752 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
18757 @node Converting Kill Files
18758 @section Converting Kill Files
18760 @cindex converting kill files
18762 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
18763 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
18764 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
18767 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
18768 You can fetch it from
18769 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
18771 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
18772 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
18773 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
18781 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
18782 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
18783 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
18784 news articles generated every day.
18786 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
18787 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
18788 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
18789 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
18790 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
18791 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
18792 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
18793 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
18796 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
18797 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
18800 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
18801 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
18802 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
18803 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
18807 @node Using GroupLens
18808 @subsection Using GroupLens
18810 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
18812 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
18813 better bit in town at the moment.
18815 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
18819 @item gnus-use-grouplens
18820 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
18821 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
18822 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
18824 @item grouplens-pseudonym
18825 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
18826 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
18827 with the Better Bit Bureau.
18829 @item grouplens-newsgroups
18830 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
18831 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
18835 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
18836 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
18837 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
18838 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
18839 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
18840 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
18843 @node Rating Articles
18844 @subsection Rating Articles
18846 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
18847 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
18848 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
18849 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
18852 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
18857 @kindex r (GroupLens)
18858 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
18859 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
18862 @kindex k (GroupLens)
18863 @findex grouplens-score-thread
18864 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
18865 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
18866 threads in rec.humor.
18870 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
18871 the score of the article you're reading.
18876 @kindex n (GroupLens)
18877 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
18878 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
18881 @kindex , (GroupLens)
18882 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
18883 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
18887 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
18888 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
18891 @node Displaying Predictions
18892 @subsection Displaying Predictions
18894 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
18895 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
18896 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
18897 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
18898 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
18900 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
18901 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
18902 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
18903 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
18904 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
18905 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
18906 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
18907 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
18908 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
18909 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
18910 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
18911 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
18912 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
18914 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
18915 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
18916 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
18917 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
18919 The following are valid values for that variable.
18922 @item prediction-spot
18923 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
18926 @item confidence-interval
18927 A numeric confidence interval.
18929 @item prediction-bar
18930 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
18932 @item confidence-bar
18933 Numerical confidence.
18935 @item confidence-spot
18936 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
18938 @item prediction-num
18939 Plain-old numeric value.
18941 @item confidence-plus-minus
18942 Prediction +/- confidence.
18947 @node GroupLens Variables
18948 @subsection GroupLens Variables
18952 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
18953 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
18954 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
18955 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
18958 @item grouplens-bbb-host
18959 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
18962 @item grouplens-bbb-port
18963 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
18965 @item grouplens-score-offset
18966 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
18967 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
18970 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
18971 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
18972 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
18977 @node Advanced Scoring
18978 @section Advanced Scoring
18980 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
18981 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
18982 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
18983 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
18984 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
18986 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
18990 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
18991 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
18992 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
18996 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
18997 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
18999 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
19000 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
19001 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
19002 non-@code{nil} value.
19004 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
19005 operator, and various match operators.
19012 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19013 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
19014 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
19019 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19020 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
19021 then this operator will return @code{false}.
19026 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
19027 logical negation of the value of its argument.
19031 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
19032 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
19033 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
19034 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
19035 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
19036 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
19037 the ancestry you want to go.
19039 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
19040 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
19041 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
19042 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
19043 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
19046 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
19047 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
19049 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
19050 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
19053 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
19054 when he's talking about Gnus:
19058 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19059 ("subject" "Gnus"))
19065 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
19069 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19076 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
19077 really don't want to read what he's written:
19081 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19082 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
19086 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
19087 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
19088 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
19095 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
19096 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
19097 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
19098 ("body" "white.*socks"))
19102 The possibilities are endless.
19105 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
19106 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
19108 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
19109 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
19110 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
19111 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
19112 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
19113 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
19114 @samp{subject}) first.
19116 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
19117 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
19128 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
19129 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
19135 ("subject" "Gnus")))
19142 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
19143 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
19148 @section Score Decays
19149 @cindex score decays
19152 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
19153 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
19154 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
19155 use them in any sensible way.
19157 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
19158 @findex gnus-decay-score
19159 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
19160 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
19161 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
19162 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
19163 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
19164 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
19165 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
19166 definition of that function:
19169 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
19171 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
19172 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
19175 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
19177 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
19179 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
19182 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
19183 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
19184 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
19185 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
19189 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
19192 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
19195 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
19199 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
19200 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
19201 the new score, which should be an integer.
19203 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
19204 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
19209 @include message.texi
19210 @chapter Emacs MIME
19211 @include emacs-mime.texi
19213 @include sieve.texi
19223 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
19224 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
19225 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
19226 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
19227 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
19228 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
19229 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
19230 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
19231 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
19232 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
19233 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
19234 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
19235 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
19236 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
19237 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
19238 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
19239 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
19240 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
19241 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
19245 @node Process/Prefix
19246 @section Process/Prefix
19247 @cindex process/prefix convention
19249 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
19250 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
19252 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
19253 command to be performed on.
19257 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
19258 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
19259 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
19260 with the current one.
19262 @vindex transient-mark-mode
19263 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
19264 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
19266 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
19267 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
19270 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
19271 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
19273 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
19276 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
19277 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
19278 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
19279 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
19281 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
19282 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
19283 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
19284 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
19285 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
19286 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
19287 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
19288 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
19290 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
19291 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
19292 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
19293 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
19294 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
19298 @section Interactive
19299 @cindex interaction
19303 @item gnus-novice-user
19304 @vindex gnus-novice-user
19305 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
19306 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
19307 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
19308 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
19311 @item gnus-expert-user
19312 @vindex gnus-expert-user
19313 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
19314 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
19315 matter how strange.
19317 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
19318 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
19319 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
19320 is @code{t} by default.
19322 @item gnus-interactive-exit
19323 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
19324 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
19329 @node Symbolic Prefixes
19330 @section Symbolic Prefixes
19331 @cindex symbolic prefixes
19333 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
19334 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
19335 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
19336 rule of 900 to the current article.
19338 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
19339 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
19340 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
19341 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
19342 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
19343 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
19344 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
19346 @kindex M-i (Summary)
19347 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
19348 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
19349 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
19350 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
19351 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
19352 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
19353 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
19354 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
19356 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
19357 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
19358 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
19360 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
19364 @node Formatting Variables
19365 @section Formatting Variables
19366 @cindex formatting variables
19368 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
19369 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
19370 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
19371 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
19372 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
19375 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
19376 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
19377 lots of percentages everywhere.
19380 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
19381 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
19382 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
19383 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
19384 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
19385 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
19386 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
19387 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
19390 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
19391 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
19392 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
19393 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
19394 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
19395 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
19396 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
19397 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
19399 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
19400 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
19402 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
19403 @findex gnus-update-format
19404 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
19405 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
19406 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
19407 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
19411 @node Formatting Basics
19412 @subsection Formatting Basics
19414 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
19415 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
19416 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
19418 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
19419 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
19420 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
19421 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
19422 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
19425 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
19426 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
19427 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
19428 less than 4 characters wide.
19430 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
19431 @samp{%&user-date;}.
19434 @node Mode Line Formatting
19435 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
19437 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
19438 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
19439 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
19440 with the following two differences:
19445 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
19448 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
19449 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
19450 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
19451 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
19452 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
19453 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
19454 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
19459 @node Advanced Formatting
19460 @subsection Advanced Formatting
19462 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
19463 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
19464 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
19465 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
19467 These are the valid modifiers:
19472 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
19476 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
19481 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
19484 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
19489 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
19492 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
19495 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
19498 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
19504 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
19509 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
19510 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
19511 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
19512 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
19513 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
19514 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
19515 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
19517 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
19518 last operation, padding.
19520 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
19521 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
19522 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
19523 @xref{Compilation}.
19526 @node User-Defined Specs
19527 @subsection User-Defined Specs
19529 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
19530 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
19531 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
19532 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
19533 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
19534 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
19535 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
19536 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
19537 should protect against that.
19539 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
19540 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
19542 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
19543 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
19544 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
19545 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
19549 @node Formatting Fonts
19550 @subsection Formatting Fonts
19552 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
19553 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
19554 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
19555 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
19558 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
19559 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
19560 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
19561 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
19562 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
19563 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
19565 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
19566 special @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}.
19567 If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on.
19568 The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or
19569 symbols naming functions that return a string. When the mouse passes
19570 over text with this property set, a balloon window will appear and
19571 display the string. Please refer to @ref{(emacs)Help Echo} (in GNU
19572 Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in XEmacs) for
19573 more information on this. (For technical reasons, the guillemets have
19574 been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this paragraph.)
19576 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
19579 ;; Create three face types.
19580 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
19581 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
19583 ;; We want the article count to be in
19584 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
19585 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
19586 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
19588 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
19589 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
19591 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
19592 (setq gnus-group-line-format
19593 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
19596 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
19597 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
19599 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
19600 mode-line variables.
19602 @node Positioning Point
19603 @subsection Positioning Point
19605 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
19606 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
19607 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
19609 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
19611 @findex gnus-goto-colon
19612 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
19613 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
19615 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
19616 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%C} specifier. If you
19617 put a @samp{%C} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
19622 @subsection Tabulation
19624 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
19625 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
19626 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
19627 about lining up the following text afterwards.
19629 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
19630 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
19632 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19633 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
19634 This is the soft tabulator.
19636 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19637 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
19638 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
19641 @node Wide Characters
19642 @subsection Wide Characters
19644 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
19645 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
19646 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
19648 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
19649 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
19650 these countries, that's not true.
19652 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
19653 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
19654 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
19655 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
19659 @node Window Layout
19660 @section Window Layout
19661 @cindex window layout
19663 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
19665 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
19666 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
19667 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
19668 @code{t} by default.
19670 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
19671 glitches. Use at your own peril.
19673 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
19674 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
19675 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
19678 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
19679 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
19680 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19684 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
19685 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
19686 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
19687 possible names is listed below.
19689 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
19690 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
19693 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19697 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
19698 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
19699 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
19700 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
19701 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
19702 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
19703 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
19704 size spec per split.
19706 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
19707 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
19708 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
19709 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
19710 present) gets focus.
19712 Here's a more complicated example:
19715 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
19716 (summary 0.25 point)
19717 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
19721 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
19722 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
19723 occupy, not a percentage.
19725 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
19726 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
19727 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
19728 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
19729 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
19732 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
19735 (article (horizontal 1.0
19740 (summary 0.25 point)
19745 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
19746 @code{horizontal} thingie?
19748 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
19749 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
19750 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
19751 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
19752 the screen is to be given to this strip.
19754 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
19755 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
19756 lines from the splits.
19758 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
19762 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
19763 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
19764 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
19765 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
19766 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
19767 size = number | frame-params
19768 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
19771 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
19772 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
19773 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
19774 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
19776 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
19777 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
19778 @cindex window height
19779 @cindex window width
19780 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
19781 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
19782 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
19783 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
19784 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
19785 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
19787 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
19788 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
19789 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
19790 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
19792 @findex gnus-configure-frame
19793 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
19794 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
19795 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
19796 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
19797 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
19798 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
19799 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
19800 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
19801 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
19802 configuration list.
19805 (gnus-configure-frame
19809 (article 0.3 point))
19817 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
19818 @code{frame} split:
19821 (gnus-configure-frame
19824 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
19826 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
19827 (user-position . t)
19828 (left . -1) (top . 1))
19833 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
19834 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
19835 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
19836 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
19837 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
19838 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
19839 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
19840 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
19842 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
19843 be found in its default value.
19845 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
19846 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
19847 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
19851 (message (horizontal 1.0
19852 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
19854 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
19859 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
19860 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
19861 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
19866 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
19867 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
19868 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
19869 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
19870 (name . "Message"))
19871 (message 1.0 point))))
19874 @findex gnus-add-configuration
19875 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
19876 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
19877 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
19878 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
19881 (gnus-add-configuration
19882 '(article (vertical 1.0
19884 (summary .25 point)
19888 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
19889 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
19890 Gnus has been loaded.
19892 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
19893 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
19894 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
19895 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
19896 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
19898 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
19899 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
19900 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
19903 @subsection Example Window Configurations
19907 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
19908 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
19923 (gnus-add-configuration
19926 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19928 (summary 0.16 point)
19931 (gnus-add-configuration
19934 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19935 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
19941 @node Faces and Fonts
19942 @section Faces and Fonts
19947 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
19948 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
19949 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
19954 @section Compilation
19955 @cindex compilation
19956 @cindex byte-compilation
19958 @findex gnus-compile
19960 Remember all those line format specification variables?
19961 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
19962 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
19963 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
19964 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
19965 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
19968 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
19969 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
19970 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
19971 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
19972 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
19973 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
19974 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
19978 @section Mode Lines
19981 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
19982 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
19983 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
19984 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
19985 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
19986 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
19987 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
19990 @cindex display-time
19992 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
19993 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
19994 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
19995 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
19996 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
19997 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
19998 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
19999 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
20002 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
20004 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
20005 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
20007 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
20008 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
20009 (length display-time-string)))))
20012 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
20013 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
20014 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
20015 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
20016 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
20019 @node Highlighting and Menus
20020 @section Highlighting and Menus
20022 @cindex highlighting
20025 @vindex gnus-visual
20026 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
20027 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
20028 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
20031 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
20032 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
20035 @item group-highlight
20036 Do highlights in the group buffer.
20037 @item summary-highlight
20038 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
20039 @item article-highlight
20040 Do highlights in the article buffer.
20042 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
20044 Create menus in the group buffer.
20046 Create menus in the summary buffers.
20048 Create menus in the article buffer.
20050 Create menus in the browse buffer.
20052 Create menus in the server buffer.
20054 Create menus in the score buffers.
20056 Create menus in all buffers.
20059 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
20060 buffers, you could say something like:
20063 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
20066 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
20069 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
20072 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
20073 in all Gnus buffers.
20075 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
20078 @item gnus-mouse-face
20079 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
20080 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
20081 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
20085 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
20089 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
20090 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
20091 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
20093 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
20094 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
20095 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
20097 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
20098 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
20099 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
20101 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
20102 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
20103 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
20105 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
20106 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
20107 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
20109 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
20110 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
20111 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
20122 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
20123 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
20124 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
20125 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
20126 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
20130 @vindex gnus-carpal
20131 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
20132 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
20133 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
20138 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20139 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20140 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
20142 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
20143 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
20144 Face used on buttons.
20146 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
20147 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
20148 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
20150 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20151 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20152 Buttons in the group buffer.
20154 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20155 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20156 Buttons in the summary buffer.
20158 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20159 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20160 Buttons in the server buffer.
20162 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20163 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20164 Buttons in the browse buffer.
20167 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
20168 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
20169 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
20177 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
20178 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
20179 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
20180 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
20181 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
20183 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
20184 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
20185 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
20187 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
20188 been idle for thirty minutes:
20191 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
20194 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
20198 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
20201 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
20202 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
20203 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20205 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
20206 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
20207 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
20208 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20210 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
20211 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
20212 @var{idle} minutes.
20214 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
20215 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
20218 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
20219 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
20220 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
20222 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
20223 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
20224 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
20225 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
20227 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
20228 your @file{.gnus} file:
20230 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
20232 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
20235 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
20236 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
20237 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
20238 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
20239 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
20240 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
20241 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
20242 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
20243 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
20244 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
20245 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
20247 @findex gnus-demon-init
20248 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
20249 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
20250 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
20251 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
20252 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
20254 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
20255 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
20256 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
20265 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
20266 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
20268 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
20269 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
20270 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
20271 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
20274 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
20275 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
20276 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
20277 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
20279 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
20280 this will make spam disappear.
20282 There are some variables to customize, of course:
20285 @item gnus-use-nocem
20286 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
20287 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
20290 @item gnus-nocem-groups
20291 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
20292 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
20293 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
20294 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
20296 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
20297 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
20298 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
20299 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
20300 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
20301 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
20303 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
20304 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
20306 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
20307 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
20308 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
20309 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
20310 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
20311 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
20312 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
20313 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
20314 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
20315 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
20317 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
20318 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
20321 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
20324 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
20325 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
20328 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
20331 The specs are applied left-to-right.
20334 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
20335 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
20337 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
20338 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
20339 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
20340 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
20342 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
20343 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
20346 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
20348 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
20356 This might be dangerous, though.
20358 @item gnus-nocem-directory
20359 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
20360 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
20361 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
20363 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20364 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20365 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
20366 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
20367 might then see old spam.
20369 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
20370 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
20371 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
20372 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
20373 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
20376 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20377 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20378 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
20379 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
20383 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
20384 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
20385 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
20386 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
20393 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
20394 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
20395 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
20397 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
20398 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
20399 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
20400 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
20401 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
20402 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
20403 @code{undo} function.
20405 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
20406 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
20407 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
20408 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
20409 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
20410 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
20411 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
20412 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
20413 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
20414 never be totally undoable.
20416 @findex gnus-undo-mode
20417 @vindex gnus-use-undo
20419 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
20420 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
20421 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
20422 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
20426 @node Predicate Specifiers
20427 @section Predicate Specifiers
20428 @cindex predicate specifiers
20430 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
20431 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
20432 to type all that much.
20434 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
20439 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
20440 gnus-article-unread-p)
20443 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
20444 functions all take one parameter.
20446 @findex gnus-make-predicate
20447 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
20448 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
20449 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
20454 @section Moderation
20457 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
20458 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
20459 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
20462 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
20466 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
20469 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
20471 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
20476 You split your incoming mail by matching on
20477 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
20478 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
20481 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
20482 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
20485 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
20486 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
20490 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
20493 (setq gnus-moderated-list
20494 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
20498 @node Image Enhancements
20499 @section Image Enhancements
20501 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
20502 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
20505 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
20506 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
20507 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
20508 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
20509 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
20522 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
20523 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
20524 over your shoulder as you read news.
20527 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
20528 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
20529 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
20530 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
20531 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
20536 @subsubsection Picon Basics
20538 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
20547 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
20548 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
20549 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
20550 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
20551 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
20552 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
20553 @code{GIF} formats.
20556 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20557 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
20558 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
20559 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
20560 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
20562 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20563 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
20564 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
20565 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
20566 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
20567 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20569 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
20570 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
20573 @node Picon Requirements
20574 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
20576 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must have @code{x} support
20577 compiled into XEmacs. To display color picons which are much nicer
20578 than the black & white one, you also need one of @code{xpm} or
20579 @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
20581 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20582 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
20583 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
20584 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
20585 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
20586 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20589 @subsubsection Easy Picons
20591 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
20592 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
20595 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
20596 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
20599 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
20600 containing the Picons databases.
20602 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
20605 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20606 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
20611 @subsubsection Hard Picons
20619 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
20620 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
20621 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
20622 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
20623 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
20628 @item gnus-picons-database
20629 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20630 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
20631 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
20632 subdirectories. This is only useful if
20633 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
20634 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
20636 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20637 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20638 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
20639 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
20640 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
20641 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
20642 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20644 @item gnus-picons-display-where
20645 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20646 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
20647 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
20648 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
20649 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
20650 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
20651 routines---@pxref{Window Layout}.
20653 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20654 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20655 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
20660 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
20661 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
20663 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
20664 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
20667 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20669 @item gnus-article-display-picons
20670 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
20671 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
20672 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
20674 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20675 @findex gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20676 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
20677 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the function name, not @code{xface})
20683 @node Picon Useless Configuration
20684 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
20692 The following variables offer further control over how things are
20693 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
20694 don't need to worry about.
20698 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
20699 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
20700 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20701 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
20703 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
20704 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
20705 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
20706 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
20708 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
20709 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
20710 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20711 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
20712 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
20714 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20715 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20716 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
20717 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
20718 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
20719 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
20720 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
20721 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20723 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20724 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20725 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
20726 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
20727 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20729 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20730 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20731 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
20732 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
20733 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
20734 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
20735 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
20737 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20738 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20739 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
20740 Defaults to @code{nil}.
20742 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
20743 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
20744 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
20745 Defaults to @code{t}.
20747 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20748 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20749 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
20750 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
20752 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
20753 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
20754 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
20756 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20757 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20758 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
20759 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
20761 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
20762 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
20764 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20765 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20766 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
20767 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
20768 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
20769 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
20770 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
20771 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
20782 @subsection Smileys
20787 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
20792 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
20793 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
20795 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
20796 @file{.gnus.el} file:
20799 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
20802 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
20803 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
20804 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
20805 text and maps that to file names.
20807 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
20808 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
20809 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
20810 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
20811 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
20812 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
20814 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
20815 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
20817 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
20818 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
20819 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
20821 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
20822 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
20826 @item smiley-data-directory
20827 @vindex smiley-data-directory
20828 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
20830 @item smiley-flesh-color
20831 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
20832 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
20834 @item smiley-features-color
20835 @vindex smiley-features-color
20836 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20838 @item smiley-tongue-color
20839 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
20840 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
20842 @item smiley-circle-color
20843 @vindex smiley-circle-color
20844 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20846 @item smiley-mouse-face
20847 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
20848 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
20857 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
20858 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
20859 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
20863 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
20864 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
20865 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
20866 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
20874 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
20875 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
20876 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
20877 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
20879 The variable that controls this is the
20880 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
20881 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
20882 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
20883 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
20884 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
20886 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
20887 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
20888 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
20889 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
20892 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
20893 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
20894 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
20895 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
20896 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
20897 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
20898 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
20899 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
20901 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
20904 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
20905 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
20907 @findex gnus-random-x-face
20908 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files
20909 in @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
20910 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
20911 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
20912 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big.
20914 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
20915 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
20916 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
20918 Here's how you would typically use the former function. Put something
20919 like the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20922 (setq message-required-news-headers
20923 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20924 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
20927 Using the latter function would be something like this:
20930 (setq message-required-news-headers
20931 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20932 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
20933 (gnus-x-face-from-file
20934 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
20939 @subsection Toolbar
20949 @item gnus-use-toolbar
20950 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
20951 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
20952 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
20953 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
20955 @item gnus-group-toolbar
20956 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
20957 The toolbar in the group buffer.
20959 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
20960 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
20961 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
20963 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20964 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20965 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
20971 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
20974 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20975 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20976 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
20977 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
20978 unusual directory structure.
20980 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20981 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20982 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
20983 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
20985 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20986 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20987 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
20988 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
20989 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
20990 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
20992 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20993 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20994 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
21008 @node Fuzzy Matching
21009 @section Fuzzy Matching
21010 @cindex fuzzy matching
21012 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
21013 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
21015 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
21016 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
21017 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
21019 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
21020 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
21021 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
21022 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
21023 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
21026 @node Thwarting Email Spam
21027 @section Thwarting Email Spam
21031 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21033 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
21034 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
21035 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
21036 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
21037 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
21038 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
21039 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
21040 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
21043 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
21044 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
21045 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
21046 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
21047 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
21048 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
21050 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
21053 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
21054 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
21055 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
21056 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
21057 * Filtering Spam Using spam.el::
21058 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics (spam-stat.el)::
21061 @node The problem of spam
21062 @subsection The problem of spam
21064 @cindex spam filtering approaches
21065 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
21067 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21069 First, some background on spam.
21071 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
21072 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it exists
21073 because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail, so only
21074 a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to make it
21075 worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most common
21076 spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for further
21077 spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers}, but terms like
21078 @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, and @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
21080 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
21081 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
21082 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
21083 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
21084 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
21085 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
21086 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
21087 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
21088 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
21091 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering. If you get 200
21092 spam messages per day from @email{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you
21093 block @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about
21094 @samp{VIAGRA}, you discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the
21095 message. This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate
21096 e-mail. For instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest
21097 has been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it
21098 @strong{contained} words that were common in spam messages.
21099 Nevertheless, in isolated cases, with great care, direct filtering of
21100 mail can be useful.
21102 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
21103 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
21104 @code{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @samp{X} in
21105 China, Ghana, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
21106 @code{N} systems enter @samp{X} or the spam e-mail from @samp{X} into
21107 a database. The criteria for spam detection vary - it may be the
21108 number of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When
21109 a user of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a
21110 message is spam, he consults one of those @code{N} systems.
21112 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
21113 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
21114 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
21115 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
21116 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
21117 sending spam, and their web sites have been shut down for some time
21118 because of the incident.
21120 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
21121 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
21122 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
21123 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
21124 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
21125 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
21126 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
21127 to store the database of spam analyses.
21129 @node Anti-Spam Basics
21130 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
21134 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21136 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
21137 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
21139 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
21140 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
21141 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
21142 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
21143 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
21144 part of the mail address.)
21147 (setq message-default-news-headers
21148 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
21151 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
21152 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21157 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
21158 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
21159 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
21165 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
21166 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
21167 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
21168 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
21170 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @sc{smtp} server
21171 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
21172 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
21173 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
21174 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
21175 your fancy split rule in this way:
21180 (to "larsi" "misc")
21184 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
21185 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
21186 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
21187 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
21188 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
21190 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
21191 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
21192 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
21193 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
21194 cosmic balance somewhat.
21196 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
21197 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
21198 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
21199 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
21204 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
21205 @cindex SpamAssassin
21206 @cindex Vipul's Razor
21209 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
21210 avoiding spam is coming to an end. There are many tools out there
21211 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
21212 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
21213 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
21214 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
21215 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
21217 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
21218 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
21219 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
21220 Specifiers}) follows.
21224 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
21227 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
21230 Once you managed to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
21231 the mail contain e.g. a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
21232 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
21235 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
21239 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21242 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
21243 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
21247 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
21248 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
21249 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
21250 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
21253 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
21255 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
21257 (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
21258 (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
21260 (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
21262 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
21263 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
21267 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
21268 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
21269 spam. And here is the nifty function:
21272 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
21273 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
21275 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
21276 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
21277 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
21281 @subsection Hashcash
21284 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
21285 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
21286 you cannot rely on that everyone in the world uses this technique,
21287 since it is not part of the Internet standards, but it may be useful
21288 in smaller communities.
21290 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
21291 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
21292 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
21293 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
21294 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
21295 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
21296 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
21297 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
21298 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
21299 one of them separately.
21302 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
21303 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
21304 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
21305 header. For more details, and for the external application
21306 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
21307 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
21308 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
21310 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
21314 (require 'hashcash)
21315 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
21318 The @code{hashcash.el} library can be found at
21319 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}, or in the Gnus
21320 development contrib directory.
21322 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
21326 @item hashcash-default-payment
21327 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
21328 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
21329 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
21330 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
21332 @item hashcash-payment-alist
21333 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
21334 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
21335 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(ADDR AMOUNT)} cells,
21336 where ADDR is the receiver (email address or newsgroup) and AMOUNT is
21337 the number of bits in the collision that is needed. It can also
21338 contain @samp{(ADDR STRING AMOUNT)} cells, where the STRING is the
21339 string to use (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
21343 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
21347 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
21348 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
21349 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
21350 a useful contribution, however.
21352 @node Filtering Spam Using spam.el
21353 @subsection Filtering Spam Using spam.el
21354 @cindex spam filtering
21357 The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
21358 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
21359 filters incoming mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
21360 @emph{Ham} is the name used throughout @code{spam.el} to indicate
21363 So, what happens when you load @code{spam.el}? First of all, you get
21364 the following keyboard commands:
21374 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
21375 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
21377 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{H} mark.
21378 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
21379 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
21380 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
21386 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
21387 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
21389 You must have bogofilter processing enabled for that command to work
21396 Also, when you load @code{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
21397 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
21400 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
21401 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
21402 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
21403 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
21404 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
21405 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
21406 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
21407 will be detected later.
21409 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
21410 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
21411 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
21412 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
21413 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
21414 by customizing the corresponding variable
21415 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
21416 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
21417 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
21418 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
21419 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
21420 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
21421 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
21424 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
21425 they get the @samp{H} mark when you enter the group. You must review
21426 these messages from time to time and remove the @samp{H} mark for
21427 every message that is not spam after all. To remove the @samp{H}
21428 mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to "unread" the article, or @kbd{d} for
21429 declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a group, all
21430 spam-marked (@samp{H}) articles are sent to a spam processor which
21431 will study them as spam samples.
21433 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
21434 @code{spam-ham-marks} gets overridden below, marks @samp{R} and
21435 @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
21436 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
21437 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
21438 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
21439 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
21440 should then adjust the @code{spam-ham-marks} variable.
21442 @defvar spam-ham-marks
21443 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
21444 consider ham. By default, the list contains the deleted, read,
21445 killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks.
21448 @defvar spam-spam-marks
21449 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
21450 consider spam. By default, the list contains only the spam mark.
21453 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
21454 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
21455 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
21456 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
21457 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
21458 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{H},
21461 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
21462 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
21463 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups.
21465 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
21466 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
21468 @strong{TODO: The @code{ifile} spam processor does not work at this
21469 time. I'm waiting for info from the author of @code{ifile-gnus.el},
21470 because I think that functionality should go in @code{ifile-gnus.el}
21471 rather than @code{spam.el}. You can still use @code{spam-use-ifile}
21472 to tell @code{spam-split} you want to use ifile for splitting incoming
21475 To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
21476 must add the following to your fancy split list
21477 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
21483 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
21484 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
21485 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
21487 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
21488 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
21489 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
21490 but you can customize it.
21492 The following are the methods you can use to control the behavior of
21493 @code{spam-split} and their corresponding spam and ham processors:
21496 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
21497 * BBDB Whitelists::
21500 * Ifile spam filtering::
21501 * Extending spam.el::
21504 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
21505 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
21506 @cindex spam filtering
21507 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
21508 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
21511 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
21512 Set this variable to t if you want to use blacklists when splitting
21513 incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist will be
21514 sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit filter,
21515 meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to be
21519 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
21520 Set this variable to t if you want to use whitelists when splitting
21521 incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the whitelist will
21522 be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an implicit filter,
21523 meaning it believes everyone to be a spammer unless told otherwise.
21527 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
21528 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21529 customizing the group parameters or the
21530 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21531 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
21532 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
21535 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
21536 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21537 customizing the group parameters or the
21538 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21539 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
21540 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
21541 whitelist. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
21542 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
21545 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
21546 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
21547 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
21548 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
21549 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
21551 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
21552 legitimate. All non-whitelisted addresses are considered spammers.
21553 This option is probably not useful for most Gnus users unless the
21554 whitelists is very comprehensive or permissive. Also see @ref{BBDB
21555 Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the Emacs regular expression
21558 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
21559 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
21560 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
21561 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
21562 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
21563 @file{blacklist} respectively.
21565 @node BBDB Whitelists
21566 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
21567 @cindex spam filtering
21568 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
21569 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
21572 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
21574 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
21575 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted addresses,
21576 without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded for
21577 @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Only addresses in the BBDB
21578 will be allowed through; all others will be classified as spam.
21582 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
21583 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21584 customizing the group parameters or the
21585 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21586 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
21587 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
21588 BBDB. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
21589 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
21593 @subsubsection Blackholes
21594 @cindex spam filtering
21595 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
21598 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
21600 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
21601 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
21602 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
21603 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
21604 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
21605 contains outdated servers.
21607 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
21608 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
21609 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil. It is not recommended at this
21610 time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil despite the possible
21611 performance improvements, because some users may be unable to use it,
21612 but you can try it and see if it works for you.
21616 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
21618 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
21622 @defvar spam-use-dig
21624 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
21625 The default setting of t is recommended.
21629 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
21630 ham processor for blackholes.
21633 @subsubsection Bogofilter
21634 @cindex spam filtering
21635 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
21638 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
21640 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
21641 speedy Bogofilter. This has been tested with a locally patched copy
21642 of version 0.4. Make sure to read the installation comments in
21645 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{H} mark for spam
21646 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
21647 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
21648 category, spam or not. The shell command @command{head -1
21649 ~/.bogofilter/*} shows both article counts. The command @kbd{S t} in
21650 summary mode, either for debugging or for curiosity, triggers
21651 Bogofilter into displaying in another buffer the @emph{spamicity}
21652 score of the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0), together with the
21653 article words which most significantly contribute to the score.
21655 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
21656 processing will be turned off.
21661 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
21662 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21663 customizing the group parameters or the
21664 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21665 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
21666 will be added to the bogofilter spam database, and ham-marked articles
21667 will be added to the bogofilter ham database. @strong{Note that the
21668 Bogofilter spam processor is the only spam processor to also do ham
21672 @node Ifile spam filtering
21673 @subsubsection Ifile spam filtering
21674 @cindex spam filtering
21675 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
21678 @defvar spam-use-ifile
21680 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Ifile, a
21681 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter. Currently you must have
21682 @code{ifile-gnus.el} loaded. The integration of Ifile with
21683 @code{spam.el} is not finished yet, but you can use
21684 @code{ifile-gnus.el} on its own if you like.
21688 Ifile can only be used to filter incoming mail into spam and ham
21689 through the @code{spam-split} function. It will be better integrated
21690 with @code{spam.el} with the next release of @code{ifile-gnus.el}.
21692 @node Extending spam.el
21693 @subsubsection Extending spam.el
21694 @cindex spam filtering
21695 @cindex spam.el, extending
21696 @cindex extending spam.el
21698 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
21699 incoming mail, provide the following:
21707 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
21708 "True if blackbox should be used.")
21713 (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
21715 to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
21720 Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
21721 @samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}. See the existing
21722 @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can do.
21725 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
21732 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
21733 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
21736 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
21737 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
21738 Only applicable to spam groups.")
21740 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
21741 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
21742 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
21750 (defun spam-blackbox-register-spam-routine ()
21751 (spam-generic-register-routine
21752 ;; the spam function
21754 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
21755 (when (stringp from)
21756 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer from))))
21757 ;; the ham function
21760 (defun spam-blackbox-register-ham-routine ()
21761 (spam-generic-register-routine
21762 ;; the spam function
21764 ;; the ham function
21766 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
21767 (when (stringp from)
21768 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender from))))))
21771 Write the @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender} and
21772 @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer} functions. You can add
21773 more complex code than fetching the message sender, but keep in mind
21774 that retrieving the whole message takes significantly longer than the
21775 sender through @code{spam-fetch-field-from-fast}, because the message
21776 senders are kept in memory by Gnus.
21781 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics (spam-stat.el)
21782 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics (spam-stat.el)
21783 @cindex Paul Graham
21784 @cindex Graham, Paul
21785 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
21786 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
21787 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
21789 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
21790 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
21791 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
21792 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
21793 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
21794 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
21795 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
21796 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
21797 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
21800 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
21801 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
21802 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
21803 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
21804 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
21805 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
21806 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
21807 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
21809 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
21810 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
21811 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
21812 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
21813 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
21816 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
21817 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
21818 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
21821 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
21822 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
21824 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
21825 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
21826 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
21827 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
21828 need several hundred emails in both collections.
21830 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
21831 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
21832 per mail. Use the following:
21834 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
21835 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
21836 is treated as one spam mail.
21839 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
21840 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
21841 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
21844 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
21845 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
21846 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
21847 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
21848 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
21849 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
21852 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics -- the
21853 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
21854 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
21855 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
21857 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
21858 reset the dictionary.
21862 @defun spam-stat-reset
21863 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
21865 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
21866 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
21867 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
21868 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
21869 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
21870 only non-spam mails.
21873 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
21874 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
21875 to update the dictionary incrementally.
21878 @defun spam-stat-save
21879 Save the dictionary.
21882 @defvar spam-stat-file
21883 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
21884 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
21887 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
21888 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
21890 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
21891 following to your @file{~/.gnus} file:
21894 (require 'spam-stat)
21898 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
21901 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
21902 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. In the simplest case, you only have
21903 two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says
21904 that mail is either spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is
21905 spam, then @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
21908 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
21909 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
21913 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
21914 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
21917 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
21918 the following expression. It only the mails not matching the regular
21919 expression are considered potential spam.
21922 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
21923 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
21924 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
21928 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
21929 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
21930 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
21931 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
21932 mails, when creating the dictionary!
21935 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
21936 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
21937 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
21941 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
21942 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
21943 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
21944 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
21945 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
21949 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
21950 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
21951 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
21952 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
21957 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
21958 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
21960 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
21962 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
21963 called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail;
21964 use this for new mail that has not been processed before
21968 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
21969 called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
21970 mail; use this for new mail that has not been processed before
21974 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
21975 called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
21976 mail but spam; use this to change the status of a mail that has
21977 already been processed as non-spam
21981 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
21982 called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
21983 normal mail; use this to change the status of a mail that has already
21984 been processed as spam
21988 @defun spam-stat-save
21989 save the hash table to the file; the filename used is stored in the
21990 variable @code{spam-stat-file}
21994 @defun spam-stat-load
21995 load the hash table from a file; the filename used is stored in the
21996 variable @code{spam-stat-file}
22000 @defun spam-stat-score-word
22001 return the spam score for a word
22005 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
22006 return the spam score for a buffer
22010 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
22011 for fancy mail splitting; add the rule @samp{(: spam-stat-split-fancy)} to
22012 @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
22014 This requires the following in your @file{~/.gnus} file:
22017 (require 'spam-stat)
22023 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
22026 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
22027 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22028 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22029 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22030 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
22031 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
22032 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22033 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22034 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
22035 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22036 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
22037 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
22038 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22039 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22042 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
22045 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
22046 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22047 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22048 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
22049 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
22050 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22053 @node Various Various
22054 @section Various Various
22060 @item gnus-home-directory
22061 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
22062 defaults to @file{~/}.
22064 @item gnus-directory
22065 @vindex gnus-directory
22066 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
22067 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
22068 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
22070 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
22071 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
22072 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
22073 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
22075 @item gnus-default-directory
22076 @vindex gnus-default-directory
22077 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
22078 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
22079 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
22080 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
22081 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
22082 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
22085 @vindex gnus-verbose
22086 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
22087 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
22088 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
22089 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
22090 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
22092 @item gnus-verbose-backends
22093 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
22094 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
22095 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
22097 @item nnheader-max-head-length
22098 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
22099 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
22100 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
22101 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
22102 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
22103 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
22104 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
22105 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
22106 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
22108 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
22109 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
22110 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
22111 read when doing the operation described above.
22113 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22114 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22116 @cindex invalid characters in file names
22117 @cindex characters in file names
22118 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
22119 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
22120 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
22123 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22127 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
22128 Windows (phooey) systems.
22130 @item gnus-hidden-properties
22131 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
22132 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
22133 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
22134 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
22136 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
22137 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
22138 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
22139 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
22140 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
22142 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
22143 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
22144 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
22146 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
22147 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
22149 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
22150 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
22151 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
22152 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
22155 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
22163 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
22164 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
22166 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
22168 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
22174 Not because of victories @*
22177 but for the common sunshine,@*
22179 the largess of the spring.
22183 but for the day's work done@*
22184 as well as I was able;@*
22185 not for a seat upon the dais@*
22186 but at the common table.@*
22191 @chapter Appendices
22194 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
22195 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
22196 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
22197 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
22198 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
22199 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
22200 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
22201 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
22202 * Frequently Asked Questions::
22209 @cindex Installing under XEmacs
22211 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
22212 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
22213 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
22214 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
22215 @samp{xemacs-base}, @samp{sh-script} and @samp{fsf-compat}. The
22216 @samp{misc-games} package is required for Morse decoding.
22223 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
22224 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
22226 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
22227 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
22228 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
22229 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
22230 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
22232 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
22233 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
22234 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
22235 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
22236 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
22237 appropriate name, don't you think?)
22239 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
22240 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
22241 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
22242 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
22245 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
22246 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
22247 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
22248 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
22249 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
22250 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
22251 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
22252 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
22253 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
22257 @node Gnus Versions
22258 @subsection Gnus Versions
22260 @cindex September Gnus
22262 @cindex Quassia Gnus
22263 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
22267 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
22268 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
22269 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
22271 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
22272 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
22274 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
22275 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
22277 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
22278 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
22280 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
22281 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
22284 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
22286 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
22287 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
22288 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
22289 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
22290 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
22291 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
22294 @node Other Gnus Versions
22295 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
22298 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
22299 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
22300 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
22301 @sc{mime} capabilities.
22303 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
22304 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
22305 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
22306 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
22313 What's the point of Gnus?
22315 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
22316 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
22317 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
22318 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
22319 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
22320 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
22321 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
22322 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
22323 keep track of millions of people who post?
22325 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
22326 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
22327 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
22328 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
22329 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
22330 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
22331 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
22332 every one of you to explore and invent.
22334 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
22335 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
22338 @node Compatibility
22339 @subsection Compatibility
22341 @cindex compatibility
22342 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
22343 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
22344 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
22349 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
22353 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
22356 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
22359 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
22360 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
22361 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
22362 important variables have their values copied into their global
22363 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
22364 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
22366 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
22367 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
22368 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
22369 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
22370 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
22374 @cindex highlighting
22375 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
22376 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
22377 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
22378 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
22379 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
22380 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
22383 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
22384 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
22385 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
22386 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
22388 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
22389 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
22390 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
22391 to stop doing it the old way.
22393 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
22395 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
22397 @cindex reporting bugs
22399 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
22400 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
22401 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
22403 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
22404 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
22405 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
22406 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
22411 @subsection Conformity
22413 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
22414 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
22422 There are no known breaches of this standard.
22426 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
22428 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
22429 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
22430 We do have some breaches to this one.
22436 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
22437 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
22438 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
22439 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
22440 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
22445 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
22446 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
22447 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
22448 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
22450 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
22452 All the various @sc{mime} RFCs are supported.
22454 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
22455 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
22457 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
22460 RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
22461 Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
22462 put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-@sc{mime} aware PGP
22463 format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
22464 decoding (verification and decryption).
22466 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
22467 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
22468 1991) describes the @sc{mime}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
22469 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
22471 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
22472 RFC 2633 describes the @sc{s/mime} format.
22474 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
22475 RFC 1730 is @sc{imap} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (@sc{imap} 4
22476 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for @sc{imap}. RFC
22477 2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for @sc{imap}. RFC 2359
22478 describes a @sc{imap} protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
22479 TLS integration (STARTTLS) with @sc{imap}. RFC 1731 describes the
22480 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @sc{imap}.
22484 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
22485 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
22490 @subsection Emacsen
22496 Gnus should work on :
22504 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
22508 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
22509 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
22512 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
22513 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
22514 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
22518 @node Gnus Development
22519 @subsection Gnus Development
22521 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
22522 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
22523 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
22524 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
22525 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
22526 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
22527 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
22528 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
22530 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
22531 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
22532 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
22533 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
22534 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
22537 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
22538 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
22539 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
22540 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
22541 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
22543 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
22544 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
22545 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
22546 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
22547 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
22548 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
22549 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
22550 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
22551 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
22552 can't be assumed to do so.
22557 @subsection Contributors
22558 @cindex contributors
22560 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
22561 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
22562 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
22563 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
22564 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
22565 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
22566 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
22567 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
22568 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
22569 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
22571 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
22577 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
22580 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
22581 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
22582 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
22583 functionality and stuff.
22586 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
22587 well as numerous other things).
22590 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
22593 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
22596 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
22599 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
22602 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
22603 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
22606 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
22609 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
22610 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
22613 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
22616 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
22619 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
22622 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
22625 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
22626 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
22629 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
22632 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
22635 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
22638 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
22642 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
22645 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
22648 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
22651 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
22652 well as autoconf support.
22656 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
22657 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
22659 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
22668 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
22672 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
22682 Alexei V. Barantsev,
22697 Massimo Campostrini,
22702 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
22703 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
22707 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
22710 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
22716 Michael Welsh Duggan,
22721 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
22725 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
22733 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
22735 Michelangelo Grigni,
22739 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
22741 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
22743 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
22750 François Felix Ingrand,
22751 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
22752 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
22754 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
22765 Peter Skov Knudsen,
22766 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
22768 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
22769 Thor Kristoffersen,
22772 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
22790 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
22791 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
22798 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
22803 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
22807 John McClary Prevost,
22813 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
22818 Christian von Roques,
22821 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
22828 Philippe Schnoebelen,
22830 Randal L. Schwartz,
22844 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
22849 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
22865 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
22870 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
22871 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
22872 (550kB and counting).
22874 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
22877 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
22878 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
22882 @subsection New Features
22883 @cindex new features
22886 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
22887 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
22888 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
22889 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
22890 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
22893 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
22894 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
22895 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
22898 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
22900 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
22905 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
22906 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
22909 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
22910 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
22913 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
22916 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
22917 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
22918 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
22921 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
22922 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
22923 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
22924 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
22927 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
22928 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
22931 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
22932 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
22933 (@pxref{The Active File}).
22936 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
22937 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
22940 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
22941 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
22942 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
22945 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
22946 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
22947 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
22950 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
22951 the @file{.emacs} file.
22954 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
22955 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
22958 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
22959 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
22962 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
22963 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
22966 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
22967 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
22970 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
22971 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
22974 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
22977 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
22978 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
22981 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
22982 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
22985 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
22986 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
22989 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
22992 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
22993 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
22996 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
23000 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
23004 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
23005 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
23008 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
23014 @node September Gnus
23015 @subsubsection September Gnus
23019 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
23023 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
23028 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
23029 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
23033 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
23034 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
23038 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
23042 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
23043 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
23046 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
23050 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
23053 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
23056 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
23059 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
23063 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
23064 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
23067 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
23071 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
23075 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
23079 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
23083 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
23086 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
23087 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
23090 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
23094 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
23095 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
23098 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
23101 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
23102 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
23103 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
23106 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
23110 The Gnus cache is much faster.
23113 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
23117 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
23118 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
23121 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
23122 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
23125 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
23126 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
23129 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
23130 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
23131 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
23134 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
23135 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
23138 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
23141 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
23144 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
23147 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
23150 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
23151 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
23154 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
23158 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
23161 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
23166 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
23169 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
23173 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23176 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
23180 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
23183 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
23186 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
23187 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
23190 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
23191 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
23195 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
23196 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
23199 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
23203 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
23204 buffer to allow easier treatment.
23207 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
23210 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
23214 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
23218 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
23219 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
23222 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
23226 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
23227 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
23230 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
23231 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
23234 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
23238 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
23241 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
23244 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
23250 @subsubsection Red Gnus
23252 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
23256 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
23263 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
23266 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
23267 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
23270 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
23271 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
23275 Article washing status can be displayed in the
23276 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
23279 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
23282 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
23283 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
23286 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
23290 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
23291 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
23295 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
23296 Server Internals}).
23299 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
23303 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
23306 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
23307 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
23310 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
23311 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
23312 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
23315 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
23316 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
23319 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
23320 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
23323 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
23327 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
23328 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
23331 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
23332 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
23335 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
23339 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
23342 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
23346 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
23347 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
23350 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
23351 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
23354 A new command for reading collections of documents
23355 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
23356 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
23359 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
23363 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
23364 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
23367 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
23368 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
23369 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
23372 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
23373 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
23377 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
23381 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
23385 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
23390 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
23394 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
23398 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
23399 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
23402 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
23408 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
23410 New features in Gnus 5.6:
23415 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
23416 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
23417 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
23420 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
23421 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
23422 group, which is created automatically.
23425 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
23429 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
23432 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
23433 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
23436 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
23440 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
23443 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
23444 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
23447 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
23450 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
23451 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
23454 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
23455 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
23458 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
23459 control over simplification.
23462 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
23465 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
23469 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
23472 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
23475 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
23476 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
23477 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
23480 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
23481 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
23484 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
23488 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
23489 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
23492 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
23493 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
23496 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
23500 A history of where mails have been split is available.
23503 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
23506 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
23507 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
23510 A new function for citing in Message has been
23511 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
23514 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
23517 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
23521 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
23522 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
23525 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
23526 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
23529 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
23532 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
23536 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
23537 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
23539 New features in Gnus 5.8:
23544 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
23545 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
23547 If you used procmail like in
23550 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
23551 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
23552 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
23553 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
23556 this now has changed to
23560 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
23564 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
23565 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
23568 Gnus is now a @sc{mime}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
23569 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
23572 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
23573 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
23576 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
23577 called to position point.
23580 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
23581 summary buffers and @sc{nov} files.
23584 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
23585 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
23588 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
23589 subtly different manner.
23592 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
23593 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
23594 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
23597 Gnus can now read @sc{imap} mail via @code{nnimap}.
23605 @section The Manual
23609 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
23610 either @code{texi2dvi}
23612 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
23613 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
23615 to get what you hold in your hands now.
23617 The following conventions have been used:
23622 This is a @samp{string}
23625 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
23628 This is a @file{file}
23631 This is a @code{symbol}
23635 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
23639 (setq flargnoze "yes")
23642 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
23645 (setq flumphel 'yes)
23648 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
23649 ever get them confused.
23653 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
23654 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
23655 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
23656 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
23657 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
23658 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
23659 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
23665 @node On Writing Manuals
23666 @section On Writing Manuals
23668 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
23669 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
23670 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
23671 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
23672 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
23673 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
23676 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
23677 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
23678 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
23681 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
23682 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
23687 @section Terminology
23689 @cindex terminology
23694 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
23695 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
23696 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
23697 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
23698 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
23702 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
23703 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
23704 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
23705 not posting, and replying is not following up.
23709 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
23713 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
23718 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
23719 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
23720 commonly fetched via the protocol NNTP, whereas mail messages could be
23721 read from a file on the local disk. The internal architecture of Gnus
23722 thus comprises a `front end' and a number of `back ends'. Internally,
23723 when you enter a group (by hitting @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke
23724 a function in the front end in Gnus. The front end then `talks' to a
23725 back end and says things like ``Give me the list of articles in the foo
23726 group'' or ``Show me article number 4711''.
23728 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back end
23729 accesses news via NNTP, the @code{nnimap} back end accesses mail via
23730 IMAP) or a file format and directory layout (the @code{nnspool} back end
23731 accesses news via the common `spool directory' format, the @code{nnml}
23732 back end access mail via a file format and directory layout that's
23735 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
23736 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
23737 access the articles.
23739 However, sometimes the term `back end' is also used where `server'
23740 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term `select
23741 method' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
23746 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
23747 default, way of getting news.
23751 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
23752 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
23757 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
23758 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
23762 A message that has been posted as news.
23765 @cindex mail message
23766 A message that has been mailed.
23770 A mail message or news article
23774 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
23779 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
23784 A line from the head of an article.
23788 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
23789 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
23793 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
23794 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
23795 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
23796 normal @sc{head} format.
23800 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
23801 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
23802 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
23803 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
23804 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
23805 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
23807 @item killed groups
23808 @cindex killed groups
23809 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
23810 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
23812 @item zombie groups
23813 @cindex zombie groups
23814 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
23817 @cindex active file
23818 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
23819 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
23820 is rather large, as you might surmise.
23823 @cindex bogus groups
23824 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
23825 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
23826 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
23829 @cindex activating groups
23830 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
23831 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
23832 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
23836 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
23838 @item select method
23839 @cindex select method
23840 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
23843 @item virtual server
23844 @cindex virtual server
23845 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
23846 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
23847 whole is a virtual server.
23851 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
23852 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
23855 @item ephemeral groups
23856 @cindex ephemeral groups
23857 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
23858 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
23859 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
23862 @cindex solid groups
23863 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
23864 group buffer are solid groups.
23866 @item sparse articles
23867 @cindex sparse articles
23868 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
23869 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
23873 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
23874 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
23878 @cindex thread root
23879 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
23880 articles in the thread.
23884 An article that has responses.
23888 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
23892 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
23893 specified by RFC 1153.
23899 @node Customization
23900 @section Customization
23901 @cindex general customization
23903 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
23904 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
23905 for some quite common situations.
23908 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
23909 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
23910 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
23911 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
23915 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
23916 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
23918 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
23919 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
23920 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
23924 @item gnus-read-active-file
23925 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
23926 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
23927 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
23928 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
23929 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
23931 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
23932 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
23933 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
23934 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
23938 @node Slow Terminal Connection
23939 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
23941 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
23942 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
23943 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
23947 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
23948 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
23949 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
23950 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
23951 horizontal and vertical recentering.
23953 @item gnus-visible-headers
23954 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
23955 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
23956 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
23957 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
23959 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
23961 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
23962 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
23963 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
23966 @item gnus-use-full-window
23967 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
23968 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
23969 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
23970 want to read them anyway.
23972 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
23973 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
23977 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
23978 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
23979 lines, which might save some time.
23983 @node Little Disk Space
23984 @subsection Little Disk Space
23987 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
23988 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
23992 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
23993 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
23994 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
23995 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
23998 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
23999 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
24000 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
24001 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
24004 @item gnus-save-killed-list
24005 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
24006 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
24007 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
24008 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
24014 @subsection Slow Machine
24015 @cindex slow machine
24017 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
24018 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
24020 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
24021 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
24023 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
24024 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
24025 summary buffer faster.
24029 @node Troubleshooting
24030 @section Troubleshooting
24031 @cindex troubleshooting
24033 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
24041 Make sure your computer is switched on.
24044 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
24045 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
24049 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
24050 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
24051 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
24052 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
24055 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
24059 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
24060 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
24061 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
24062 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
24063 something like that.
24066 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
24069 @cindex reporting bugs
24071 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
24073 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
24074 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
24075 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
24076 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
24078 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
24079 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
24080 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
24081 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
24084 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
24085 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
24086 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
24087 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
24088 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
24089 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
24091 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
24092 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
24093 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
24097 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
24098 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
24101 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
24102 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
24103 edebug. Debugging lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
24104 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
24105 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
24106 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
24107 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
24108 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
24109 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
24110 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
24111 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
24112 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
24113 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
24114 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
24119 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate a elisp error but
24120 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
24121 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press C-j when things are
24122 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
24123 helps isolating the real problem areas). A fancier approach is to use
24124 the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is (or should be) fully
24125 documented elsewhere, but to get you started there are a few steps
24126 that need to be followed. First, instrument the part of Gnus you are
24127 interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package RET
24128 gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-packagre RET message}. Then perform
24129 the operation that is slow and press @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will
24130 then see which operations that takes time, and can debug them further.
24131 If the entire operation takes much longer than the time spent in the
24132 slowest function in the profiler output, you probably profiled the
24133 wrong part of Gnus. To reset profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x
24134 elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove
24135 profiling, but given the complexities and dynamic code generation in
24136 Gnus, it might not always work perfectly.
24138 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
24139 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
24141 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
24142 @cindex ding mailing list
24143 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
24144 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
24148 @node Gnus Reference Guide
24149 @section Gnus Reference Guide
24151 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
24152 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
24153 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
24154 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
24157 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
24158 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
24159 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
24160 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
24161 and general methods of operation.
24164 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
24165 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
24166 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
24167 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
24168 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
24169 * Group Info:: The group info format.
24170 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
24171 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
24172 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
24176 @node Gnus Utility Functions
24177 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
24178 @cindex Gnus utility functions
24179 @cindex utility functions
24181 @cindex internal variables
24183 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
24184 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
24185 Below is a list of the most common ones.
24189 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
24190 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
24191 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
24193 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
24194 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
24195 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
24197 @item gnus-group-real-name
24198 @findex gnus-group-real-name
24199 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
24202 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
24203 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
24204 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
24205 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
24207 @item gnus-get-info
24208 @findex gnus-get-info
24209 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
24211 @item gnus-group-unread
24212 @findex gnus-group-unread
24213 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
24217 @findex gnus-active
24218 The active entry for @var{group}.
24220 @item gnus-set-active
24221 @findex gnus-set-active
24222 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
24224 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
24225 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
24226 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
24229 @item gnus-continuum-version
24230 @findex gnus-continuum-version
24231 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
24232 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
24235 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
24236 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
24237 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
24239 @item gnus-news-group-p
24240 @findex gnus-news-group-p
24241 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
24243 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
24244 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
24245 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
24247 @item gnus-server-to-method
24248 @findex gnus-server-to-method
24249 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
24251 @item gnus-server-equal
24252 @findex gnus-server-equal
24253 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
24255 @item gnus-group-native-p
24256 @findex gnus-group-native-p
24257 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
24259 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
24260 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
24261 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
24263 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
24264 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
24265 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
24267 @item group-group-find-parameter
24268 @findex group-group-find-parameter
24269 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
24270 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
24272 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
24273 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
24274 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
24276 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
24277 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
24278 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
24280 @item gnus-check-backend-function
24281 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
24282 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
24283 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
24286 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
24290 @item gnus-read-method
24291 @findex gnus-read-method
24292 Prompts the user for a select method.
24297 @node Back End Interface
24298 @subsection Back End Interface
24300 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
24301 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
24302 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
24303 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
24304 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
24305 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
24307 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
24308 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
24309 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
24310 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
24311 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
24312 been opened, the function should fail.
24314 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
24315 name. Take this example:
24319 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
24320 (nntp-port-number 4324))
24323 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
24324 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
24326 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
24327 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
24328 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
24330 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
24331 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
24332 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
24334 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
24335 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
24336 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
24337 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
24338 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
24339 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
24342 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
24343 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
24344 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
24345 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
24348 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
24349 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
24350 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
24351 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
24352 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
24353 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
24354 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
24355 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
24356 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
24357 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
24359 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
24360 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
24361 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
24362 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
24363 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
24364 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
24365 of numbers as long as possible.
24367 Note that by convention, backends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
24368 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
24369 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
24371 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
24374 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
24377 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
24378 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
24379 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
24380 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
24381 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
24382 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
24386 @node Required Back End Functions
24387 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
24391 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
24393 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
24394 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
24395 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
24396 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
24398 The result data should either be HEADs or @sc{nov} lines, and the result
24399 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
24400 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
24401 of HEADs and @sc{nov} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
24403 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
24404 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
24405 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
24406 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
24407 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
24408 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
24409 number, do maximum fetches.
24411 Here's an example HEAD:
24414 221 1056 Article retrieved.
24415 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
24416 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
24417 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
24418 Subject: Re: Something very droll
24419 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
24420 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
24422 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
24423 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
24424 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
24428 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
24429 these in the data buffer.
24431 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
24435 head = error / valid-head
24436 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
24437 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
24438 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
24439 header = <text> eol
24442 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
24443 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
24447 nov-buffer = *nov-line
24448 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
24449 field = <text except TAB>
24452 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
24456 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
24458 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
24459 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
24461 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
24462 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
24463 server. In fact, it should do so.
24465 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
24466 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
24469 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
24471 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
24472 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
24475 There should be no data returned.
24478 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
24480 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
24481 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
24482 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
24483 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
24485 There should be no data returned.
24488 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
24490 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
24491 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
24492 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
24493 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
24495 There should be no data returned.
24498 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
24500 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
24502 There should be no data returned.
24505 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
24507 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
24508 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
24509 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
24510 it would be nice if that were possible.
24512 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
24513 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
24514 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
24515 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
24516 into its article buffer.
24518 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
24519 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
24520 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
24521 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
24522 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
24523 on successful article retrieval.
24526 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
24528 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
24529 making @var{group} the current group.
24531 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
24534 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
24537 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
24540 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
24541 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
24542 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
24543 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
24544 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
24545 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
24546 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
24547 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
24548 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
24552 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
24553 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
24554 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
24558 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
24560 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
24561 a no-op on most back ends.
24563 There should be no data returned.
24566 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
24568 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
24571 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
24574 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
24575 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
24578 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
24579 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
24580 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
24581 and the highest as 0.
24584 active-file = *active-line
24585 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
24587 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
24590 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
24591 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
24592 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
24595 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
24597 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
24598 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
24599 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
24600 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
24601 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
24602 clear if the posting could not be completed.
24604 There should be no result data from this function.
24609 @node Optional Back End Functions
24610 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
24614 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
24616 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
24617 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
24618 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
24620 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
24621 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
24622 former is in the same format as the data from
24623 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
24624 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
24627 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
24631 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
24633 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
24634 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
24635 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
24636 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
24637 should return a non-nil value.
24639 There should be no result data from this function.
24642 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
24644 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
24645 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
24646 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
24647 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
24648 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
24649 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
24650 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
24651 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
24653 There should be no result data from this function.
24656 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
24658 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
24659 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
24660 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
24661 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
24662 propagate the mark information to the server.
24664 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
24667 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
24670 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
24671 @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove marks
24672 (preserving all marks not mentioned). MARK is a list of marks; where
24673 each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are @code{read},
24674 @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
24675 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
24676 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
24677 possible, not limit itself to these.
24679 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
24680 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
24681 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
24682 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
24684 An example action list:
24687 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
24688 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
24689 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
24692 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
24693 mark on (currently not used for anything).
24695 There should be no result data from this function.
24697 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
24699 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
24700 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
24701 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
24702 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
24703 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
24705 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
24706 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
24707 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
24710 There should be no result data from this function.
24713 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
24715 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
24716 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
24717 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
24718 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
24719 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
24720 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
24721 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
24723 There should be no result data from this function.
24726 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
24728 The result data from this function should be a description of
24732 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
24734 description = <text>
24737 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
24739 The result data from this function should be the description of all
24740 groups available on the server.
24743 description-buffer = *description-line
24747 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
24749 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
24750 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
24751 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
24752 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
24753 in the active buffer format.
24755 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
24756 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
24757 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
24758 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
24759 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
24760 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
24761 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
24764 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
24766 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
24768 There should be no return data.
24771 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
24773 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
24774 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
24775 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
24776 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
24777 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
24780 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
24783 There should be no result data returned.
24786 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
24789 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
24790 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
24792 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
24793 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
24794 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
24795 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
24796 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
24797 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
24799 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
24800 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
24803 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
24804 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
24806 There should be no data returned.
24809 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
24811 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
24812 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
24813 this function in short order.
24815 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
24816 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
24818 There should be no data returned.
24821 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
24823 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
24824 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
24826 There should be no data returned.
24829 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
24831 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
24832 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
24833 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
24835 There should be no data returned.
24838 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
24840 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
24841 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
24843 There should be no data returned.
24848 @node Error Messaging
24849 @subsubsection Error Messaging
24851 @findex nnheader-report
24852 @findex nnheader-get-report
24853 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
24854 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
24855 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
24856 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
24857 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
24858 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
24861 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
24863 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
24866 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
24867 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
24868 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
24869 takes one argument---the server symbol.
24871 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
24872 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
24873 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
24876 @node Writing New Back Ends
24877 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
24879 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
24880 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
24881 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
24882 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
24883 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
24886 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
24887 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
24888 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
24890 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
24891 package called @code{nnoo}.
24893 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
24894 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
24900 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
24901 parameters. For instance:
24904 (nnoo-declare nndir
24908 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
24909 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
24912 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
24913 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
24914 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
24916 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
24917 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
24918 a function in those back ends.
24921 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
24922 "Where nndir will look for groups."
24923 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
24926 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
24927 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
24928 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
24930 @item nnoo-define-basics
24931 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
24935 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
24939 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
24940 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
24941 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
24943 @item nnoo-map-functions
24944 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
24945 functions from the parent back ends.
24948 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
24949 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
24950 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
24953 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
24954 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
24955 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
24956 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
24959 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
24960 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
24961 haven't already been defined.
24967 nnmh-request-newgroups)
24971 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
24972 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
24973 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
24978 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
24981 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
24982 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
24986 (require 'nnheader)
24990 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
24992 (nnoo-declare nndir
24995 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
24996 "Where nndir will look for groups."
24997 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
24999 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
25000 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
25003 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
25005 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
25006 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
25007 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
25009 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
25010 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
25012 ;;; Interface functions.
25014 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
25016 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
25017 (setq nndir-directory
25018 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
25020 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
25021 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
25022 (push `(nndir-current-group
25023 ,(file-name-nondirectory
25024 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
25026 (push `(nndir-top-directory
25027 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
25029 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
25031 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
25032 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25033 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25034 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
25035 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
25039 nnmh-status-message
25041 nnmh-request-newgroups))
25047 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
25048 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
25050 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
25051 @findex gnus-declare-backend
25052 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
25053 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
25054 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
25056 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
25057 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
25062 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
25065 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
25067 The abilities can be:
25071 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
25073 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
25075 This back end supports both mail and news.
25077 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
25080 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
25081 articles and groups.
25083 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
25084 true for almost all back ends.
25085 @item prompt-address
25086 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
25087 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
25088 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
25092 @node Mail-like Back Ends
25093 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
25095 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
25096 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
25097 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
25098 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
25101 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
25102 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
25103 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
25106 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
25107 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
25110 This function takes four parameters.
25114 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
25117 @item exit-function
25118 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
25120 @item temp-directory
25121 Where the temporary files should be stored.
25124 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
25125 performed for one group only.
25128 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
25129 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
25130 find the article number assigned to this article.
25132 The function also uses the following variables:
25133 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
25134 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
25135 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
25136 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
25140 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
25141 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
25145 @node Score File Syntax
25146 @subsection Score File Syntax
25148 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
25149 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
25150 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
25152 Here's a typical score file:
25156 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
25163 BNF definition of a score file:
25166 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
25167 element = rule / atom
25168 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
25169 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
25170 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
25171 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
25173 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
25174 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
25175 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
25176 date-header = "date"
25177 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25178 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25179 score = "nil" / <integer>
25180 date = "nil" / <natural number>
25181 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
25182 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
25183 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
25184 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
25185 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25186 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25187 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
25188 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25189 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
25190 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
25191 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
25192 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
25193 exclude-files / read-only / touched
25194 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
25195 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
25196 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
25197 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
25198 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
25199 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
25200 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
25201 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
25202 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
25203 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
25204 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
25205 eval = "eval" space <form>
25206 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
25209 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
25212 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
25213 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
25214 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
25215 one looong line, then that's ok.
25217 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
25218 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
25222 @subsection Headers
25224 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
25225 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
25226 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
25227 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
25229 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
25230 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
25231 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
25232 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
25233 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
25234 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
25235 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
25237 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
25238 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
25239 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
25240 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
25241 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
25243 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
25244 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
25250 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
25251 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
25253 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
25254 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
25255 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
25256 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
25258 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
25262 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
25265 is transformed into
25268 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
25271 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
25272 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
25275 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
25278 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
25279 is slightly tricky:
25282 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
25288 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
25291 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
25297 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
25304 and is equal to the previous range.
25306 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
25307 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
25308 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
25312 range = simple-range / normal-range
25313 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
25314 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
25315 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
25316 number *[ " " contents ]
25319 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
25320 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
25321 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
25322 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
25323 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
25328 @subsection Group Info
25330 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
25331 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
25332 describes the group.
25334 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
25335 second is a more complex one:
25338 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
25340 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
25341 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
25343 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
25346 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
25347 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
25348 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
25349 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
25350 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
25351 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
25352 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
25353 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
25354 this section is about.
25356 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
25357 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
25358 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
25360 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
25363 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
25364 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
25365 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25366 group = quote <string> quote
25367 ralevel = rank / level
25368 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
25369 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
25370 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
25372 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
25373 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
25374 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
25375 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
25378 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
25379 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
25382 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
25383 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
25386 @item gnus-info-group
25387 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
25388 @findex gnus-info-group
25389 @findex gnus-info-set-group
25390 Get/set the group name.
25392 @item gnus-info-rank
25393 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
25394 @findex gnus-info-rank
25395 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
25396 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
25398 @item gnus-info-level
25399 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
25400 @findex gnus-info-level
25401 @findex gnus-info-set-level
25402 Get/set the group level.
25404 @item gnus-info-score
25405 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
25406 @findex gnus-info-score
25407 @findex gnus-info-set-score
25408 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
25410 @item gnus-info-read
25411 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
25412 @findex gnus-info-read
25413 @findex gnus-info-set-read
25414 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
25416 @item gnus-info-marks
25417 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
25418 @findex gnus-info-marks
25419 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
25420 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
25422 @item gnus-info-method
25423 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
25424 @findex gnus-info-method
25425 @findex gnus-info-set-method
25426 Get/set the group select method.
25428 @item gnus-info-params
25429 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
25430 @findex gnus-info-params
25431 @findex gnus-info-set-params
25432 Get/set the group parameters.
25435 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
25436 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
25438 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
25439 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
25440 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
25441 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
25444 @node Extended Interactive
25445 @subsection Extended Interactive
25446 @cindex interactive
25447 @findex gnus-interactive
25449 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
25450 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
25451 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
25454 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
25455 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
25460 The best thing to do would have been to implement
25461 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
25462 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
25463 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
25464 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
25465 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
25466 @code{interactive}.
25468 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
25473 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
25474 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
25478 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
25479 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
25480 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
25483 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
25487 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
25491 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
25497 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
25498 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
25502 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
25503 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
25504 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
25506 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
25507 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
25508 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
25509 Gnus, that's very useful.
25511 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
25512 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
25513 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
25514 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
25515 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
25516 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
25517 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
25518 following function:
25521 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
25525 (,function ,@@args))
25529 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
25530 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
25531 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
25534 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
25535 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
25536 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
25538 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
25539 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
25540 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
25543 @node Various File Formats
25544 @subsection Various File Formats
25547 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
25548 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
25552 @node Active File Format
25553 @subsubsection Active File Format
25555 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
25556 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
25559 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
25562 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
25563 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
25564 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
25565 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
25566 no.general 1000 900 y
25569 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
25572 active = *group-line
25573 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
25574 group = <non-white-space string>
25576 high-number = <non-negative integer>
25577 low-number = <positive integer>
25578 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
25581 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
25582 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
25585 @node Newsgroups File Format
25586 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
25588 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
25589 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
25590 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
25593 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
25594 Here's the definition:
25598 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
25599 group = <non-white-space string>
25601 description = <string>
25606 @node Emacs for Heathens
25607 @section Emacs for Heathens
25609 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
25610 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
25611 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
25612 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
25613 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
25614 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
25615 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
25619 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
25620 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
25625 @subsection Keystrokes
25629 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
25632 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
25635 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
25636 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
25637 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
25638 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
25639 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
25640 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
25642 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
25643 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
25644 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
25645 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
25646 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
25647 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
25648 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
25650 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
25651 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
25652 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
25653 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
25654 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
25655 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
25656 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
25658 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
25659 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
25660 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
25661 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
25662 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
25668 @subsection Emacs Lisp
25670 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
25671 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
25672 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
25673 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
25675 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
25676 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
25677 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
25678 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
25679 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
25680 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
25681 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
25684 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
25685 write the following:
25688 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
25691 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
25692 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
25693 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
25696 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
25697 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
25698 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
25699 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
25700 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
25702 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
25703 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
25704 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
25708 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
25712 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
25715 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
25716 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
25719 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
25722 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
25723 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
25726 @include gnus-faq.texi
25746 @c Local Variables:
25748 @c coding: iso-8859-1
25750 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
25751 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
25752 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
25753 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
25754 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref