10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
15 @setchapternewpage odd
19 \documentclass[twoside,a4paper,openright,11pt]{book}
20 \usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}
21 \usepackage{pagestyle}
24 \input{gnusconfig.tex}
26 \ifx\pdfoutput\undefined
28 \usepackage[pdftex,bookmarks,colorlinks=true]{hyperref}
36 \newcommand{\gnusversionname}{Oort Gnus v0.07}
37 \newcommand{\gnuschaptername}{}
38 \newcommand{\gnussectionname}{}
40 \newcommand{\gnusbackslash}{/}
42 \newcommand{\gnusref}[1]{``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
43 \ifx\pdfoutput\undefined
44 \newcommand{\gnusuref}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
46 \newcommand{\gnusuref}[1]{\href{#1}{\gnustt{#1}}}
48 \newcommand{\gnusxref}[1]{See ``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
49 \newcommand{\gnuspxref}[1]{see ``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
51 \newcommand{\gnuskindex}[1]{\index{#1}}
52 \newcommand{\gnusindex}[1]{\index{#1}}
54 \newcommand{\gnustt}[1]{{\gnusselectttfont{}#1}}
55 \newcommand{\gnuscode}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
56 \newcommand{\gnussamp}[1]{``{\fontencoding{OT1}\gnusselectttfont{}#1}''}
57 \newcommand{\gnuslisp}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
58 \newcommand{\gnuskbd}[1]{`\gnustt{#1}'}
59 \newcommand{\gnuskey}[1]{`\gnustt{#1}'}
60 \newcommand{\gnusfile}[1]{`\gnustt{#1}'}
61 \newcommand{\gnusdfn}[1]{\textit{#1}}
62 \newcommand{\gnusi}[1]{\textit{#1}}
63 \newcommand{\gnusstrong}[1]{\textbf{#1}}
64 \newcommand{\gnusemph}[1]{\textit{#1}}
65 \newcommand{\gnusvar}[1]{{\fontsize{10pt}{10}\selectfont\textsl{\textsf{#1}}}}
66 \newcommand{\gnussc}[1]{\textsc{#1}}
67 \newcommand{\gnustitle}[1]{{\huge\textbf{#1}}}
68 \newcommand{\gnusversion}[1]{{\small\textit{#1}}}
69 \newcommand{\gnusauthor}[1]{{\large\textbf{#1}}}
70 \newcommand{\gnusresult}[1]{\gnustt{=> #1}}
72 \newcommand{\gnusbullet}{{${\bullet}$}}
73 \newcommand{\gnusdollar}{\$}
74 \newcommand{\gnusampersand}{\&}
75 \newcommand{\gnuspercent}{\%}
76 \newcommand{\gnushash}{\#}
77 \newcommand{\gnushat}{\symbol{"5E}}
78 \newcommand{\gnusunderline}{\symbol{"5F}}
79 \newcommand{\gnusnot}{$\neg$}
80 \newcommand{\gnustilde}{\symbol{"7E}}
81 \newcommand{\gnusless}{{$<$}}
82 \newcommand{\gnusgreater}{{$>$}}
83 \newcommand{\gnusbraceleft}{{$>$}}
84 \newcommand{\gnusbraceright}{{$>$}}
86 \newcommand{\gnushead}{\raisebox{-1cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-head,height=1cm}}}
87 \newcommand{\gnusinteresting}{
88 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\gnushead]{\gnushead}
91 \newcommand{\gnuscleardoublepage}{\ifodd\count0\mbox{}\clearpage\thispagestyle{empty}\mbox{}\clearpage\else\clearpage\fi}
93 \newcommand{\gnuspagechapter}[1]{
100 \newcommand{\gnuschapter}[2]{
102 \ifdim \gnusdimen = 0pt\setcounter{page}{1}\pagestyle{gnus}\pagenumbering{arabic} \gnusdimen 1pt\fi
104 \renewcommand{\gnussectionname}{}
105 \renewcommand{\gnuschaptername}{#2}
106 \thispagestyle{empty}
108 \begin{picture}(500,500)(0,0)
109 \put(480,350){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{#1}}
110 \put(40,300){\makebox(500,50)[bl]{{\Huge\bf{#2}}}}
115 \newcommand{\gnusfigure}[3]{
117 \mbox{}\ifodd\count0\hspace*{-0.8cm}\else\hspace*{-3cm}\fi\begin{picture}(440,#2)
124 \newcommand{\gnusicon}[1]{
125 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\raisebox{-1.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/#1-up,height=1.5cm}}]{\raisebox{-1cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/#1-up,height=1cm}}}
128 \newcommand{\gnuspicon}[1]{
129 \margindex{\epsfig{figure=#1,width=2cm}}
132 \newcommand{\gnusxface}[2]{
133 \margindex{\epsfig{figure=#1,width=1cm}\epsfig{figure=#2,width=1cm}}
136 \newcommand{\gnussmiley}[2]{
137 \margindex{\makebox[2cm]{\hfill\epsfig{figure=#1,width=0.5cm}\hfill\epsfig{figure=#2,width=0.5cm}\hfill}}
140 \newcommand{\gnusitemx}[1]{\mbox{}\vspace*{-\itemsep}\vspace*{-\parsep}\item#1}
142 \newcommand{\gnussection}[1]{
143 \renewcommand{\gnussectionname}{#1}
147 \newenvironment{codelist}%
152 \newenvironment{kbdlist}%
158 \newenvironment{dfnlist}%
163 \newenvironment{stronglist}%
168 \newenvironment{samplist}%
173 \newenvironment{varlist}%
178 \newenvironment{emphlist}%
183 \newlength\gnusheadtextwidth
184 \setlength{\gnusheadtextwidth}{\headtextwidth}
185 \addtolength{\gnusheadtextwidth}{1cm}
187 \newpagestyle{gnuspreamble}%
192 \hspace*{-0.23cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\mbox{}}\textbf{\hfill\roman{page}}}
196 \hspace*{-3.25cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\roman{page}\hfill\mbox{}}}
205 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
207 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
212 \newpagestyle{gnusindex}%
217 \hspace*{-0.23cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\gnuschaptername\hfill\arabic{page}}}}
221 \hspace*{-3.25cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{page}\hfill\gnuschaptername}}}
229 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
231 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
241 \makebox[12cm]{\hspace*{3.1cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{chapter}.\arabic{section}} \textbf{\gnussectionname\hfill\arabic{page}}}}}
245 \makebox[12cm]{\hspace*{-2.95cm}\underline{\makebox[\gnusheadtextwidth]{\textbf{\arabic{page}\hfill\gnuschaptername}}}}
253 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
255 \raisebox{-0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=1cm}}
260 \pagenumbering{roman}
261 \pagestyle{gnuspreamble}
271 %\addtolength{\oddsidemargin}{-5cm}
272 %\addtolength{\evensidemargin}{-5cm}
274 \addtolength{\textheight}{2cm}
276 \gnustitle{\gnustitlename}\hfill\gnusversion{\gnusversionname}\\
279 \hspace*{0cm}\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-big-logo,height=15cm}
282 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
289 \thispagestyle{empty}
291 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
292 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
295 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
296 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
297 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
298 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
299 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
300 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
301 License'' in the Emacs manual.
303 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
304 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
305 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
307 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
308 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
309 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
310 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
318 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
320 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
321 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
323 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
324 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
325 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
326 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
327 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
328 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
329 License'' in the Emacs manual.
331 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
332 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
333 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
335 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
336 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
337 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
338 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
346 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
349 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
350 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
351 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
353 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
354 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
355 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
356 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
357 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
358 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
359 License'' in the Emacs manual.
361 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
362 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
363 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
365 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
366 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
367 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
368 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
377 @top The Gnus Newsreader
381 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
382 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
383 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
386 This manual corresponds to Oort Gnus v0.07.
397 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
398 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
400 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
401 being accused of plagiarism:
403 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
404 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
405 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
406 can even read news with it!
408 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
409 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
410 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
411 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
412 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
418 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
419 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
420 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
421 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
422 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
423 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
424 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
425 * Various:: General purpose settings.
426 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
427 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
428 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
429 * Key Index:: Key Index.
432 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
436 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
437 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
438 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
439 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
440 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
441 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
442 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
443 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
444 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
445 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
446 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
450 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
451 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
452 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
456 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
457 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
458 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
459 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
460 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
461 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
462 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
463 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
464 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
465 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
466 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
467 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
468 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
469 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
470 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
471 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
472 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
476 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
477 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
478 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
482 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
483 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
484 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
485 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
486 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
490 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
491 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
492 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
493 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
494 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
498 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
499 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
500 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
501 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
502 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
503 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
504 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
505 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
506 * Threading:: How threads are made.
507 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
508 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
509 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
510 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
511 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
512 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
513 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
514 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
515 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
516 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
517 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
518 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
519 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
520 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
521 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
522 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
523 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
524 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
525 or reselecting the current group.
526 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
527 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
528 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
529 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
531 Summary Buffer Format
533 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
534 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
535 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
536 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
540 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
541 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
543 Reply, Followup and Post
545 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
546 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
547 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
548 * Canceling and Superseding::
552 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
553 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
554 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
556 * Generic Marking Commands::
557 * Setting Process Marks::
561 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
562 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
563 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
567 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
568 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
570 Customizing Threading
572 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
573 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
574 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
575 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
579 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
580 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
581 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
582 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
583 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
584 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
588 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
589 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
590 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
594 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
595 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
596 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
597 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
598 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
599 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
600 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
601 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
602 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
603 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
605 Alternative Approaches
607 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
608 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
610 Various Summary Stuff
612 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
613 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
614 * Summary Generation Commands::
615 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
619 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
620 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
621 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
622 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
623 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
627 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
628 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
629 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
630 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
631 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
632 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
633 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
634 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
638 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
639 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
640 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
641 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
642 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
643 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
644 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
645 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
649 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
650 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
651 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
652 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
653 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
654 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
655 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
659 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
660 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
664 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
665 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
666 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
670 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
671 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
672 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
673 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
674 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
675 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
676 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
677 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
678 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
679 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
680 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
681 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
682 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
686 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
687 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
688 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
690 Choosing a Mail Back End
692 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
693 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
694 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
695 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
696 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
697 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
702 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
703 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
704 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
705 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
706 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
707 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
711 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
712 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
713 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
714 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
715 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
719 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
720 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
721 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
722 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
723 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
727 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
731 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
732 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
733 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
737 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
738 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
742 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
743 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
744 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
745 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
746 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
747 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
748 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
749 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
750 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
751 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
752 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
756 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
757 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
758 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
762 * Group Agent Commands::
763 * Summary Agent Commands::
764 * Server Agent Commands::
768 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
769 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
770 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
771 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
772 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
773 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
774 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
775 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
776 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
777 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
778 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
779 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
780 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
781 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
782 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
783 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
784 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
788 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
789 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
790 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
791 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
795 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
796 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
797 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
801 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
802 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
803 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
804 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
805 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
806 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
807 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
808 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
809 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
810 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
811 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
812 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
813 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
814 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
815 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
816 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
817 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
818 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
819 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
823 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
824 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
825 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
826 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
827 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
828 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
829 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
830 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
834 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
835 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
836 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
837 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
838 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
842 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
843 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
844 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
845 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
846 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
850 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
851 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
852 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
856 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
857 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
858 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
859 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
860 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
861 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
862 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
863 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
864 * Frequently Asked Questions::
868 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
869 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
870 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
871 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
872 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
873 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
874 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
875 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
876 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
880 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
881 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
882 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
883 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
884 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
888 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
889 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
890 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
891 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
895 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
896 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
897 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
898 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
899 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
900 * Group Info:: The group info format.
901 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
902 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
903 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
907 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
908 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
909 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
910 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
911 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
912 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
916 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
917 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
921 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
922 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
928 @chapter Starting Gnus
933 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
934 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
937 @findex gnus-other-frame
938 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
939 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
940 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
942 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
943 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
944 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
946 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
947 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
950 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
951 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
952 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
953 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
954 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
955 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
956 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
957 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
958 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
959 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
960 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
964 @node Finding the News
965 @section Finding the News
968 @vindex gnus-select-method
970 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
971 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
972 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
973 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
976 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
977 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
980 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
983 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
986 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
989 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
990 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
991 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
993 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
995 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
996 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
997 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
998 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
999 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
1000 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
1002 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1003 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1004 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1005 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1007 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1008 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1009 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1010 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1011 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1012 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1013 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1014 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1015 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1018 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1020 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1021 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1022 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1023 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1024 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1025 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1027 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1029 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1030 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1031 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1032 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1033 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1034 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1037 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1038 you would typically set this variable to
1041 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1045 @node The First Time
1046 @section The First Time
1047 @cindex first time usage
1049 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
1050 be subscribed by default.
1052 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1053 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1054 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1055 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1058 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1059 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1060 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1062 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1063 help you with most common problems.
1065 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1066 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1070 @node The Server is Down
1071 @section The Server is Down
1072 @cindex server errors
1074 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1075 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1076 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1078 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1079 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1080 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1081 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1082 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1083 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1084 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1086 @findex gnus-no-server
1087 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1089 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1090 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1091 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1092 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1093 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1094 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1095 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1099 @section Slave Gnusae
1102 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1103 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1104 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1105 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1107 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1108 @code{.newsrc} file.
1110 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1111 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1112 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1113 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1114 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1115 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1116 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1118 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1119 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1120 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1121 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1122 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1123 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1124 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1125 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1127 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1128 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1130 If the @code{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1131 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1132 file. If you answer "yes", the unsaved changes to the master will be
1133 incorporated into the slave. If you answer "no", the slave may see some
1134 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1136 @node Fetching a Group
1137 @section Fetching a Group
1138 @cindex fetching a group
1140 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1141 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1142 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1143 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1144 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1145 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1151 @cindex subscription
1153 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1154 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1155 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1156 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1157 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1158 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1159 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1160 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1161 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1164 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1165 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1166 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1170 @node Checking New Groups
1171 @subsection Checking New Groups
1173 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1174 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1175 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1176 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1177 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1178 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1179 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1180 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1181 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1182 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1184 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1185 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1186 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1187 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1188 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1189 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1190 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1191 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1192 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1193 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1194 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1196 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1197 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1198 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1199 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1200 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1201 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1204 @node Subscription Methods
1205 @subsection Subscription Methods
1207 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1208 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1209 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1211 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1212 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1214 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1218 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1219 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1220 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1221 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1222 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1224 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1225 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1226 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1227 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1229 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1230 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1231 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1233 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1234 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1235 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1236 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1237 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1238 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1239 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1240 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1241 up. Or something like that.
1243 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1244 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1245 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1246 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1247 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1249 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1250 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1251 Kill all new groups.
1253 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1254 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1255 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1256 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1257 topic parameter that looks like
1263 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1266 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1271 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1272 A closely related variable is
1273 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1274 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1275 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1276 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1279 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1280 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1281 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1282 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1285 @node Filtering New Groups
1286 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1288 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1289 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1290 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1293 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1296 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1297 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1298 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1299 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1300 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1301 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1302 subscribing these groups.
1303 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1304 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1306 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1307 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1308 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1309 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1310 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1311 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1312 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1313 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1315 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1316 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1317 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1318 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1319 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1320 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1321 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1322 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1323 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1324 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1327 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1328 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1331 @node Changing Servers
1332 @section Changing Servers
1333 @cindex changing servers
1335 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1336 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1337 very flaky and you want to use another.
1339 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1340 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1344 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1345 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1346 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1347 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1350 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1351 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1352 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1353 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1355 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1356 @findex gnus-change-server
1357 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1358 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1359 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1360 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1361 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1363 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1364 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1365 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1366 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1367 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1369 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1370 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1371 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1372 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1373 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1374 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1376 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1377 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1378 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1379 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1381 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1382 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1383 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1384 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1385 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1386 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1387 cache for all groups).
1391 @section Startup Files
1392 @cindex startup files
1397 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1398 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1400 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1401 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1402 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1403 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1404 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1405 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1406 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1408 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1409 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1410 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1411 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1412 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1413 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1415 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1416 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1417 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1418 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1419 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1420 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1421 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1422 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1423 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1424 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1426 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1427 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1428 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1429 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1430 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1431 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1432 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1433 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1434 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1435 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1436 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1437 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1439 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1440 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1441 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1442 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1444 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1445 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1446 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1447 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1448 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1449 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1450 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1451 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1452 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1453 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1456 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1457 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1459 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1460 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1463 @vindex gnus-init-file
1464 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1465 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1466 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1467 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1468 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1469 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1470 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1471 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1472 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1478 @cindex dribble file
1481 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1482 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1483 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1484 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1485 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1488 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1489 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1492 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1493 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1494 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1496 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1497 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1498 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1499 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1500 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1501 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1503 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1504 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1505 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1508 @node The Active File
1509 @section The Active File
1511 @cindex ignored groups
1513 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1514 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1515 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1517 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1518 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1519 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1520 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1521 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1522 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1523 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1526 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1527 @c if you set it to anything else.
1529 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1531 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1532 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1533 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1535 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1536 you actually subscribe to.
1538 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1539 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1540 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1541 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1543 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1544 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1545 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1546 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1547 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1548 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1550 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1551 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1552 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1555 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1556 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1557 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1558 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1559 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1560 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1562 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1563 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1565 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1566 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1568 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1569 secondary select methods.
1572 @node Startup Variables
1573 @section Startup Variables
1577 @item gnus-load-hook
1578 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1579 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1580 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1581 times you start Gnus.
1583 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1584 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1585 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1587 @item gnus-startup-hook
1588 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1589 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1591 @item gnus-started-hook
1592 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1593 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1596 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1597 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1598 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1599 generating the group buffer.
1601 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1602 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1603 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1604 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1605 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1606 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1607 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1608 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1610 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1611 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1612 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1613 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1614 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1615 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1617 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1618 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1619 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1621 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1622 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1623 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1625 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1626 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1627 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1628 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1634 @chapter Group Buffer
1635 @cindex group buffer
1637 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1639 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1640 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1641 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1642 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1643 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1644 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1645 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1646 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1647 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1648 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1649 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1650 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1651 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1652 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1653 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1654 @c human rights at 9...
1657 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1658 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1659 long as Gnus is active.
1663 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1664 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1665 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1666 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1667 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1668 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1669 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1670 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1676 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1677 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1678 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1679 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1680 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1681 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1682 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1683 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1684 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1685 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1686 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1687 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1688 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1689 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1690 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1691 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1692 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1696 @node Group Buffer Format
1697 @section Group Buffer Format
1700 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1701 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1702 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1706 @node Group Line Specification
1707 @subsection Group Line Specification
1708 @cindex group buffer format
1710 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1711 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1713 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1716 25: news.announce.newusers
1717 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1722 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1723 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1724 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1725 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1727 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1728 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1729 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1730 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1731 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1732 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1734 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1736 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1737 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1738 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1739 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1740 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1742 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1743 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1744 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1746 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1751 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1754 Whether the group is subscribed.
1757 Level of subscribedness.
1760 Number of unread articles.
1763 Number of dormant articles.
1766 Number of ticked articles.
1769 Number of read articles.
1772 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1773 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1775 Gnus uses this estimation because the @sc{nntp} protocol provides
1776 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1777 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1778 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1779 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1780 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1781 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1782 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1785 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1788 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1797 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1798 comment element in the group parameters.
1801 Newsgroup description.
1804 @samp{m} if moderated.
1807 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1816 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1820 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1823 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1824 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1825 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1826 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1827 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1830 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1832 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1836 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1839 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1843 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1844 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1845 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1846 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1847 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1848 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1853 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1854 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1855 group, or a bogus native group.
1858 @node Group Modeline Specification
1859 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1860 @cindex group modeline
1862 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1863 The mode line can be changed by setting
1864 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1865 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1869 The native news server.
1871 The native select method.
1875 @node Group Highlighting
1876 @subsection Group Highlighting
1877 @cindex highlighting
1878 @cindex group highlighting
1880 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1881 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1882 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1883 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1884 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1886 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1890 (cond (window-system
1891 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1892 (defface my-group-face-1
1893 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1894 (defface my-group-face-2
1895 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1896 (defface my-group-face-3
1897 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1898 (defface my-group-face-4
1899 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1900 (defface my-group-face-5
1901 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1903 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1904 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1905 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1906 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1907 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1908 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1911 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1913 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1920 The number of unread articles in the group.
1924 Whether the group is a mail group.
1926 The level of the group.
1928 The score of the group.
1930 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1932 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1933 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1935 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1936 topic being inserted.
1939 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1940 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1941 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1943 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1944 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1945 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1946 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1947 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1950 @node Group Maneuvering
1951 @section Group Maneuvering
1952 @cindex group movement
1954 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1955 expected, hopefully.
1961 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1962 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1963 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1969 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1970 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1971 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1975 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1976 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1980 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1981 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1985 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1986 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1987 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1991 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1992 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1993 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1996 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2002 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2003 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2004 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2009 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2010 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2011 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2015 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2016 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2017 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2020 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2021 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2022 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2023 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2027 @node Selecting a Group
2028 @section Selecting a Group
2029 @cindex group selection
2034 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2035 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2036 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2037 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2038 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2039 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2040 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
2041 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
2042 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
2043 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
2045 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2046 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2047 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2049 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2050 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2055 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2056 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2057 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2058 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2059 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2063 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2064 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2065 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2066 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2067 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2068 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2069 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2070 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2071 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2072 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2075 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2076 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2077 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2078 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2079 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2082 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2083 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2084 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2085 doing any processing of its contents
2086 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2087 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2088 manner will have no permanent effects.
2092 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2093 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
2094 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2095 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2096 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2097 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2098 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2099 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2102 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2103 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2104 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2105 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2106 Which article this is is controlled by the
2107 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2113 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2116 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2119 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2121 @item unseen-or-unread
2122 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2123 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2127 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2131 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2132 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2134 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2135 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2136 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2137 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2141 @node Subscription Commands
2142 @section Subscription Commands
2143 @cindex subscription
2151 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2152 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2153 Toggle subscription to the current group
2154 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2160 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2161 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2162 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2163 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2169 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2170 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2171 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2177 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2178 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2181 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2182 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2183 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2184 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2185 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2191 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2192 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2196 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2197 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2200 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2201 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2202 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2203 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2204 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2205 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2206 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2207 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2208 @file{.newsrc} file.
2212 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2222 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2223 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2224 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2225 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2226 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2227 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2232 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2233 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2234 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2238 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2239 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2240 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2242 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2243 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2244 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2245 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2246 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2247 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2254 @section Group Levels
2258 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2259 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2260 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2261 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2262 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2264 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2270 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2271 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2272 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2273 prompted for a level.
2276 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2277 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2278 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2279 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2280 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2281 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2282 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2283 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2284 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2285 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2286 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2287 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2288 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2289 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2290 reasons of efficiency.
2292 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2293 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2295 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2296 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2297 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2298 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2299 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2300 groups are hidden, in a way.
2302 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2303 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2304 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2305 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2306 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2307 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2309 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2310 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2311 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2312 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2313 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2314 list of killed groups.)
2316 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2317 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2318 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2320 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2321 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2322 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2323 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2324 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2325 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2326 relevant valid ranges.
2328 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2329 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2330 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2331 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2332 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2333 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2336 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2337 one with the best level.
2339 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2340 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2341 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2344 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2345 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2346 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2347 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2350 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2351 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2352 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2353 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2355 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2356 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2357 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2358 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2359 to 5. The default is 6.
2363 @section Group Score
2368 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2369 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2370 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2373 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2374 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2375 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2376 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2377 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2378 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2379 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2380 least significant part.))
2382 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2383 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2384 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2385 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2386 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2387 action after each summary exit, you can add
2388 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2389 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2390 slow things down somewhat.
2393 @node Marking Groups
2394 @section Marking Groups
2395 @cindex marking groups
2397 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2398 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2399 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2400 bidding on those groups.
2402 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2403 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2404 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2412 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2413 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2419 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2420 Remove the mark from the current group
2421 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2425 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2426 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2430 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2431 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2435 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2436 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2440 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2441 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2442 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2445 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2447 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2448 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2449 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2450 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2451 the command to be executed.
2454 @node Foreign Groups
2455 @section Foreign Groups
2456 @cindex foreign groups
2458 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2459 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2460 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2461 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2468 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2469 @cindex making groups
2470 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2471 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2472 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2476 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2477 @cindex renaming groups
2478 Rename the current group to something else
2479 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2480 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2486 @findex gnus-group-customize
2487 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2491 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2492 @cindex renaming groups
2493 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2494 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2498 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2499 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2500 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2504 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2505 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2506 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2510 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2512 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2513 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2518 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2519 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2523 @cindex (ding) archive
2524 @cindex archive group
2525 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2526 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2527 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2528 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2529 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2530 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2531 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2535 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2537 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2538 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2539 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2540 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2544 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2546 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2547 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2548 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2552 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2553 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2555 Make a group based on some file or other
2556 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2557 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2558 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2559 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2560 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2561 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2562 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2563 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2564 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2568 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2569 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2570 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2571 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2575 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2579 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2580 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2581 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2582 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2583 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2584 @xref{Web Searches}.
2586 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2587 to a particular group by using a match string like
2588 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2591 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2592 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2593 This function will delete the current group
2594 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2595 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2596 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2597 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2598 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2602 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2603 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2604 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2608 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2609 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2610 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2613 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2616 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2617 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2618 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2619 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2620 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2621 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2625 @node Group Parameters
2626 @section Group Parameters
2627 @cindex group parameters
2629 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2630 Here's an example group parameter list:
2633 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2637 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2638 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2639 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2640 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2642 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2643 is an alist of regexps and values.
2645 The following group parameters can be used:
2650 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2653 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2656 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2657 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2658 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2659 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2660 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2662 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2663 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2664 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2665 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2666 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2667 list address instead.
2669 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2673 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2676 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2679 It is totally ignored
2680 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2681 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2683 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2684 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2685 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2686 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2687 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2689 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2690 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2691 sending the message.
2693 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2694 @cindex Mail List Groups
2695 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2696 entering summary buffer.
2698 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2703 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2704 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2705 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2706 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2707 headers for your posts to these lists. Look here @pxref{(message)Mailing
2708 Lists} for a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2710 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2711 directly uses this group parameter.
2715 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2716 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2717 of whether it has any unread articles.
2719 @item broken-reply-to
2720 @cindex broken-reply-to
2721 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2722 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2723 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2724 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2725 broken behavior. So there!
2729 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2730 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2734 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2735 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2736 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2741 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2742 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2743 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2744 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2745 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2746 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2747 (@pxref{Archived Messages}). CAVEAT:: It yields an error putting
2748 @code{(gcc-self . t)} in groups of a @code{nntp} server or so, because
2749 a @code{nntp} server doesn't accept artciles.
2753 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2754 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2755 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2757 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2760 @cindex total-expire
2761 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2762 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2763 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2764 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2767 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2771 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2772 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2773 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2774 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2775 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2776 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2777 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2780 @cindex score file group parameter
2781 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2782 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2783 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2786 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2787 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2788 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2789 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2792 @cindex admin-address
2793 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2794 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2795 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2796 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2800 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2801 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2805 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2808 Display the last INTEGER articles in the group. This is the same as
2809 entering the group with C-u INTEGER.
2812 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2816 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2818 Here are some examples:
2822 Display only unread articles.
2825 Display everything except expirable articles.
2827 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2828 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2832 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2833 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2834 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2835 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2836 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2840 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2841 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2842 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2846 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2847 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2848 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2852 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2853 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2854 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2856 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2858 @item ignored-charsets
2859 @cindex ignored-charset
2860 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2861 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2862 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2864 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2867 @cindex posting-style
2868 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2869 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2870 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2871 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2872 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2874 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2875 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2876 like this in the group parameters:
2881 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2886 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2887 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2891 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2892 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2893 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2894 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2895 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2899 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2900 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2901 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2902 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2904 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2905 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2906 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2907 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2910 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2911 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2915 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2918 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2919 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2920 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2921 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2922 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2923 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2924 @code{eval}ed there.
2926 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
2927 A use for this feature, is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
2928 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
2929 @samp{nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps} has the tag
2930 @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this tag can be
2931 removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for the group by
2932 putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")} into the group
2933 parameters for the group.
2936 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2937 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2938 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2939 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2940 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2944 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2945 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2946 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2947 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2948 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2950 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2951 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2955 (setq gnus-parameters
2957 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2958 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2959 (gnus-summary-line-format
2960 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2964 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2968 (gnus-use-scoring t))
2972 (broken-reply-to . t))))
2975 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
2976 the @code{to-group} example shows.
2979 @node Listing Groups
2980 @section Listing Groups
2981 @cindex group listing
2983 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2991 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2992 List all groups that have unread articles
2993 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2994 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2995 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2996 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3003 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3004 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3005 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3006 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3007 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3008 unsubscribed groups).
3012 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3013 List all unread groups on a specific level
3014 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3015 with no unread articles.
3019 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3020 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3021 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3022 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3027 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3028 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3032 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3033 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3034 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3038 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3039 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3043 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3044 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3045 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3046 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3047 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3048 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3049 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3050 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3054 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3055 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3056 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3060 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3061 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3062 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3066 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3067 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3071 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3072 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3076 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3077 List groups limited within the current selection
3078 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3082 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3083 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3087 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3088 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3092 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3093 @cindex visible group parameter
3094 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3095 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3096 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3097 get the same effect.
3099 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3100 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3101 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3102 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3103 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3106 @node Sorting Groups
3107 @section Sorting Groups
3108 @cindex sorting groups
3110 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3111 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3112 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3113 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3114 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3115 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3120 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3121 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3122 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3124 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3125 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3126 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3128 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3129 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3130 Sort by group level.
3132 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3133 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3134 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3136 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3137 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3138 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3139 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3141 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3142 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3143 Sort by number of unread articles.
3145 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3146 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3147 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3149 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3150 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3151 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3156 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3157 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3161 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3162 some sorting criteria:
3166 @kindex G S a (Group)
3167 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3168 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3169 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3172 @kindex G S u (Group)
3173 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3174 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3175 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3178 @kindex G S l (Group)
3179 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3180 Sort the group buffer by group level
3181 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3184 @kindex G S v (Group)
3185 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3186 Sort the group buffer by group score
3187 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3190 @kindex G S r (Group)
3191 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3192 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3193 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3196 @kindex G S m (Group)
3197 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3198 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3199 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3203 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3204 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3206 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3207 commands will sort in reverse order.
3209 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3213 @kindex G P a (Group)
3214 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3215 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3216 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3219 @kindex G P u (Group)
3220 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3221 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3222 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3225 @kindex G P l (Group)
3226 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3227 Sort the groups by group level
3228 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3231 @kindex G P v (Group)
3232 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3233 Sort the groups by group score
3234 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3237 @kindex G P r (Group)
3238 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3239 Sort the groups by group rank
3240 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3243 @kindex G P m (Group)
3244 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3245 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3246 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3249 @kindex G P s (Group)
3250 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3251 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3255 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3259 @node Group Maintenance
3260 @section Group Maintenance
3261 @cindex bogus groups
3266 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3267 Find bogus groups and delete them
3268 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3272 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3273 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3274 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3275 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3276 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3280 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3281 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3282 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3283 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3284 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3285 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3288 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3289 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3290 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3291 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3296 @node Browse Foreign Server
3297 @section Browse Foreign Server
3298 @cindex foreign servers
3299 @cindex browsing servers
3304 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3305 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3306 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3307 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3310 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3311 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3312 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3313 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3315 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3320 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3321 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3325 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3326 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3329 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3330 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3331 Enter the current group and display the first article
3332 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3335 @kindex RET (Browse)
3336 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3337 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3341 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3342 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3343 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3349 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3350 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3354 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3355 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3359 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3360 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3361 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3366 @section Exiting Gnus
3367 @cindex exiting Gnus
3369 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3374 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3375 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3376 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3377 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3381 @findex gnus-group-exit
3382 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3383 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3387 @findex gnus-group-quit
3388 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3389 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3392 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3393 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3394 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3395 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3396 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3401 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3402 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3403 trying to customize meta-variables.
3408 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3409 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3410 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3416 @section Group Topics
3419 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3420 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3421 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3422 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3423 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3424 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3428 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3429 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3440 2: alt.religion.emacs
3443 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3445 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3446 13: comp.sources.unix
3449 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3451 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3452 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3453 is a toggling command.)
3455 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3456 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and
3457 now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3458 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3461 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3462 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3463 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3466 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3470 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3471 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3472 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3473 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3474 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3478 @node Topic Commands
3479 @subsection Topic Commands
3480 @cindex topic commands
3482 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3483 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3484 definitions slightly.
3486 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3487 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3488 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3489 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3490 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3491 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3493 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3500 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3501 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3502 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3506 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3508 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3509 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3510 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3511 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3514 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3515 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3516 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3517 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3521 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3522 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3523 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3524 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3530 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3531 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3532 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3536 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3537 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3538 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3541 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3542 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3543 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3544 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3545 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3547 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3548 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3552 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3553 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3560 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3562 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3563 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3564 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3565 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3566 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3567 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3571 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3577 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3578 Move the current group to some other topic
3579 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3580 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3584 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3585 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3589 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3590 Copy the current group to some other topic
3591 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3592 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3596 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3597 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3598 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3602 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3603 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3604 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3608 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3609 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3610 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3611 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3612 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3613 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3614 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3617 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3618 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3622 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3623 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3624 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3628 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3629 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3630 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3634 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3635 Toggle hiding empty topics
3636 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3640 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3641 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3642 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3645 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3646 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3647 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3648 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3651 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3652 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3653 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3654 expiry process (if any)
3655 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3659 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3660 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3663 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3664 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3665 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3669 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3670 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3671 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3674 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3675 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3676 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3679 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3680 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3681 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3685 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3686 @cindex group parameters
3687 @cindex topic parameters
3689 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3690 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3695 @node Topic Variables
3696 @subsection Topic Variables
3697 @cindex topic variables
3699 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3700 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3702 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3703 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3704 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3717 Number of groups in the topic.
3719 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3721 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3724 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3725 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3726 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3729 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3730 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3732 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3733 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3734 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3738 @subsection Topic Sorting
3739 @cindex topic sorting
3741 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3747 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3748 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3749 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3750 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3753 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3754 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3755 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3756 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3759 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3760 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3761 Sort the current topic by group level
3762 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3765 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3766 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3767 Sort the current topic by group score
3768 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3771 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3772 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3773 Sort the current topic by group rank
3774 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3777 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3778 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3779 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3780 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3783 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3784 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3785 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3786 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3790 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3791 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3792 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3793 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3797 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3798 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3802 @node Topic Topology
3803 @subsection Topic Topology
3804 @cindex topic topology
3807 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3813 2: alt.religion.emacs
3816 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3818 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3819 13: comp.sources.unix
3822 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3823 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3824 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3829 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3830 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3834 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3835 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3836 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3837 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3838 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3839 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3841 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3842 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3843 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3846 @node Topic Parameters
3847 @subsection Topic Parameters
3848 @cindex topic parameters
3850 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3851 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3852 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3854 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3859 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3860 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3861 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3864 @item subscribe-level
3865 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3866 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3867 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3871 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3872 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3873 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3874 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3880 2: alt.religion.emacs
3884 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3886 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3887 13: comp.sources.unix
3891 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3892 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3893 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3894 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3895 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3896 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3898 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3899 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3900 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3901 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3902 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3904 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3905 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3906 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3907 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3908 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3909 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3910 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3911 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3914 @node Misc Group Stuff
3915 @section Misc Group Stuff
3918 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3919 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3920 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3921 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3922 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3929 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3930 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3931 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3935 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3936 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3937 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3938 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3939 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3940 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3941 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3945 @findex gnus-group-mail
3946 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3947 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3948 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3949 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3953 @findex gnus-group-news
3954 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3955 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
3956 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3958 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
3959 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
3960 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
3961 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
3962 for this to work though.
3966 Variables for the group buffer:
3970 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3971 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3972 is called after the group buffer has been
3975 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3976 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3977 is called after the group buffer is
3978 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3981 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3982 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3983 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3984 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3986 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3987 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3988 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3989 whether they are empty or not.
3991 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3992 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3993 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3994 non-ASCII group names.
3998 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3999 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4002 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4003 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4004 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4005 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4006 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
4007 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is nil.
4011 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4012 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4017 @node Scanning New Messages
4018 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4019 @cindex new messages
4020 @cindex scanning new news
4026 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4027 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4028 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4029 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4030 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4031 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4036 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4037 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4038 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4039 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4040 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4041 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4042 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4044 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4045 @cindex activating groups
4047 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4048 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4053 @findex gnus-group-restart
4054 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4055 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4056 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4060 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4061 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4063 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4064 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4068 @node Group Information
4069 @subsection Group Information
4070 @cindex group information
4071 @cindex information on groups
4078 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4079 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4082 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4083 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4084 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4085 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4086 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4087 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4088 for fetching the file.
4090 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4091 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4095 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4096 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4098 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4099 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4102 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4103 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4104 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4108 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4109 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4110 @cindex control message
4111 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4112 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4113 group if given a prefix argument.
4115 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-nil, Gnus
4116 will open the control messages in a browser using @code{browse-url}.
4117 Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp} and displayed in an
4120 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4121 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode}
4122 (@pxref{(emacs)Compressed Files}).
4126 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4128 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4129 @cindex describing groups
4130 @cindex group description
4131 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4132 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4133 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4137 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4138 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4139 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4146 @findex gnus-version
4147 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4151 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4152 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4155 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4158 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4159 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4163 @node Group Timestamp
4164 @subsection Group Timestamp
4166 @cindex group timestamps
4168 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4169 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4170 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4173 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4176 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4178 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4179 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4182 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4183 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4186 This will result in lines looking like:
4189 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4190 0: custom 19961002T012713
4193 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4194 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4198 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4199 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4202 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4203 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4207 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4208 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4209 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4210 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4212 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4218 @subsection File Commands
4219 @cindex file commands
4225 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4226 @vindex gnus-init-file
4227 @cindex reading init file
4228 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4229 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4233 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4234 @cindex saving .newsrc
4235 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4236 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4237 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4240 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4241 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4242 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4247 @node Sieve Commands
4248 @subsection Sieve Commands
4249 @cindex group sieve commands
4251 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4252 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4253 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4254 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4255 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4257 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4258 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4259 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4260 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4261 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4262 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4263 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4264 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4265 regenerate the Sieve script.
4267 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4268 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4269 is generated. If it is non-nil (the default) articles is placed in
4270 all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article is only
4271 placed in the group with the first matching rule. For example, the
4272 group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4273 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4274 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is nil. (When
4275 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-nil, it looks the same except that
4276 the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4279 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4280 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4285 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4291 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4292 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4293 @cindex generating sieve script
4294 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4295 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4299 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4300 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4301 @cindex updating sieve script
4302 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4303 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4304 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4309 @node Summary Buffer
4310 @chapter Summary Buffer
4311 @cindex summary buffer
4313 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4314 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4316 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4317 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4319 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4322 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4323 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4324 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4325 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4326 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4327 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4328 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4329 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4330 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4331 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4332 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4333 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4334 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4335 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4336 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4337 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4338 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4339 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4340 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4341 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4342 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4343 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4344 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4345 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4346 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4347 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4348 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4349 or reselecting the current group.
4350 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4351 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4352 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4353 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4357 @node Summary Buffer Format
4358 @section Summary Buffer Format
4359 @cindex summary buffer format
4363 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4364 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4365 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4371 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4372 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4373 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4374 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4377 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4378 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4379 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4380 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4381 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4382 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4383 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4384 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4385 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4386 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4387 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4390 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4391 'mail-extract-address-components)
4394 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4395 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4396 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4397 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4400 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4401 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4403 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4404 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4405 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4406 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4407 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4409 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4410 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4411 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4412 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4413 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4414 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4416 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4418 The following format specification characters and extended format
4419 specification(s) are understood:
4425 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4426 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4428 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4429 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4430 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4432 Full @code{From} header.
4434 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4436 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4439 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4440 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4441 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4442 may be more thorough.
4444 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4447 Number of lines in the article.
4449 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4450 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4452 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4453 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4455 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4457 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4460 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4461 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4463 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4464 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4466 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4467 for adopted articles.
4469 One space for each thread level.
4471 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4473 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4476 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4477 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4478 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4481 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4483 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4484 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4485 default level. If the difference between
4486 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4487 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4495 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4497 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4503 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4504 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4506 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4507 article has any children.
4513 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4514 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4516 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4517 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4518 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4519 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4520 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4521 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4524 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4525 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4526 There can only be one such area.
4528 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4529 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4530 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4531 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4532 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4533 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4535 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4536 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4538 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4541 @node To From Newsgroups
4542 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4546 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4547 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4548 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4549 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4550 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4554 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4555 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4556 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4560 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4561 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4564 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4565 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4568 @findex gnus-extra-header
4569 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4570 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4571 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4574 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4578 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4579 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4580 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4581 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4582 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4583 headers are used instead.
4587 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4588 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4589 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4590 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4591 this variable, by entering the server buffer using `^', and then `g' on
4592 the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause regeneration.
4594 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4595 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4596 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4597 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4599 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4603 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4605 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4606 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4607 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4608 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4612 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4615 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4616 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4619 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4620 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4621 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4627 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4628 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4631 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4632 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4634 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4635 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4636 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4637 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4639 Here are the elements you can play with:
4645 Unprefixed group name.
4647 Current article number.
4649 Current article score.
4653 Number of unread articles in this group.
4655 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4658 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4659 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4660 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4661 and no unselected ones.
4663 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4664 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4666 Subject of the current article.
4668 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4670 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4672 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4674 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4676 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4678 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4682 @node Summary Highlighting
4683 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4687 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4688 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4689 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4690 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4691 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4693 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4694 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4695 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4696 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4698 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4699 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4700 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4701 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4703 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4704 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4705 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4706 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4707 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4708 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4711 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4712 ((> score default) . bold))
4714 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4715 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4719 @node Summary Maneuvering
4720 @section Summary Maneuvering
4721 @cindex summary movement
4723 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4724 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4726 None of these commands select articles.
4731 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4732 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4733 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4734 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4735 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4739 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4740 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4741 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4742 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4743 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4746 @kindex G g (Summary)
4747 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4748 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4749 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4752 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4753 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4754 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4755 to the group buffer.
4757 Variables related to summary movement:
4761 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4762 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4763 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4764 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4765 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4766 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4767 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4768 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4769 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4770 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4771 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4772 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4773 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4774 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4776 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4777 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4778 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4779 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4780 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4781 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4782 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4784 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4786 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4787 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4788 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4789 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4790 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4792 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4793 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4794 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4795 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4796 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4797 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4798 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4799 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4802 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4803 the given number of lines from the top.
4808 @node Choosing Articles
4809 @section Choosing Articles
4810 @cindex selecting articles
4813 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4814 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4818 @node Choosing Commands
4819 @subsection Choosing Commands
4821 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4822 and they all select and display an article.
4824 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4825 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4829 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4830 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4831 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4832 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4837 @kindex G n (Summary)
4838 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4839 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4840 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4845 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4846 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4847 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4852 @kindex G N (Summary)
4853 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4854 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4859 @kindex G P (Summary)
4860 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4861 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4864 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4865 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4866 Go to the next article with the same subject
4867 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4870 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4871 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4872 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4873 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4877 @kindex G f (Summary)
4879 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4880 Go to the first unread article
4881 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4885 @kindex G b (Summary)
4887 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4888 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4889 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4890 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
4895 @kindex G l (Summary)
4896 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4897 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4900 @kindex G o (Summary)
4901 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4903 @cindex article history
4904 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4905 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4906 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4907 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4908 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4909 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4914 @kindex G j (Summary)
4915 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4916 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4917 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4922 @node Choosing Variables
4923 @subsection Choosing Variables
4925 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4928 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4929 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4930 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4931 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4932 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4933 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4935 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4936 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4937 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4938 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4940 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4941 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4942 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4943 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4944 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4945 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4946 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4947 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4948 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4949 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4950 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4951 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4952 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4953 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4958 @node Paging the Article
4959 @section Scrolling the Article
4960 @cindex article scrolling
4965 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4966 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4967 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4968 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4969 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4972 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4973 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4974 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4977 @kindex RET (Summary)
4978 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4979 Scroll the current article one line forward
4980 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4983 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4984 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4985 Scroll the current article one line backward
4986 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4990 @kindex A g (Summary)
4992 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4993 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4994 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4995 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4996 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4997 the way it came from the server.
4999 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5000 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5001 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5004 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5009 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5014 @kindex A < (Summary)
5015 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5016 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5017 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5022 @kindex A > (Summary)
5023 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5024 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5028 @kindex A s (Summary)
5030 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5031 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5032 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5036 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5037 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5042 @node Reply Followup and Post
5043 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5046 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5047 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5048 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5049 * Canceling and Superseding::
5053 @node Summary Mail Commands
5054 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5056 @cindex composing mail
5058 Commands for composing a mail message:
5064 @kindex S r (Summary)
5066 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5067 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5068 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5069 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5070 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5075 @kindex S R (Summary)
5076 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5077 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5078 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5079 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5080 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5083 @kindex S w (Summary)
5084 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5085 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5086 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5087 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5088 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
5091 @kindex S W (Summary)
5092 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5093 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5094 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5095 the process/prefix convention.
5098 @kindex S v (Summary)
5099 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5100 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5101 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5102 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5103 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5104 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5107 @kindex S V (Summary)
5108 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5109 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5110 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5111 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5114 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5115 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5116 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5117 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5120 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5121 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5122 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5123 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5124 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5128 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5129 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5130 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5131 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5132 Forward the current article to some other person
5133 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5134 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5135 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5136 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5137 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5138 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5139 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5140 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5141 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime}
5147 @kindex S m (Summary)
5148 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5149 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5150 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5151 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5152 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5157 @kindex S i (Summary)
5158 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5159 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5160 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5161 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5163 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5164 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
5165 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5166 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5167 for this to work though.
5170 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5171 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5172 @cindex bouncing mail
5173 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5174 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5175 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5176 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5177 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5178 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5179 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5180 very well fail, though.
5183 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5184 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5185 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5186 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5187 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5188 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5189 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5190 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5191 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5192 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5194 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5195 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5196 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5197 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5198 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5200 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5201 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5204 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5205 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5206 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5207 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5208 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5211 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5212 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5213 @cindex crossposting
5214 @cindex excessive crossposting
5215 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5216 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5218 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5219 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5220 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5221 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5222 command understands the process/prefix convention
5223 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5227 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5228 Manual}, for more information.
5231 @node Summary Post Commands
5232 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5234 @cindex composing news
5236 Commands for posting a news article:
5242 @kindex S p (Summary)
5243 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5244 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5245 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5246 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5247 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5252 @kindex S f (Summary)
5253 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5254 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5255 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5259 @kindex S F (Summary)
5261 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5262 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5263 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5264 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5265 process/prefix convention.
5268 @kindex S n (Summary)
5269 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5270 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5271 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5274 @kindex S N (Summary)
5275 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5276 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5277 message through mail and include the original message
5278 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5279 the process/prefix convention.
5282 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5283 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5284 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5285 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5286 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5287 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5288 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5289 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5290 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5291 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5292 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5293 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5294 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section.
5297 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5298 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5300 @cindex making digests
5301 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5302 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5303 process/prefix convention.
5306 @kindex S u (Summary)
5307 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5308 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5309 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5310 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5313 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5314 Manual}, for more information.
5317 @node Summary Message Commands
5318 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5322 @kindex S y (Summary)
5323 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5324 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5325 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5326 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5327 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5332 @node Canceling and Superseding
5333 @subsection Canceling Articles
5334 @cindex canceling articles
5335 @cindex superseding articles
5337 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5338 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5340 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5342 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5344 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5345 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5346 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5347 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5348 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5349 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5351 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5352 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5355 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5356 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5357 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5359 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5360 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5361 your original article.
5363 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5365 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5366 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5367 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5370 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5371 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5372 have posted almost the same article twice.
5374 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5375 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5376 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5377 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5378 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5379 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5380 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5381 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5382 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5383 canceled/superseded.
5385 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5387 @node Delayed Articles
5388 @section Delayed Articles
5389 @cindex delayed sending
5390 @cindex send delayed
5392 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5393 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5394 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5395 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5398 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5401 @findex gnus-delay-article
5402 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5403 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5404 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5405 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5409 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5410 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5411 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5412 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5415 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5416 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5417 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5420 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5421 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5422 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5423 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5424 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5425 that means a time tomorrow.
5428 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5429 couple of variables:
5432 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5433 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5434 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5435 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5437 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5438 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5439 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5440 formats described above.
5442 @item gnus-delay-group
5443 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5444 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5445 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5446 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5448 @item gnus-delay-header
5449 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5450 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5451 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5452 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5455 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5456 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5457 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5458 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5459 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5461 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5462 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5463 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5464 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5465 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5466 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5469 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5470 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5471 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5472 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5473 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-nil,
5474 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5475 argument is ignored.
5477 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5478 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5479 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5483 @node Marking Articles
5484 @section Marking Articles
5485 @cindex article marking
5486 @cindex article ticking
5489 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5491 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5492 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5493 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5495 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5498 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5499 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5500 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5504 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5508 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5509 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5510 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5514 @node Unread Articles
5515 @subsection Unread Articles
5517 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5522 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5523 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5525 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5526 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5527 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5528 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5529 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5530 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5531 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5534 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5535 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5537 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5538 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5539 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5540 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5544 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5545 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5547 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5552 @subsection Read Articles
5553 @cindex expirable mark
5555 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5560 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5561 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5562 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5565 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5566 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5569 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5570 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5571 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5574 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5575 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5578 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5579 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5582 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5583 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5586 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5587 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5590 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5591 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5594 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5595 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5598 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5599 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5603 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5604 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5605 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5609 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5610 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5612 One more special mark, though:
5616 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5617 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5619 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5620 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5621 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5622 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5628 @subsection Other Marks
5629 @cindex process mark
5632 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5638 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5639 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5640 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5641 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5642 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5645 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5646 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5647 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5648 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5651 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5652 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5653 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5656 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5657 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5658 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5661 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5662 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5663 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5664 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5667 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5668 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5669 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5670 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5671 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5672 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5675 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5676 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5677 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5678 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5681 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5682 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, some articles might not
5683 have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you are
5684 offline (unplugged). These articles get the @samp{@@} mark in the
5685 first column. (The variable @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls
5686 which character to use.)
5689 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5690 The Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics} downloads some articles
5691 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5692 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5693 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5694 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5698 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5699 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5700 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5701 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5702 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5705 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5706 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5707 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5708 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5709 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5710 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5714 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5715 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5716 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5718 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5719 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5720 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5724 @subsection Setting Marks
5725 @cindex setting marks
5727 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5732 @kindex M c (Summary)
5733 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5734 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5735 @cindex mark as unread
5736 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5737 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5743 @kindex M t (Summary)
5744 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5745 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5746 @xref{Article Caching}.
5751 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5752 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5753 Mark the current article as dormant
5754 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5758 @kindex M d (Summary)
5760 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5761 Mark the current article as read
5762 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5766 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5767 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5768 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5773 @kindex M k (Summary)
5774 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5775 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5776 and then select the next unread article
5777 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5781 @kindex M K (Summary)
5782 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5783 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5784 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5785 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5788 @kindex M C (Summary)
5789 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5790 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5791 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5794 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5795 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5796 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5797 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5800 @kindex M H (Summary)
5801 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5802 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5803 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5806 @kindex M h (Summary)
5807 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5808 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5809 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5812 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5813 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5814 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5815 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5818 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5819 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5820 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5821 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5825 @kindex M e (Summary)
5827 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5828 Mark the current article as expirable
5829 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5832 @kindex M b (Summary)
5833 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5834 Set a bookmark in the current article
5835 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5838 @kindex M B (Summary)
5839 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5840 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5841 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5844 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5845 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5846 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5847 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5850 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5851 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5852 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5853 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5856 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5857 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5858 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5859 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5860 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5863 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5864 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5865 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5866 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5867 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5868 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5869 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5870 The default is @code{t}.
5873 @node Generic Marking Commands
5874 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5876 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5877 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5878 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5879 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5880 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5883 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5884 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5887 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5888 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5889 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5890 to list in this manual.
5892 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5893 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5894 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5895 article, you could say something like:
5898 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5899 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5900 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5906 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5907 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5911 @node Setting Process Marks
5912 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5913 @cindex setting process marks
5920 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5921 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5922 Mark the current article with the process mark
5923 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5924 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5928 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5929 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5930 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5931 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5934 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5935 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5936 Remove the process mark from all articles
5937 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5940 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5941 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5942 Invert the list of process marked articles
5943 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5946 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5947 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5948 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5949 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5952 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5953 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5954 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5955 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5958 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5959 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5960 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5964 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
5965 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
5968 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5969 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5970 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5971 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5974 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5975 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5976 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5977 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5980 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5981 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5982 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5983 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5986 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5987 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5988 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5991 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5992 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5993 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5994 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5997 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5998 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5999 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6002 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6003 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6004 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6005 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6008 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6009 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6010 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6011 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6014 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6015 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6016 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6017 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6020 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6021 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6022 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6023 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6027 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
6028 set process marks based on article body contents.
6035 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6036 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6037 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6040 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6041 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6042 additional articles.
6048 @kindex / / (Summary)
6049 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6050 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6051 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6055 @kindex / a (Summary)
6056 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6057 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6058 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6062 @kindex / x (Summary)
6063 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6064 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6065 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6066 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6071 @kindex / u (Summary)
6073 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6074 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6075 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6076 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6077 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6080 @kindex / m (Summary)
6081 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6082 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6083 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6086 @kindex / t (Summary)
6087 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6088 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6089 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6090 articles younger than that number of days.
6093 @kindex / n (Summary)
6094 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6095 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6096 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6097 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6100 @kindex / w (Summary)
6101 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6102 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6103 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6107 @kindex / . (Summary)
6108 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6109 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6110 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6113 @kindex / v (Summary)
6114 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6115 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6116 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6119 @kindex / p (Summary)
6120 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6121 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6122 group parameter predicate
6123 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). See @pxref{Group
6124 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
6128 @kindex M S (Summary)
6129 @kindex / E (Summary)
6130 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6131 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6132 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6135 @kindex / D (Summary)
6136 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6137 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6138 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6141 @kindex / * (Summary)
6142 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6143 Include all cached articles in the limit
6144 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6147 @kindex / d (Summary)
6148 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6149 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6150 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6153 @kindex / M (Summary)
6154 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6155 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6158 @kindex / T (Summary)
6159 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6160 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6163 @kindex / c (Summary)
6164 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6165 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6166 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6169 @kindex / C (Summary)
6170 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6171 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6172 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6173 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6176 @kindex / N (Summary)
6177 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6178 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6179 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6182 @kindex / o (Summary)
6183 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6184 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6185 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6193 @cindex article threading
6195 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6196 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6197 hierarchical fashion.
6199 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6200 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6201 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6202 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6203 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6204 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6205 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6207 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6211 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6214 A tree-like article structure.
6217 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6220 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6221 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6222 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6223 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6224 called loose threads.
6226 @item thread gathering
6227 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6229 @item sparse threads
6230 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6231 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6237 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6238 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6242 @node Customizing Threading
6243 @subsection Customizing Threading
6244 @cindex customizing threading
6247 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6248 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6249 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6250 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
6255 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6258 @cindex loose threads
6261 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6262 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6263 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6264 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6265 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6266 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6268 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6269 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6270 There are four possible values:
6274 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6275 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6276 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6277 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6278 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6283 @cindex adopting articles
6288 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6289 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6290 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6291 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6294 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6295 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6296 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6297 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6298 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6299 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6300 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6303 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6304 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6305 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6309 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6310 display them after one another.
6313 Don't gather loose threads.
6316 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6317 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6318 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6319 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6320 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6321 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6322 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6323 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6324 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6325 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6326 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6328 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6329 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6330 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6333 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6334 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6335 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6336 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6337 simplification is used.
6339 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6340 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6341 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6342 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6344 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6346 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6352 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6353 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6354 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6355 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6360 (mapconcat 'identity
6361 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6363 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6366 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6369 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6370 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6371 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6372 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6373 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6374 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6376 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6379 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6380 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6381 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6383 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6384 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6387 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6388 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6389 Remove excessive whitespace.
6391 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6392 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6393 Remove all whitespace.
6396 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6399 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6400 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6401 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6402 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6403 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6404 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6405 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6406 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6408 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6409 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6410 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6411 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6412 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6413 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6414 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6415 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6416 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6420 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6421 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6422 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6423 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6425 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6426 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6427 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6430 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6434 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6435 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6441 @node Filling In Threads
6442 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6445 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6446 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6447 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6448 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6449 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6450 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6451 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6452 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6453 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6454 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6455 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6456 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6459 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6460 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6461 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6463 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6464 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6465 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6466 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6467 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6468 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6469 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6470 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6471 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6472 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6473 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6474 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6475 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6476 @code{nil} by default.
6478 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6479 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6480 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6481 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6482 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6483 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6484 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6486 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6487 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6488 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6493 @node More Threading
6494 @subsubsection More Threading
6497 @item gnus-show-threads
6498 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6499 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6500 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6501 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6502 slower and more awkward.
6504 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6505 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6506 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6509 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6510 Avaliable predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6511 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
6516 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6517 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6518 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6521 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6522 unread, but you get my drift.)
6525 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6526 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6527 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6528 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6529 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6530 threads are expunged.
6532 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6533 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6534 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6537 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6538 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6539 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6540 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6541 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6542 result in a new thread.
6544 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6545 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6546 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6549 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6550 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6551 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6552 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6553 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6554 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6555 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6556 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6557 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6558 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6559 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6564 @node Low-Level Threading
6565 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6569 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6570 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6571 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6573 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6574 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6575 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6576 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6577 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6578 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6579 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6580 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6581 meaningful. Here's one example:
6584 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6586 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6587 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6589 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6591 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6598 @node Thread Commands
6599 @subsection Thread Commands
6600 @cindex thread commands
6606 @kindex T k (Summary)
6607 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6608 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6609 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6610 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6611 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6616 @kindex T l (Summary)
6617 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6618 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6619 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6620 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6623 @kindex T i (Summary)
6624 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6625 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6626 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6629 @kindex T # (Summary)
6630 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6631 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6632 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6635 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6636 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6637 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6638 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6641 @kindex T T (Summary)
6642 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6643 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6646 @kindex T s (Summary)
6647 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6648 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6649 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6652 @kindex T h (Summary)
6653 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6654 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6657 @kindex T S (Summary)
6658 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6659 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6662 @kindex T H (Summary)
6663 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6664 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6667 @kindex T t (Summary)
6668 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6669 Re-thread the current article's thread
6670 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6671 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6674 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6675 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6676 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6677 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6681 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6682 understand the numeric prefix.
6687 @kindex T n (Summary)
6689 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6691 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6692 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6693 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6696 @kindex T p (Summary)
6698 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6700 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6701 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6702 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6705 @kindex T d (Summary)
6706 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6707 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6710 @kindex T u (Summary)
6711 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6712 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6715 @kindex T o (Summary)
6716 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6717 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6720 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6721 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6722 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6723 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6724 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6725 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6726 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6727 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6728 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6729 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6730 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6731 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6735 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6736 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6738 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6739 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6740 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6741 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6742 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6743 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6744 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6745 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6746 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6747 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6748 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6749 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6750 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6752 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6753 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6754 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6755 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6756 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6757 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6758 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6759 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6761 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6762 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6763 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6765 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6766 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6767 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6768 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6769 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6770 ascending article order.
6772 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6773 by number, you could do something like:
6776 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6777 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6778 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6779 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6782 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6783 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6784 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6785 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6786 which the articles arrived.
6788 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6792 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6794 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6795 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6798 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6799 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6800 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6801 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6804 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6805 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6806 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6807 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6808 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6809 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
6810 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6811 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
6812 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
6813 variable. It is very similar to the
6814 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
6815 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
6816 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6817 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
6818 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
6819 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
6820 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6822 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6826 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6827 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6828 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6833 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6834 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6835 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6836 @cindex article pre-fetch
6839 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6840 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6841 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6842 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6843 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6845 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6846 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
6848 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6849 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6850 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6851 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6852 connection is blocked.
6854 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6855 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6856 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6857 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
6859 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6860 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6861 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6862 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6865 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6868 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6869 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6870 happen automatically.
6872 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6873 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6874 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6875 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6876 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6877 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6878 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6880 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6881 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6882 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6883 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6884 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6885 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6886 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6887 data structure as the only parameter.
6889 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6892 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6893 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6894 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6895 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6898 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6901 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6902 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
6903 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6905 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6906 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6907 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6908 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6912 Remove articles when they are read.
6915 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6918 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6920 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6921 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6922 @c from the next group.
6925 @node Article Caching
6926 @section Article Caching
6927 @cindex article caching
6930 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6931 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6932 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6933 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6934 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6936 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6938 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6939 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6940 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6941 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6942 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6943 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6944 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6945 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6947 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6948 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6949 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6950 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6951 as dormant, and don't worry.
6953 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6955 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6956 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6957 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6958 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6959 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6960 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6961 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6962 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6963 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6964 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6966 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6967 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6968 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6969 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6970 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6971 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6972 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6973 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6974 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6975 not then be downloaded by this command.
6977 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6978 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6979 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6980 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6981 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6982 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6984 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6985 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6986 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6987 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6988 variables, the group is not cached.
6990 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6991 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6992 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6993 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6994 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6995 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
6996 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6997 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6998 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7001 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7002 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7003 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7004 where, isn't that cool?
7006 @node Persistent Articles
7007 @section Persistent Articles
7008 @cindex persistent articles
7010 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7011 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7012 useful in my opinion.
7014 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7015 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7016 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7017 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7018 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7019 the expiry going on at the news server.
7021 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7022 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7023 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7029 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7030 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7033 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7034 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7035 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7036 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7040 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7042 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7043 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7044 interested in persistent articles:
7047 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7051 @node Article Backlog
7052 @section Article Backlog
7054 @cindex article backlog
7056 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7057 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7058 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7059 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7060 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7061 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7062 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7063 increase memory usage some.
7065 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7066 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7067 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7068 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7069 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7070 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7071 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7073 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
7076 @node Saving Articles
7077 @section Saving Articles
7078 @cindex saving articles
7080 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7081 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7082 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7083 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7084 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7086 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7087 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7088 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7090 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7091 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7092 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7094 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7095 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7096 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7097 deleted before saving.
7103 @kindex O o (Summary)
7105 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7106 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7107 Save the current article using the default article saver
7108 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7111 @kindex O m (Summary)
7112 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7113 Save the current article in mail format
7114 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7117 @kindex O r (Summary)
7118 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7119 Save the current article in rmail format
7120 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7123 @kindex O f (Summary)
7124 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7125 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7126 Save the current article in plain file format
7127 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7130 @kindex O F (Summary)
7131 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7132 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7133 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7136 @kindex O b (Summary)
7137 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7138 Save the current article body in plain file format
7139 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7142 @kindex O h (Summary)
7143 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7144 Save the current article in mh folder format
7145 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7148 @kindex O v (Summary)
7149 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7150 Save the current article in a VM folder
7151 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7155 @kindex O p (Summary)
7157 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7158 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7159 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7162 @kindex O P (Summary)
7163 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7164 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7165 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7166 external program Muttprint (see
7167 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
7168 options to use is controlled by the variable
7169 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7173 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7174 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7175 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7176 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7177 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7178 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7179 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7180 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7181 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7182 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7183 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7184 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7188 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7189 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7190 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7191 functions below, or you can create your own.
7195 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7196 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7197 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7198 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7199 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7200 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7201 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7203 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7204 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7205 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7206 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7207 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7208 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7210 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7211 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7212 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7213 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7214 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7215 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7216 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7218 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7219 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7220 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7221 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7222 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7223 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7225 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7226 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7227 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7228 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7229 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7231 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7232 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7233 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7234 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7235 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7238 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7239 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7240 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7241 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7242 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7244 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7245 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7246 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7247 reader to use this setting.
7250 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7251 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7252 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7253 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7256 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7257 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7258 available functions that generate names:
7262 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7263 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7264 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7266 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7267 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7268 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7270 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7271 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7272 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7274 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7275 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7276 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7278 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7279 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7280 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7283 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7284 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7285 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7286 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7287 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7291 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7292 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7293 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7294 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7297 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7298 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7299 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7300 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7301 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7302 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7303 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7304 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7305 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7307 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7308 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7309 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7310 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7312 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7313 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7314 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7317 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7318 lots of mail groups called things like
7319 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7320 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7321 following will do just that:
7324 (defun my-save-name (group)
7325 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7326 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7328 (setq gnus-split-methods
7329 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7334 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7335 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7336 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7337 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7338 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7339 all the files in the top level directory
7340 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7341 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7342 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7343 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7345 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7346 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7347 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7348 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7349 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7352 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7356 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7357 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7358 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7361 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7362 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7363 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7364 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7367 @node Decoding Articles
7368 @section Decoding Articles
7369 @cindex decoding articles
7371 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7372 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7375 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7376 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7377 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7378 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7379 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7380 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7384 @cindex article series
7385 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7386 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7387 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7388 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7389 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7391 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7392 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7393 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7395 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7396 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7397 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7399 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7400 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7401 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7404 @node Uuencoded Articles
7405 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7407 @cindex uuencoded articles
7412 @kindex X u (Summary)
7413 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7414 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7415 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7418 @kindex X U (Summary)
7419 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7420 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7421 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7424 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7425 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7426 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7429 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7430 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7431 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7432 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7436 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7437 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7438 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7439 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7440 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7442 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7443 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7444 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7445 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7448 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7449 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7450 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7451 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7452 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7453 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7457 @node Shell Archives
7458 @subsection Shell Archives
7460 @cindex shell archives
7461 @cindex shared articles
7463 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7464 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7465 some commands to deal with these:
7470 @kindex X s (Summary)
7471 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7472 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7475 @kindex X S (Summary)
7476 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7477 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7480 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7481 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7482 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7485 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7486 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7487 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7488 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7492 @node PostScript Files
7493 @subsection PostScript Files
7499 @kindex X p (Summary)
7500 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7501 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7504 @kindex X P (Summary)
7505 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7506 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7507 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7510 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7511 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7512 View the current PostScript series
7513 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7516 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7517 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7518 View and save the current PostScript series
7519 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7524 @subsection Other Files
7528 @kindex X o (Summary)
7529 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7530 Save the current series
7531 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7534 @kindex X b (Summary)
7535 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7536 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7537 doesn't really work yet.
7541 @node Decoding Variables
7542 @subsection Decoding Variables
7544 Adjective, not verb.
7547 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7548 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7549 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7553 @node Rule Variables
7554 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7555 @cindex rule variables
7557 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7558 variables are of the form
7561 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7568 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7569 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7571 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7572 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
7575 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7576 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7579 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7580 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7581 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7582 user and default view rules.
7584 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7585 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7586 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7591 @node Other Decode Variables
7592 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7595 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7597 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7598 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7599 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7600 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7601 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7605 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7606 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7609 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7610 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7611 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7614 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7615 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7616 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7617 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7618 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7621 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7622 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7623 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7625 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7626 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7627 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7628 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7629 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7632 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7633 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7634 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7636 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7637 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7638 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7639 looking for files to display.
7641 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7642 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7643 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7646 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7647 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7648 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7651 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7652 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7653 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7656 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7657 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7658 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7661 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7662 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7663 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7664 decoded articles as unread.
7666 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7667 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7668 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7669 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7671 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7672 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7673 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7675 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7676 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7678 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7679 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7680 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7681 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7683 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7684 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7685 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7686 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7687 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7688 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7689 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7690 simply dropped them.
7695 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7696 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7700 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7701 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7702 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7703 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7704 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7705 for you when you post the article.
7707 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7708 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7709 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7710 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7712 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7713 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7714 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7715 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7716 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7717 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7718 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7720 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7721 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7722 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7723 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7724 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7725 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7726 Default is @code{t}.
7732 @subsection Viewing Files
7733 @cindex viewing files
7734 @cindex pseudo-articles
7736 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7737 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7738 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7739 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7740 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7741 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7742 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7744 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7745 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7746 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7747 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7749 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7750 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7751 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7753 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7754 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7755 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7756 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7757 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7759 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7760 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7761 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7762 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7763 a list of parameters to that command.
7765 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7766 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7767 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7769 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7770 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7771 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7774 @node Article Treatment
7775 @section Article Treatment
7777 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7778 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7779 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7780 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7781 these articles easier.
7784 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7785 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7786 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7787 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7788 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7789 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7790 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7791 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7792 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7793 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7797 @node Article Highlighting
7798 @subsection Article Highlighting
7799 @cindex highlighting
7801 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7802 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7807 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7808 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7809 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7810 Do much highlighting of the current article
7811 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7812 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7815 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7816 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7817 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7818 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7819 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7820 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7821 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7822 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7823 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7824 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7825 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7826 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7829 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7830 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7831 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7833 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7836 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7838 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7839 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7840 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7842 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7843 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7844 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7846 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7847 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7848 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7849 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7850 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7851 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7853 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7854 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7855 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7857 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7858 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7859 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7861 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7862 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7863 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7864 that it's a citation.
7866 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7867 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7868 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7870 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7871 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7872 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7874 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7875 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7876 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7877 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7883 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7884 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7885 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7886 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7887 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7888 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7889 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7890 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7895 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7898 @node Article Fontisizing
7899 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7901 @cindex article emphasis
7903 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7904 @kindex W e (Summary)
7905 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7906 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7907 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7908 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7910 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7911 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7912 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7913 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7914 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7915 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7916 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7917 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7921 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7922 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7923 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7932 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7933 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7934 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7935 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7936 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7937 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7938 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7939 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7940 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7941 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7942 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7943 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7944 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7946 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7947 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7948 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7952 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7955 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7957 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7958 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7959 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7960 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7962 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7965 @node Article Hiding
7966 @subsection Article Hiding
7967 @cindex article hiding
7969 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7970 too much cruft in most articles.
7975 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7976 @findex gnus-article-hide
7977 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7978 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7979 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7982 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7983 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
7984 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7988 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7989 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7990 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7991 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7994 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7995 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7996 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8000 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8001 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8002 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8003 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8004 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8005 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8006 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8007 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8011 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8012 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8013 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8014 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8019 @kindex W W p (Summary)
8020 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
8021 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
8022 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
8023 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
8024 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
8025 articles that have signatures in them do:
8027 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
8029 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
8031 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
8032 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
8034 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
8037 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
8042 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8043 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8044 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8045 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8048 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8049 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8050 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8051 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8054 @cindex stripping advertisements
8055 @cindex advertisements
8056 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8057 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8058 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8059 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8060 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8061 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8062 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8063 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8064 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8065 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8068 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8069 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8070 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8074 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8075 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8076 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8077 @code{(ADDRESS . BANNER)}, where ADDRESS is a regexp matching a mail
8078 address in the From header, BANNER is one of a symbol @code{signature},
8079 an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}, a regexp and @code{nil}.
8080 If ADDRESS matches author's mail address, it will remove things like
8081 advertisements. For example, if a sender has the mail address
8082 @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a banner something like
8083 @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he sends, you can use the
8084 following element to remove them:
8087 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" . "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8093 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8094 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8095 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8096 customizing the hiding:
8100 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8101 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8102 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8103 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8104 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8105 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8106 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8111 Starting point of the hidden text.
8113 Ending point of the hidden text.
8115 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8117 Number of lines of hidden text.
8120 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8121 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8122 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8123 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8124 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8129 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8130 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8132 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8133 following two variables:
8136 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8137 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8138 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8139 50), hide the cited text.
8141 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8142 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8143 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8148 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8149 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8150 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8151 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8152 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8153 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8157 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8158 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8159 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8161 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8162 citation customization.
8164 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8168 @node Article Washing
8169 @subsection Article Washing
8171 @cindex article washing
8173 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8174 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8176 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8177 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8180 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8181 articles by default.
8186 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8187 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8191 @kindex W l (Summary)
8192 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8193 Remove page breaks from the current article
8194 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8198 @kindex W r (Summary)
8199 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8200 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8201 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8202 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8203 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8204 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8206 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8207 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8208 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8209 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8212 @kindex W m (Summary)
8213 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8214 @c @icon{gnus-summary-morse-message}
8215 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8219 @kindex W t (Summary)
8221 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8222 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8223 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8226 @kindex W v (Summary)
8227 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8228 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8229 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8232 @kindex W o (Summary)
8233 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8234 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8237 @kindex W d (Summary)
8238 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8239 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8241 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8243 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8244 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8245 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8246 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8249 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8250 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8251 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8252 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8255 @kindex W k (Summary)
8256 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8257 @cindex Outlook Express
8258 Deuglify broken Outlook (Express) articles and redisplay
8259 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8262 @kindex W w (Summary)
8263 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8264 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8266 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8270 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8271 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8272 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8275 @kindex W C (Summary)
8276 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8277 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8278 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8281 @kindex W c (Summary)
8282 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8283 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8284 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8285 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8286 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8289 @kindex W q (Summary)
8290 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8291 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8292 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
8293 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
8294 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
8295 readable to me. Note that this is usually done automatically by
8296 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
8297 header that says that this encoding has been done.
8298 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8301 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8302 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8303 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8304 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8305 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is usually done
8306 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8307 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8309 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8312 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8313 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8314 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8315 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8316 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8319 @kindex W u (Summary)
8320 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8321 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8322 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8323 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8324 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8327 @kindex W h (Summary)
8328 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8329 Treat @sc{html} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8330 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8331 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @sc{html}.
8333 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8335 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8336 The default is to use the function specified by
8337 @code{mm-inline-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Customization, , , emacs-mime})
8338 to convert the @sc{html}, but this is controlled by the
8339 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8347 Use emacs-w3m (see @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/} for more
8351 Use Links (see @uref{http://artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mikulas/links/}).
8354 Use Lynx (see @uref{http://lynx.browser.org/}).
8357 Use html2text -- a simple @sc{html} converter included with Gnus.
8362 @kindex W b (Summary)
8363 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8364 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8365 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8368 @kindex W B (Summary)
8369 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8370 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8371 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8374 @kindex W p (Summary)
8375 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8376 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8377 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8378 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8379 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8380 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8381 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8384 @kindex W s (Summary)
8385 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8386 Verify a signed (PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}) message
8387 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8390 @kindex W a (Summary)
8391 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8392 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8393 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8396 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8397 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8398 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8399 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8402 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8403 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8404 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8405 lines with a single empty line.
8406 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8409 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8410 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8411 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8412 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8415 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8416 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8417 Do all the three commands above
8418 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8421 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8422 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8423 Remove all blank lines
8424 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8427 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8428 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8429 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8430 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8433 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8434 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8435 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8436 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8440 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8443 @node Article Header
8444 @subsection Article Header
8446 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8451 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8452 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8453 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8456 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8457 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8458 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8459 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8462 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8463 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8464 Fold all the message headers
8465 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8469 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8470 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8471 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8476 @node Article Buttons
8477 @subsection Article Buttons
8480 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8481 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8482 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8483 button on these references.
8485 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8486 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8487 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links and man pages.
8488 This is controlled by two variables, one that handles article bodies and
8489 one that handles article heads:
8493 @item gnus-button-alist
8494 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8495 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8498 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8504 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
8505 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
8506 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a variable containing a
8507 regexp, useful variables to use include @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}.
8510 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8511 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8512 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8515 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8516 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8517 avoid false matches.
8520 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8523 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8524 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8528 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8531 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8534 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8535 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8536 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8537 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8538 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8541 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8544 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8546 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8547 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8548 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8549 default values of the variables above.
8551 @item gnus-article-button-face
8552 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8553 Face used on buttons.
8555 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8556 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8557 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8561 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8565 @subsection Article Date
8567 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8568 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8569 when the article was sent.
8574 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8575 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8576 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8577 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8580 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8581 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8583 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8584 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8587 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8588 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8589 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8592 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8593 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8594 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8595 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8598 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8599 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8600 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8601 @findex format-time-string
8602 Display the date using a user-defined format
8603 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8604 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8605 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8606 for a list of possible format specs.
8609 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8610 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8611 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8612 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8613 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8614 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8617 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8620 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8621 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8624 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8625 into wonderful absurdities.
8627 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8630 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8633 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8634 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8638 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8639 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8640 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8641 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8642 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8643 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8644 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8648 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8649 preferred format automatically.
8652 @node Article Display
8653 @subsection Article Display
8658 These commands add various frivolous display gimmics to the article
8659 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8661 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8662 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8664 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8665 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8667 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8668 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8670 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8675 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8676 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8677 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8678 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8681 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8682 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
8683 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8686 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8687 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8688 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8691 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8692 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8693 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8694 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8697 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8698 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8699 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8700 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
8703 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8704 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8705 Remove all images from the article buffer
8706 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
8712 @node Article Signature
8713 @subsection Article Signature
8715 @cindex article signature
8717 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8718 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8719 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8720 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8721 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8722 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8723 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8724 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8725 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8728 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8729 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8730 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8731 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8732 ; line of dashes. Shame!
8733 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
8734 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
8735 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
8738 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
8741 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
8742 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
8743 signature when displaying articles.
8747 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
8750 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
8753 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
8754 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
8756 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
8757 in question is not a signature.
8760 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
8761 listed above. Here's an example:
8764 (setq gnus-signature-limit
8765 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
8768 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
8769 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
8770 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
8771 signature after all.
8774 @node Article Miscellania
8775 @subsection Article Miscellania
8779 @kindex A t (Summary)
8780 @findex gnus-article-babel
8781 Translate the article from one language to another
8782 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
8788 @section MIME Commands
8789 @cindex MIME decoding
8791 @cindex viewing attachments
8793 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
8794 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
8800 @kindex K v (Summary)
8801 View the @sc{mime} part.
8804 @kindex K o (Summary)
8805 Save the @sc{mime} part.
8808 @kindex K c (Summary)
8809 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
8812 @kindex K e (Summary)
8813 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8816 @kindex K i (Summary)
8817 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8820 @kindex K | (Summary)
8821 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8824 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8829 @kindex K b (Summary)
8830 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8831 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8835 @kindex K m (Summary)
8836 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8837 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8838 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8839 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8840 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8843 @kindex X m (Summary)
8844 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8845 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8846 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8847 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8850 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8851 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
8852 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8853 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8856 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8857 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
8858 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8859 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8862 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8863 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
8864 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8865 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8867 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8868 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8869 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8870 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
8871 include @sc{mime} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
8872 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8875 @kindex W M v (Summary)
8876 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
8877 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
8878 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
8885 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
8886 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
8887 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8888 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
8891 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
8894 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
8898 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8899 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8900 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8901 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8902 displayed or this variable is overriden by
8903 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
8906 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8907 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8908 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8909 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8910 displayed. This variable overrides
8911 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
8913 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
8914 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
8915 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} to the default value.
8917 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
8918 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
8919 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
8920 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
8921 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
8922 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
8923 save all jpegs into some directory).
8925 Here's an example function the does the latter:
8928 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
8929 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
8931 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
8932 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
8933 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
8934 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
8935 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
8938 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8939 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8940 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
8942 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8943 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8944 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
8945 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
8947 Ready-made functions include@*
8948 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
8949 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
8950 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
8951 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
8952 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
8953 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
8954 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
8955 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
8956 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8957 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8958 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8959 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8961 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
8962 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
8964 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
8965 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
8966 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
8969 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8970 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8971 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8972 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
8976 to your @file{.gnus} file.
8985 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
8986 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
8987 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
8988 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
8989 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
8990 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
8991 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
8993 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
8994 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
8995 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
8996 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
8998 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
8999 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9000 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9001 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9002 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9003 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9004 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9005 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9007 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9008 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9009 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
9010 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9011 quoted-printable header encoding.
9013 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9014 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9015 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9019 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9022 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9023 means encode all charsets),
9025 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9026 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9027 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9034 @cindex coding system aliases
9035 @cindex preferred charset
9037 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9039 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9040 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9043 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9044 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9047 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9048 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
9050 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9053 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9056 This will almost do the right thing.
9058 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9062 (codepage-setup 1251)
9063 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9067 @node Article Commands
9068 @section Article Commands
9075 @kindex A P (Summary)
9076 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9077 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9078 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9079 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9080 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9081 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9086 @node Summary Sorting
9087 @section Summary Sorting
9088 @cindex summary sorting
9090 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9091 can't really see why you'd want that.
9096 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9097 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9098 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9101 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9102 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9103 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9106 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9107 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9108 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9111 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9112 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9113 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9116 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9117 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9118 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9121 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9122 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9123 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9126 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9127 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9128 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9131 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9132 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9133 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9136 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9137 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9138 Sort using the default sorting method
9139 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9142 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9143 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9144 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9145 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9146 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9150 @node Finding the Parent
9151 @section Finding the Parent
9152 @cindex parent articles
9153 @cindex referring articles
9158 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9159 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9160 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9161 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
9162 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9163 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9164 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9165 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9166 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9168 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9169 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9170 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9171 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9172 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9176 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9177 @kindex A R (Summary)
9178 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9179 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9182 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9183 @kindex A T (Summary)
9184 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9185 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9186 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9187 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9188 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9189 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9190 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9192 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9193 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9194 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9195 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9196 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9197 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9200 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9201 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9203 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9204 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
9205 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9206 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9207 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9208 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9209 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9212 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9213 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9214 by giving this command a prefix.
9216 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9217 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9218 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9219 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
9220 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
9221 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9224 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9225 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9226 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9229 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9230 then ask Google if that fails:
9233 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9235 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type google))))
9238 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9239 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9240 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9241 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9242 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9243 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9244 support this at all.
9247 @node Alternative Approaches
9248 @section Alternative Approaches
9250 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9251 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9254 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9255 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9260 @subsection Pick and Read
9261 @cindex pick and read
9263 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9264 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9265 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9266 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9268 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9269 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9270 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9271 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9272 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9273 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9275 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9280 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9281 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9282 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9283 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9284 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9285 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9286 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9287 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9290 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9291 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9292 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9293 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9297 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9298 Unpick the thread or article
9299 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9300 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9301 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9302 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9303 the thread or article at that line.
9307 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9308 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9309 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9310 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9311 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9312 will still be visible when you are reading.
9316 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9317 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9318 which is mapped to the same function
9319 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9321 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9324 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9327 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9328 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9330 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9331 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9332 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9334 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9335 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9336 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9337 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9338 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9339 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9340 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9344 @subsection Binary Groups
9345 @cindex binary groups
9347 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9348 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9349 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9350 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9351 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9352 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9353 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9356 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9357 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9358 command, when you have turned on this mode
9359 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9361 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9362 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9366 @section Tree Display
9369 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9370 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9371 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9372 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9375 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9378 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9379 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9380 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9382 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9383 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9384 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9385 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9386 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9388 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9389 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9390 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9391 default is @code{modeline}.
9393 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9394 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9395 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9396 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9397 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9398 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9399 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9405 The name of the poster.
9407 The @code{From} header.
9409 The number of the article.
9411 The opening bracket.
9413 The closing bracket.
9418 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9420 Variables related to the display are:
9423 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9424 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9425 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9426 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9427 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9428 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9430 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9431 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9432 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9433 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9437 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9438 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9439 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9440 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9441 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9442 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9443 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9444 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9445 other windows displayed next to it.
9447 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9451 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9452 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9455 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9456 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9457 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9458 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9459 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9460 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9461 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9465 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9468 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9478 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9482 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9483 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9485 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9487 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9492 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9493 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9494 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9497 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9498 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9499 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9500 (gnus-add-configuration
9504 (summary 0.75 point)
9509 @xref{Window Layout}.
9512 @node Mail Group Commands
9513 @section Mail Group Commands
9514 @cindex mail group commands
9516 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9517 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9519 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9520 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9525 @kindex B e (Summary)
9526 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9527 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9528 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9529 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9530 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9533 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9534 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9535 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9536 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9537 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9538 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9541 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9542 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9543 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9544 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9545 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9546 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9549 @kindex B m (Summary)
9551 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9552 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9553 Move the article from one mail group to another
9554 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9555 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9558 @kindex B c (Summary)
9560 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9561 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9562 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9563 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9564 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9567 @kindex B B (Summary)
9568 @cindex crosspost mail
9569 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9570 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9571 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9572 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9573 be properly updated.
9576 @kindex B i (Summary)
9577 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9578 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9579 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9580 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9583 @kindex B I (Summary)
9584 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9585 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9586 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9587 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9590 @kindex B r (Summary)
9591 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9592 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9593 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9594 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9595 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9596 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9597 (which is the default).
9601 @kindex B w (Summary)
9603 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9604 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9605 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9606 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9607 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9608 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9609 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9612 @kindex B q (Summary)
9613 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9614 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9615 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9616 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9619 @kindex B t (Summary)
9620 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9621 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9622 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9625 @kindex B p (Summary)
9626 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9627 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
9628 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9629 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9630 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9631 article from your news server (or rather, from
9632 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9633 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9634 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9635 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9636 just not have arrived yet.
9639 @kindex K E (Summary)
9640 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
9641 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
9642 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
9643 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
9644 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
9648 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9649 @cindex moving articles
9650 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
9651 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9652 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9653 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9654 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9655 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9656 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9659 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9660 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9661 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9662 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9666 @node Various Summary Stuff
9667 @section Various Summary Stuff
9670 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9671 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9672 * Summary Generation Commands::
9673 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9677 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9678 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9679 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9681 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9682 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9683 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9684 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9685 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9686 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9689 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9690 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9691 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9692 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9693 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9695 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9696 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9697 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9700 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9701 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9702 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
9703 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
9704 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
9705 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
9706 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
9707 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
9708 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
9709 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
9711 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9712 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9713 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
9714 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
9715 list of articles to be selected.
9717 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
9718 the list in one particular group:
9721 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
9722 (if (string= group "some.group")
9723 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
9727 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
9728 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
9729 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
9730 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
9731 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
9732 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
9733 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
9734 buffers. For example:
9737 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
9738 '(message-use-followup-to
9739 (gnus-visible-headers .
9740 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
9746 @node Summary Group Information
9747 @subsection Summary Group Information
9752 @kindex H f (Summary)
9753 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
9754 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
9755 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
9756 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
9757 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
9758 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
9759 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
9760 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
9761 be used for fetching the file.
9764 @kindex H d (Summary)
9765 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
9766 Give a brief description of the current group
9767 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
9768 rereading the description from the server.
9771 @kindex H h (Summary)
9772 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
9773 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
9774 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
9777 @kindex H i (Summary)
9778 @findex gnus-info-find-node
9779 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
9783 @node Searching for Articles
9784 @subsection Searching for Articles
9789 @kindex M-s (Summary)
9790 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
9791 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
9792 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
9795 @kindex M-r (Summary)
9796 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
9797 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
9798 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
9802 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
9803 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
9804 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
9805 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
9806 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
9807 search backward instead.
9809 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
9810 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
9813 @kindex M-& (Summary)
9814 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
9815 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
9816 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
9819 @node Summary Generation Commands
9820 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
9825 @kindex Y g (Summary)
9826 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
9827 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
9830 @kindex Y c (Summary)
9831 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
9832 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9833 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
9838 @node Really Various Summary Commands
9839 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
9845 @kindex C-d (Summary)
9846 @kindex A D (Summary)
9847 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
9848 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
9849 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
9850 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
9851 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
9852 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
9853 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
9854 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
9858 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
9859 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
9860 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
9861 several documents into one biiig group
9862 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
9863 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
9864 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
9865 command understands the process/prefix convention
9866 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9869 @kindex C-t (Summary)
9870 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
9871 Toggle truncation of summary lines
9872 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
9873 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
9874 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
9878 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
9879 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
9880 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
9883 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
9884 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
9885 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9886 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
9889 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
9890 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
9891 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9892 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
9897 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
9898 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
9899 @cindex summary exit
9900 @cindex exiting groups
9902 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
9903 group and return you to the group buffer.
9909 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
9911 @findex gnus-summary-exit
9912 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
9913 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
9914 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
9915 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
9916 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
9917 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
9918 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
9919 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
9920 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
9921 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
9925 @kindex Z E (Summary)
9927 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
9928 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
9929 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
9933 @kindex Z c (Summary)
9935 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
9936 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
9937 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
9938 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
9941 @kindex Z C (Summary)
9942 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
9943 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
9944 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
9947 @kindex Z n (Summary)
9948 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
9949 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
9950 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
9953 @kindex Z R (Summary)
9954 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
9955 Exit this group, and then enter it again
9956 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
9957 all articles, both read and unread.
9961 @kindex Z G (Summary)
9962 @kindex M-g (Summary)
9963 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
9964 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
9965 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
9966 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
9967 articles, both read and unread.
9970 @kindex Z N (Summary)
9971 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
9972 Exit the group and go to the next group
9973 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
9976 @kindex Z P (Summary)
9977 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
9978 Exit the group and go to the previous group
9979 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
9982 @kindex Z s (Summary)
9983 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
9984 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
9985 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
9986 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
9987 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
9990 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
9991 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
9992 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
9993 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
9995 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
9996 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
9997 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
9998 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
9999 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10000 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10001 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10002 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10003 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10004 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10005 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10006 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10008 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10010 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10011 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10012 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10013 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10014 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10015 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10016 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10017 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10018 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10021 @node Crosspost Handling
10022 @section Crosspost Handling
10026 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10027 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10028 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10029 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10030 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10031 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10034 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10035 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10036 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10037 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10038 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10040 @cindex cross-posting
10043 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10044 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
10045 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10046 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
10047 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10048 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10049 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10050 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10051 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10052 the cross reference mechanism.
10054 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10055 @cindex overview.fmt
10056 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10057 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10058 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10059 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10060 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10061 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10064 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10065 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10066 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10071 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10074 @node Duplicate Suppression
10075 @section Duplicate Suppression
10077 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10078 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10079 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10080 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10085 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10086 is evil and not very common.
10089 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10090 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10093 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10094 different @sc{nntp} servers.
10097 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10100 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10101 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10103 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10104 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10105 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10106 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10107 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10108 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10109 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10112 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10113 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10114 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10115 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10116 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10117 saw the article in.
10120 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10121 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10122 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10124 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10125 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10126 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10127 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10128 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10129 session are suppressed.
10131 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10132 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10133 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10134 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10136 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10137 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10138 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10139 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10142 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10143 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10144 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10145 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10146 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10147 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10148 to you to figure out, I think.
10153 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10154 The formats that are supported are PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} and @sc{s/mime},
10155 however you need some external programs to get things to work:
10159 To handle PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or gpg.el as
10160 well as a OpenPGP implementation (such as GnuPG).
10163 To handle @sc{s/mime} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10164 or newer is recommended.
10168 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10169 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10172 @item mm-verify-option
10173 @vindex mm-verify-option
10174 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10175 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10176 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10178 @item mm-decrypt-option
10179 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10180 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10181 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10182 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10187 @section Mailing List
10189 @kindex A M (summary)
10190 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10191 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10192 either add a `to-list' group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10193 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10194 summary buffer, or say:
10197 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-mailing-list-mode)
10200 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10205 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10206 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10207 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10210 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10211 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10212 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10215 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10216 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10217 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10221 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10222 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10223 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10226 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10227 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10228 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10231 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10232 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10233 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10237 @node Article Buffer
10238 @chapter Article Buffer
10239 @cindex article buffer
10241 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10242 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10243 tell Gnus otherwise.
10246 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10247 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
10248 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10249 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10250 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10254 @node Hiding Headers
10255 @section Hiding Headers
10256 @cindex hiding headers
10257 @cindex deleting headers
10259 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10260 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10262 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10263 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10264 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10265 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10266 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10267 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10268 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
10269 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10270 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10272 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10276 @item gnus-visible-headers
10277 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10278 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10279 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10280 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10282 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10283 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10286 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10289 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10292 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10293 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10294 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10295 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10296 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10297 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10299 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10300 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10303 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10306 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10309 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10310 variable will have no effect.
10314 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10315 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10316 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10317 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10318 the headers are to be displayed.
10320 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10321 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10324 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10327 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10328 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10330 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10331 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10332 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10333 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10334 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10335 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10336 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10339 These conditions are:
10342 Remove all empty headers.
10344 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10345 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10347 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10348 @code{From} header.
10350 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10353 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10354 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10356 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10359 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10361 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10364 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10367 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10368 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10371 This is also the default value for this variable.
10375 @section Using MIME
10378 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10379 while people stand around yawning.
10381 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10382 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10384 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10385 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10386 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10388 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
10389 @findex gnus-display-mime
10390 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
10391 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
10392 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
10393 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
10395 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
10399 @findex gnus-article-press-button
10400 @item RET (Article)
10401 @kindex RET (Article)
10402 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
10403 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
10404 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If builtin viewers can not display
10405 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
10406 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
10407 object is displayed inline.
10409 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
10410 @item M-RET (Article)
10411 @kindex M-RET (Article)
10413 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10414 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
10416 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
10418 @kindex t (Article)
10419 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
10420 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
10422 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
10424 @kindex C (Article)
10425 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10426 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
10428 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
10430 @kindex o (Article)
10431 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
10432 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
10434 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
10435 @item C-o (Article)
10436 @kindex C-o (Article)
10437 Prompt for a file name, then save the @sc{mime} object and strip it from
10438 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
10439 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
10440 like. The stripped @sc{mime} object will be referred via the
10441 message/external-body @sc{mime} type.
10442 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
10444 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
10446 @kindex c (Article)
10447 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
10448 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}).
10450 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
10452 @kindex p (Article)
10453 Print the @sc{mime} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
10454 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
10455 @file{.mailcap} file.
10457 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
10459 @kindex i (Article)
10460 Insert the contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
10461 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
10462 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
10463 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
10464 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
10467 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
10469 @kindex E (Article)
10470 View the @sc{mime} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
10471 viewer is available, use an external viewer
10472 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
10474 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
10476 @kindex e (Article)
10477 View the @sc{mime} object with an external viewer.
10478 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
10480 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
10482 @kindex | (Article)
10483 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
10485 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
10487 @kindex . (Article)
10488 Interactively run an action on the @sc{mime} object
10489 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
10493 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
10494 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
10497 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
10498 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
10499 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
10500 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
10501 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
10502 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
10503 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
10504 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
10505 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
10507 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10509 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10512 @node Customizing Articles
10513 @section Customizing Articles
10514 @cindex article customization
10516 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10517 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
10518 called automatically when you select the articles.
10520 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10521 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10522 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10523 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10525 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10526 for sensible values.
10530 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10533 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10536 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10539 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10542 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10546 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10547 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10548 regexps in the list.
10551 A list where the first element is not a string:
10553 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10554 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10555 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10559 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10564 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10565 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10566 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10567 considered to contain just a single part.
10569 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10570 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10571 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10572 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10573 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10574 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10575 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10577 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10578 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10579 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10580 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10583 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10584 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10586 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10588 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10589 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10590 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10591 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10592 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10593 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10594 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10595 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
10596 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10597 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
10599 @xref{Article Washing}.
10601 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10602 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10603 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10604 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10605 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10606 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10607 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10609 @xref{Article Date}.
10611 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10612 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10613 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10617 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10619 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10621 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10622 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10623 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10627 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10631 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10632 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10633 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10634 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10635 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10636 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10637 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10638 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10640 @xref{Article Hiding}.
10642 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10643 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10644 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10646 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
10648 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10649 @item gnus-treat-translate
10650 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10652 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
10653 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
10654 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
10655 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
10657 @xref{Article Header}.
10662 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10663 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10664 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
10665 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
10666 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
10670 @node Article Keymap
10671 @section Article Keymap
10673 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
10674 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
10675 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
10676 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
10679 A few additional keystrokes are available:
10684 @kindex SPACE (Article)
10685 @findex gnus-article-next-page
10686 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
10689 @kindex DEL (Article)
10690 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
10691 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
10694 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
10695 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
10696 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
10697 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
10698 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
10701 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
10702 @findex gnus-article-mail
10703 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
10704 given a prefix, include the mail.
10707 @kindex s (Article)
10708 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
10709 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
10710 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
10713 @kindex ? (Article)
10714 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
10715 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
10716 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
10719 @kindex TAB (Article)
10720 @findex gnus-article-next-button
10721 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
10722 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
10725 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
10726 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
10727 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
10730 @kindex R (Article)
10731 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
10732 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
10733 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
10734 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10738 @kindex F (Article)
10739 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
10740 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
10741 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
10742 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10750 @section Misc Article
10754 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
10755 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
10756 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
10757 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
10760 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
10761 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
10763 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
10764 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
10766 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
10767 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
10768 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
10769 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
10770 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
10771 the contents of the article buffer.
10773 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
10774 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
10775 Hook called in article mode buffers.
10777 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10778 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10779 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
10780 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
10782 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
10783 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
10784 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
10785 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
10786 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
10792 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
10793 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
10794 performed. The characters and their meaning:
10799 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
10802 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
10805 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
10806 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
10807 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
10810 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
10813 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
10816 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
10821 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
10825 @vindex gnus-break-pages
10827 @item gnus-break-pages
10828 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
10829 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
10830 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
10831 paging will not be done.
10833 @item gnus-page-delimiter
10834 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
10835 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
10840 @node Composing Messages
10841 @chapter Composing Messages
10842 @cindex composing messages
10845 @cindex sending mail
10850 @cindex using s/mime
10851 @cindex using smime
10853 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
10854 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
10855 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
10856 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
10857 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
10858 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
10861 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
10862 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
10863 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
10864 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
10865 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
10866 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
10867 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
10868 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
10871 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
10872 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
10878 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
10881 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
10882 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
10883 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
10884 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
10886 @item gnus-add-to-list
10887 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
10888 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
10889 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
10891 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10892 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10893 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus requests confirmation when replying to news.
10894 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
10895 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
10900 @node Posting Server
10901 @section Posting Server
10903 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
10904 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
10906 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
10908 It can be quite complicated.
10910 @vindex gnus-post-method
10911 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
10912 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
10913 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
10914 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
10915 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
10916 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
10917 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
10918 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
10919 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
10922 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
10925 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
10926 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
10927 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
10928 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
10930 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
10931 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
10933 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
10934 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
10937 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
10938 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
10940 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
10941 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
10942 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
10943 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
10944 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @sc{smtp}
10945 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
10946 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
10947 package correctly. An example:
10950 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
10951 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
10954 To the thing similar to this, there is @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}.
10955 It is useful if your ISP requires the POP-before-SMTP authentication.
10956 See the documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
10958 Other possible choises for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
10959 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
10960 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
10962 @node Mail and Post
10963 @section Mail and Post
10965 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
10969 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
10970 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
10971 @cindex mailing lists
10973 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
10974 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
10975 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
10976 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
10977 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
10978 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
10979 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
10980 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
10981 still a pain, though.
10985 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
10986 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
10987 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
10990 @findex ispell-message
10992 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
10995 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
10996 you're in, you could say something like the following:
10999 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11003 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11004 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11006 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11009 Modify to suit your needs.
11012 @node Archived Messages
11013 @section Archived Messages
11014 @cindex archived messages
11015 @cindex sent messages
11017 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11018 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11019 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11020 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11023 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11024 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11027 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11028 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
11029 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11032 (nnfolder "archive"
11033 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11034 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11035 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11036 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11039 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11040 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11041 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11042 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11045 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11046 '(nnfolder "archive"
11047 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11048 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11049 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11052 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11054 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11055 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11056 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11058 This variable can be used to do the following:
11063 Messages will be saved in that group.
11065 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11066 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11067 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11068 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11069 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11070 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11071 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11072 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11076 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11078 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11079 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11082 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11087 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11089 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11092 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11094 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11097 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11099 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11100 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11101 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11102 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11105 More complex stuff:
11107 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11108 '((if (message-news-p)
11113 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11114 messages in one file per month:
11117 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11118 '((if (message-news-p)
11120 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11123 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11124 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11126 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11127 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11128 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11129 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11130 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11131 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11132 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11133 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11134 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11135 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11137 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11138 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11139 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11140 this will disable archiving.
11143 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11144 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11145 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11146 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11147 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11150 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11151 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11152 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11155 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11156 but the latter is the preferred method.
11158 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11159 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11160 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11162 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11163 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11164 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11165 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11166 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11167 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11168 changed in the future.
11173 @node Posting Styles
11174 @section Posting Styles
11175 @cindex posting styles
11178 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11180 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11181 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11182 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11185 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11186 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11187 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11188 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11189 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11194 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11195 (organization "What me?"))
11197 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11198 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11199 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11202 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11203 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11204 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11205 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11206 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11207 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11208 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11209 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11211 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11212 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11213 If it is the form @code{(header MATCH REGEXP)}, then Gnus will look in
11214 the original article for a header whose name is MATCH and compare that
11215 REGEXP. MATCH and REGEXP are strings. If it's a function symbol, that
11216 function will be called with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol,
11217 then the variable will be referenced. If it's a list, then that list
11218 will be @code{eval}ed. In any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil}
11219 value, then the style is said to @dfn{match}.
11221 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11222 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11223 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
11224 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
11225 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
11226 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
11227 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
11228 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
11229 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
11230 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
11233 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11234 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11235 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11236 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11237 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11238 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11239 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11240 references chars lines xref extra.
11242 @vindex message-reply-headers
11244 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11245 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11246 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11248 @findex message-mail-p
11249 @findex message-news-p
11251 So here's a new example:
11254 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11256 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11258 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11259 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11261 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11262 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; A form
11263 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11264 (message-news-p ;; A function symbol
11265 (signature my-news-signature))
11266 (window-system ;; A value symbol
11267 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11268 ;; If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.
11269 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11270 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11271 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; A user defined function
11272 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11273 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11274 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11275 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11277 (From (save-excursion
11278 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11279 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11281 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11284 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11285 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11286 if you fill many roles.
11293 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11294 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11295 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11296 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11297 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11299 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11300 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11301 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11302 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11303 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11307 @vindex nndraft-directory
11308 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11309 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11310 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11311 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11312 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11313 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11315 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11316 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11319 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11320 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11321 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11322 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11323 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11324 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11325 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11326 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11327 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11328 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11329 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11330 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11331 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11332 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11334 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11335 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11336 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11338 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11339 @kindex D e (Draft)
11340 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11341 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11342 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11344 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11347 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11348 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11349 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11350 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11351 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11352 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11353 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11356 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11357 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11358 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11361 @node Rejected Articles
11362 @section Rejected Articles
11363 @cindex rejected articles
11365 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11366 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11367 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11368 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11370 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
11371 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11372 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11373 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
11374 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11376 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11377 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11378 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11380 @node Signing and encrypting
11381 @section Signing and encrypting
11383 @cindex using s/mime
11384 @cindex using smime
11386 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
11387 format or @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}. For decoding such messages,
11388 see the @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
11389 (@pxref{Security}).
11391 For PGP, Gnus supports two external libraries, @sc{gpg.el} and
11392 @sc{Mailcrypt}, you need to install at least one of them. The
11393 @sc{s/mime} support in Gnus requires the external program OpenSSL.
11395 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11396 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11397 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11398 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11399 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11400 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11401 automatically encrypted messages.
11403 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @sc{mime} part is
11404 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11405 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11410 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11411 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11413 Digitally sign current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11416 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11417 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11419 Digitally sign current message using PGP.
11422 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11423 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11425 Digitally sign current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11428 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11429 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11431 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11434 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11435 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11437 Digitally encrypt current message using PGP.
11440 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11441 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11443 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11446 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11447 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11448 Remove security related MML tags from message.
11452 Also @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}.
11454 @node Select Methods
11455 @chapter Select Methods
11456 @cindex foreign groups
11457 @cindex select methods
11459 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11460 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11461 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11462 personal mail group.
11464 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11465 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11466 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11467 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11468 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11469 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11471 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11472 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11474 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11477 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11478 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11479 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11480 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11481 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11483 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11486 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11487 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11488 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11489 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11490 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11491 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11492 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11493 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11497 @node Server Buffer
11498 @section Server Buffer
11500 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11501 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11502 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11503 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11504 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11505 back end represents a virtual server.
11507 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11508 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11509 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11510 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11512 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11513 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11514 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11515 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11516 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11517 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11518 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11520 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11521 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11524 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11525 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11526 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11527 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11528 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11529 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11530 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11533 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11534 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11537 @node Server Buffer Format
11538 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11539 @cindex server buffer format
11541 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11542 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11543 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11544 variable, with some simple extensions:
11549 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11552 The name of this server.
11555 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11558 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11561 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11562 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11563 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11564 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11574 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11577 @node Server Commands
11578 @subsection Server Commands
11579 @cindex server commands
11585 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11586 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11590 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11591 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11594 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11595 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11596 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11600 @findex gnus-server-exit
11601 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11605 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11606 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11610 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11611 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11615 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
11616 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
11620 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
11621 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
11625 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
11626 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
11627 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
11632 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
11633 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
11634 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
11635 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
11640 @node Example Methods
11641 @subsection Example Methods
11643 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
11646 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
11649 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
11655 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
11656 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
11659 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
11660 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
11662 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
11663 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
11667 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
11670 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
11671 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
11673 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
11674 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
11675 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
11679 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
11682 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
11685 Here's the method for a public spool:
11689 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
11690 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
11696 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
11697 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
11698 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
11699 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
11700 should probably look something like this:
11704 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
11705 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
11706 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
11707 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11710 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
11711 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
11712 configuration to the example above:
11715 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
11718 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
11720 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
11721 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
11722 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
11726 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11727 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
11728 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
11729 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11732 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
11733 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
11734 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
11735 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
11738 @node Creating a Virtual Server
11739 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
11741 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
11742 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
11744 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
11745 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
11746 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
11748 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
11750 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
11751 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
11752 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
11753 will contain the following:
11763 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
11764 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
11765 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
11768 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
11769 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
11770 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
11773 @node Server Variables
11774 @subsection Server Variables
11776 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
11777 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
11778 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
11779 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
11780 won't change the "derived" variables.
11782 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
11783 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
11784 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
11785 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
11786 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
11787 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
11788 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
11789 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
11790 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
11794 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
11795 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
11796 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
11800 @node Servers and Methods
11801 @subsection Servers and Methods
11803 Wherever you would normally use a select method
11804 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
11805 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
11806 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
11810 @node Unavailable Servers
11811 @subsection Unavailable Servers
11813 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
11814 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
11815 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
11816 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
11817 actually the case or not.
11819 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
11820 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
11821 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
11822 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
11823 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
11824 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
11825 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
11826 it will regard that server as ``down''.
11828 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
11829 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
11831 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
11832 with the following commands:
11838 @findex gnus-server-open-server
11839 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
11840 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
11844 @findex gnus-server-close-server
11845 Close the connection (if any) to the server
11846 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
11850 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
11851 Mark the current server as unreachable
11852 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
11855 @kindex M-o (Server)
11856 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
11857 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
11858 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
11861 @kindex M-c (Server)
11862 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
11863 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
11864 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
11868 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
11869 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
11870 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
11874 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
11875 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
11881 @section Getting News
11882 @cindex reading news
11883 @cindex news back ends
11885 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
11886 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
11887 or it can read from a local spool.
11890 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
11891 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
11899 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
11900 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
11901 server as the, uhm, address.
11903 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
11904 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
11905 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
11906 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11908 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
11909 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
11910 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
11912 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
11917 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
11918 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
11919 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
11921 @cindex authentification
11922 @cindex nntp authentification
11923 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11924 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
11925 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
11926 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
11927 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
11928 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
11929 present in this hook.
11931 @item nntp-authinfo-function
11932 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
11933 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11934 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
11935 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
11936 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
11937 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
11938 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
11939 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
11940 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
11941 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
11942 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
11946 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
11949 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
11951 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
11952 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
11953 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
11954 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
11955 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
11956 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
11957 @samp{force} is explained below.
11961 Here's an example file:
11964 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
11965 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
11968 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
11969 have to be first, for instance.
11971 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
11972 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
11973 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
11974 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
11975 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
11976 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
11977 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
11979 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
11980 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
11986 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
11987 previously mentioned.
11989 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
11991 @item nntp-server-action-alist
11992 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
11993 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
11994 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
11995 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
11998 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
11999 '(("innd" (ding))))
12002 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12004 The default value is
12007 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12008 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12009 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12012 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12013 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12015 @item nntp-maximum-request
12016 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12017 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
12018 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12019 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12020 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12021 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12022 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12024 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12025 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12026 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12027 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
12028 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12029 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12030 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12031 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12032 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12033 no timeouts are done.
12035 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12036 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12037 @c @cindex PPP connections
12038 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12039 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12040 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12041 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
12042 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12043 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12044 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12045 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12046 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12047 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12049 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12050 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12051 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12052 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12053 @c described above.
12055 @item nntp-server-hook
12056 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12057 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
12060 @item nntp-buggy-select
12061 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12062 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12064 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12065 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12066 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
12067 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
12070 @item nntp-xover-commands
12071 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12074 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
12075 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12079 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12080 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
12081 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12082 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12083 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
12084 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12085 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12086 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12087 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12088 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12089 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12091 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12092 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12093 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
12095 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12096 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12097 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12098 server closes connection.
12100 @item nntp-record-commands
12101 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12102 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12103 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12104 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
12105 that doesn't seem to work.
12107 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12108 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12109 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12110 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12111 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12112 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12113 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12114 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12116 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12117 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12118 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12119 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12120 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12121 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12122 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12125 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12128 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12129 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12133 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12134 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12135 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12139 @node Direct Functions
12140 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12141 @cindex direct connection functions
12143 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12144 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
12145 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12146 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12149 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12150 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12151 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12154 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12155 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12156 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12157 this you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
12158 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also
12159 need @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
12160 define a server as follows:
12163 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
12165 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
12166 ;; however, openssl s_client -port doesn't like named ports
12168 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12169 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12170 (nntp-port-number 563)
12171 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12174 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12175 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12176 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12177 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12178 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12179 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12180 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12181 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12185 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12186 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12187 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12190 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12191 session, which is not a good idea.
12195 @node Indirect Functions
12196 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12197 @cindex indirect connection functions
12199 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12200 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
12201 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12202 the "via" family of connection: they're all prefixed with "via" to make
12203 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12204 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12207 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12208 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12209 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12210 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12211 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12213 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12216 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12217 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12218 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12219 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12221 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12222 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12223 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12224 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12225 @samp{ssh} for `nntp-via-rlogin-command', you may set this to
12226 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12227 this to @samp{("-t")} or @samp{("-C" "-t")} if the telnet command
12228 requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate host.
12231 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12232 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12233 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12234 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12236 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12239 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12240 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12241 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12244 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12245 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12246 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12247 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12249 @item nntp-via-user-password
12250 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12251 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12253 @item nntp-via-envuser
12254 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12255 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12256 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12257 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12259 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12260 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12261 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12262 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12269 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12274 @item nntp-via-user-name
12275 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12276 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12278 @item nntp-via-address
12279 @vindex nntp-via-address
12280 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12285 @node Common Variables
12286 @subsubsection Common Variables
12288 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12289 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12294 @item nntp-pre-command
12295 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12296 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
12297 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
12298 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
12299 wrapper for instance.
12302 @vindex nntp-address
12303 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
12305 @item nntp-port-number
12306 @vindex nntp-port-number
12307 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
12308 If you use @sc{nntp} over @sc{ssl}, you may want to use integer ports rather
12309 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews}), because
12310 external SSL tools may not work with named ports.
12312 @item nntp-end-of-line
12313 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12314 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
12315 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12316 using a non native connection function.
12318 @item nntp-telnet-command
12319 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12320 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
12321 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
12322 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
12324 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12325 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12326 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12333 @subsection News Spool
12337 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12338 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12339 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12342 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12343 anything else) as the address.
12345 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12346 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12347 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12348 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12352 @item nnspool-inews-program
12353 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12354 Program used to post an article.
12356 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12357 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12358 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12360 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12361 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12362 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12363 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12365 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12366 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12367 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
12368 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12370 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12371 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12372 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12374 @item nnspool-active-file
12375 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12376 The path to the active file.
12378 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12379 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12380 The path to the group descriptions file.
12382 @item nnspool-history-file
12383 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12384 The path to the news history file.
12386 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12387 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12388 The path to the active date file.
12390 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12391 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12392 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
12395 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12396 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12398 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12399 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
12400 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
12406 @section Getting Mail
12407 @cindex reading mail
12410 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12414 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12415 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12416 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12417 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12418 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12419 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12420 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12421 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12422 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12423 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12424 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12425 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12426 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12430 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12431 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12433 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12434 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12435 of a culture shock.
12437 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12438 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12440 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12441 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12442 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12443 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12445 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12447 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12448 deleted? How awful!
12450 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12451 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12452 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12453 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12456 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12457 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12458 they want to treat a message.
12460 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12461 via @sc{smtp}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12462 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12463 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12464 archived somewhere else.
12466 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12467 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12468 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12469 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12470 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12472 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12473 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12474 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12476 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12477 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12480 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12481 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12482 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12483 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12484 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12486 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12487 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12488 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12489 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12490 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12491 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12495 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12496 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12498 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12499 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12500 and things will happen automatically.
12502 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
12503 mail" back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
12506 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12509 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12510 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12511 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12512 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12513 like any other group.
12515 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12518 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12519 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12520 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12524 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12525 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12526 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12529 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12530 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12531 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12534 @node Splitting Mail
12535 @subsection Splitting Mail
12536 @cindex splitting mail
12537 @cindex mail splitting
12539 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
12540 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
12541 to be split into groups.
12544 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12545 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12546 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12547 ("mail.other" "")))
12550 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
12551 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
12552 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
12553 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
12554 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
12555 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
12556 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
12559 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
12562 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12563 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
12564 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
12565 mail belongs in that group.
12567 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
12568 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
12569 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
12570 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
12571 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
12572 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
12574 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
12575 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
12576 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
12577 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
12578 thinks should carry this mail message.
12580 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
12581 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
12582 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
12583 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
12585 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
12586 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
12587 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
12588 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
12589 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
12591 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
12594 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
12595 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
12596 links. If that's the case for you, set
12597 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
12598 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
12600 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
12601 @kindex nnmail-split-history
12602 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
12603 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
12604 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
12605 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
12608 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
12609 Header lines longer than the value of
12610 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
12613 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
12614 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
12615 By default the splitting codes MIME decodes headers so you can match
12616 on non-ASCII strings. The @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
12617 variable specifies the default charset for decoding. The behaviour
12618 can be turned off completely by binding
12619 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to nil, which is useful if you
12620 want to match articles based on the raw header data.
12622 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12623 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If
12624 you specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable
12625 @code{mail-sources} @pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}, however, then
12626 splitting does @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
12627 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-nil value to make splitting
12628 happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on other kinds
12631 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
12632 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
12633 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
12634 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
12635 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
12636 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
12637 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
12638 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
12639 month's rent money.
12643 @subsection Mail Sources
12645 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
12646 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
12650 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
12651 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
12652 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
12656 @node Mail Source Specifiers
12657 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
12659 @cindex mail server
12662 @cindex mail source
12664 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
12665 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
12670 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
12673 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
12674 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
12675 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
12678 The following mail source types are available:
12682 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
12688 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
12689 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
12690 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
12693 An example file mail source:
12696 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
12699 Or using the default path:
12705 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
12706 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
12707 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
12710 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
12714 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
12717 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
12721 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
12724 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
12726 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
12729 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
12733 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
12734 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
12735 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. That is,
12736 there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that directory and
12737 groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in
12738 the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
12739 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
12740 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
12741 scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
12742 to scan mail groups at a specified level.
12744 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12745 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
12746 that to a non-nil value, then the normal splitting process is applied
12747 to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
12753 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
12757 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
12761 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
12762 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
12763 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
12764 predicate are considered.
12768 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12772 An example directory mail source:
12775 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
12780 Get mail from a POP server.
12786 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
12787 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12790 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
12791 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
12792 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
12793 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
12794 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
12797 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
12801 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
12805 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
12806 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
12809 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
12812 The valid format specifier characters are:
12816 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
12817 included in this string.
12820 The name of the server.
12823 The port number of the server.
12826 The user name to use.
12829 The password to use.
12832 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12833 corresponding keywords.
12836 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12837 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12840 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12841 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12844 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
12845 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
12848 @item :authentication
12849 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
12850 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
12855 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
12856 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
12858 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
12859 default user name, and default fetcher:
12865 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
12868 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
12869 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
12872 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
12875 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
12879 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
12880 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
12881 contains exactly one mail.
12887 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
12888 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
12891 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
12892 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
12894 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
12895 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
12896 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
12899 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
12900 from locking problems).
12904 Two example maildir mail sources:
12907 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
12908 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
12912 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
12917 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
12918 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
12919 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
12920 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
12923 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, SSL/TLS and STARTTLS support you
12924 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
12930 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
12931 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12934 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
12935 @samp{993} for SSL/TLS connections.
12938 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
12942 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
12946 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
12947 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
12948 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{ssl},
12949 @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
12951 @item :authentication
12952 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
12953 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
12954 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
12955 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
12958 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
12959 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
12960 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
12966 The valid format specifier characters are:
12970 The name of the server.
12973 User name from `imap-default-user'.
12976 The port number of the server.
12979 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12980 corresponding keywords.
12983 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
12984 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
12987 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
12988 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
12989 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
12990 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
12991 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
12992 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
12995 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
12996 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
12997 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
12998 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13001 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
13002 after finishing the fetch.
13006 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
13009 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13011 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13015 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
13016 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
13017 @uref{mail.yahoo..com}.
13019 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13020 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13022 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13028 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13029 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13032 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13036 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13040 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
13041 folder after finishing the fetch.
13045 An example webmail source:
13048 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13050 :password "secret")
13055 @item Common Keywords
13056 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13062 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
13063 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
13067 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13072 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13073 useful when you use local mail and news.
13078 @subsubsection Function Interface
13080 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13081 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13082 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13083 consider the following mail-source setting:
13086 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13087 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13090 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13091 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13092 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13093 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13094 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13096 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13099 @node Mail Source Customization
13100 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13102 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13103 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13107 @item mail-source-crash-box
13108 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13109 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
13110 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13112 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13113 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13114 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
13116 @item mail-source-directory
13117 @vindex mail-source-directory
13118 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13119 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13120 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13123 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13124 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13125 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13126 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13127 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13128 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13130 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13131 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13132 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13134 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13135 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13136 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
13137 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13142 @node Fetching Mail
13143 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13145 @vindex mail-sources
13146 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13147 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13148 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13149 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13151 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13152 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13155 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
13156 mail server, you'd say something like:
13161 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13162 :password "secret")))
13165 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13169 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13170 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13173 :password "secret")))
13177 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13178 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13179 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13180 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13181 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13182 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13186 @node Mail Back End Variables
13187 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13189 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13193 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13194 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13195 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13196 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13198 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13199 @item nnmail-split-hook
13200 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
13201 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
13202 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
13203 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13204 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13205 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13206 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13207 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13208 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13211 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13212 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13213 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13214 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13215 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13216 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13217 starting to handle the new mail) and
13218 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13219 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13220 default file modes the new mail files get:
13223 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13224 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13226 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13227 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13230 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13231 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13232 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13233 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13234 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13235 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13236 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13238 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13239 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13240 @findex delete-file
13241 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13243 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13244 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13245 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13246 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13247 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13249 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13250 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13251 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13252 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13253 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13255 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13256 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13257 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13262 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13263 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13264 @cindex mail splitting
13265 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13267 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13268 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13269 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13270 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13271 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13272 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13274 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13277 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
13278 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
13279 ;; from real errors.
13280 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13282 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
13283 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
13284 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
13285 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13286 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13287 ;; Other mailing lists...
13288 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13289 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13290 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
13291 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
13292 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
13293 ;; message was really cross-posted.
13294 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13295 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13297 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13298 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
13302 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13303 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13304 the five possible split syntaxes:
13309 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13310 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13314 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13315 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13316 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13317 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13318 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13319 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13320 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13321 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13324 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13325 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13326 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13327 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13330 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13331 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13334 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13335 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13338 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13339 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13340 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13341 function should return a @var{split}.
13344 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13345 body of the messages:
13348 (defun split-on-body ()
13350 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13351 (goto-char (point-min))
13352 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13356 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13357 when the @code{:} function is run.
13360 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13361 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
13362 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
13366 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13370 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13371 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13372 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13373 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13374 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13376 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13377 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
13378 are expanded as specified by the variable
13379 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
13380 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
13383 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13384 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13385 when all this splitting is performed.
13387 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13388 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13389 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13392 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13395 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13396 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13398 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13399 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13400 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13401 groupings 1 through 9.
13403 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13404 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13405 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13406 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13407 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13408 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13409 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13410 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13411 it once per thread.
13413 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
13414 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
13415 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
13418 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; or 'delete
13419 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
13421 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13422 ;; other splits go here
13426 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
13427 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
13428 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
13429 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
13430 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
13431 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
13432 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
13433 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
13434 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
13435 unless the group name matches the regexp
13436 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
13437 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
13438 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
13439 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
13440 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13441 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13442 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13443 messages goes into the new group.
13445 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
13446 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
13447 outgoing messages are written to an `outgoing' group, you could set
13448 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
13449 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
13453 @node Group Mail Splitting
13454 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13455 @cindex mail splitting
13456 @cindex group mail splitting
13458 @findex gnus-group-split
13459 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13460 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13461 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13462 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13463 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13464 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13465 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13466 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13468 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13469 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
13470 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
13471 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
13473 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
13474 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
13475 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13476 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13477 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13478 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13479 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13481 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13482 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13483 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13484 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13485 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13486 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13487 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13489 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13490 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13491 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13492 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13493 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13494 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13495 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13496 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13497 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13498 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13499 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13500 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13501 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13503 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13508 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13509 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13511 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13512 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13513 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13514 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13516 ((split-spec . catch-all))
13519 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
13520 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
13521 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
13524 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
13525 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
13526 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
13530 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
13531 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
13532 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13536 (: gnus-group-split-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
13539 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
13540 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
13541 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
13542 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
13543 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
13544 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
13545 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
13546 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
13547 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
13549 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
13550 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
13551 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
13552 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
13553 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
13554 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
13555 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
13556 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
13557 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
13559 @findex gnus-group-split-update
13560 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
13561 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
13562 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
13563 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
13564 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
13567 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
13570 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
13571 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
13572 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
13573 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
13574 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
13577 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
13578 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
13579 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
13580 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
13582 @node Incorporating Old Mail
13583 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
13584 @cindex incorporating old mail
13585 @cindex import old mail
13587 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
13588 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
13589 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
13592 Doing so can be quite easy.
13594 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
13595 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
13596 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
13597 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
13598 your @code{nnml} groups.
13604 Go to the group buffer.
13607 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
13608 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13611 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
13614 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
13615 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13618 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
13619 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13622 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
13623 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
13624 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
13625 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
13626 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
13628 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
13629 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
13630 using the new mail back end.
13633 @node Expiring Mail
13634 @subsection Expiring Mail
13635 @cindex article expiry
13637 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
13638 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
13639 different approach to mail reading.
13641 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
13642 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
13643 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
13644 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
13645 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
13646 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
13649 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
13650 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
13651 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
13652 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
13653 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
13654 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
13655 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
13656 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
13658 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13659 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
13660 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
13661 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
13662 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
13663 column in the summary buffer.
13665 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
13666 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
13667 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
13668 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
13671 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
13673 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
13674 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
13675 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
13678 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
13679 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
13680 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
13681 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
13682 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
13684 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
13685 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
13688 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13689 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
13692 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
13693 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
13695 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
13696 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
13697 don't really mix very well.
13699 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
13700 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
13701 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
13702 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
13705 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
13706 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
13707 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
13708 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
13711 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13713 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13715 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
13717 ((string= group "mail.junk")
13719 ((string= group "important")
13725 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
13726 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
13728 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
13729 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
13730 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
13733 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
13734 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
13736 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
13737 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
13738 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
13739 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
13740 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
13741 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
13742 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
13743 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
13744 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
13745 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
13746 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
13747 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
13748 name or @code{delete}.
13750 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
13752 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
13755 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13756 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13757 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
13758 expire mail to groups according to the variable
13759 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
13762 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13763 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13764 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
13765 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
13766 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
13769 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
13770 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
13771 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
13772 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
13773 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
13774 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
13776 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
13777 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
13778 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
13779 easier for procmail users.
13781 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
13782 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
13783 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
13784 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
13785 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
13786 caution. Even more dangerous is the
13787 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
13788 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
13789 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
13790 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
13791 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
13792 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
13793 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
13796 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
13798 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
13799 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
13800 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
13801 auto-expire turned on.
13805 @subsection Washing Mail
13806 @cindex mail washing
13807 @cindex list server brain damage
13808 @cindex incoming mail treatment
13810 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
13811 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
13812 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
13813 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
13814 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
13815 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
13817 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
13818 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
13819 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
13822 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
13823 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
13824 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
13825 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
13828 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13829 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13830 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
13831 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
13832 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
13835 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13836 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13837 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
13838 Emacs running on MS machines.
13842 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13843 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13844 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
13845 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
13848 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13849 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13850 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
13851 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
13853 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
13854 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
13855 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
13856 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
13857 into a feature by documenting it.)
13859 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13860 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13861 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
13862 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
13863 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
13864 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
13865 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
13868 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
13869 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
13872 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
13873 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
13876 This can also be done non-destructively with
13877 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
13879 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
13880 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
13881 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
13883 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13884 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13886 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
13887 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
13888 @code{References} headers.
13892 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13893 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13894 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
13898 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
13899 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
13900 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
13907 @subsection Duplicates
13909 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
13910 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
13911 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
13912 @cindex duplicate mails
13913 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
13914 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
13915 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
13916 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
13917 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
13918 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
13919 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
13920 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
13921 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
13922 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
13923 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
13924 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
13925 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
13927 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
13928 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
13929 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
13930 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
13932 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
13935 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
13936 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
13940 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
13941 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
13942 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
13943 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
13944 (any mail "mail.misc")
13951 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13952 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
13957 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
13958 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
13959 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
13960 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
13961 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
13964 @node Not Reading Mail
13965 @subsection Not Reading Mail
13967 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
13968 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
13969 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
13971 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
13972 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
13973 mail, which should help.
13975 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13976 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
13977 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
13978 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
13979 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
13980 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
13981 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
13982 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
13983 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
13984 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
13985 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
13987 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
13988 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
13992 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
13993 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
13995 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
13996 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
13997 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
13999 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14000 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14001 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14002 Spool}). You might notice that only five back ends are listed below;
14003 @code{nnmaildir}'s documentation has not yet been completely
14004 incorporated into this manual. Until it is, you can find it at
14005 @uref{http://multivac.cwru.edu./nnmaildir/}.
14008 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14009 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
14010 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14011 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14012 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14013 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14017 @node Unix Mail Box
14018 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14020 @cindex unix mail box
14022 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14023 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14024 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14025 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14026 which group it belongs in.
14028 Virtual server settings:
14031 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14032 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14033 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14036 @item nnmbox-active-file
14037 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14038 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14039 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14041 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14042 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14043 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14044 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14049 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14053 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14054 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14055 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
14056 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14057 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14059 Virtual server settings:
14062 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14063 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14064 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14066 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14067 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14068 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14069 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14071 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14072 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14073 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14079 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14081 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
14083 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14084 format. It should be used with some caution.
14086 @vindex nnml-directory
14087 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14088 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14089 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14090 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14092 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14095 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14096 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14097 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14098 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14099 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14100 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14101 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14102 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14104 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14105 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14106 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14107 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14109 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14111 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14112 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14113 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14114 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14115 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14116 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14117 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14118 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14121 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14122 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14123 them next time it starts.
14125 Virtual server settings:
14128 @item nnml-directory
14129 @vindex nnml-directory
14130 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
14131 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
14134 @item nnml-active-file
14135 @vindex nnml-active-file
14136 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14137 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
14139 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14140 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14141 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14142 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
14144 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14145 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14146 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14149 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14150 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14151 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14152 default is @code{nil}.
14154 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14155 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14156 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14158 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14159 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14160 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14162 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14163 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14164 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14165 default is @code{nil}.
14167 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14168 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14169 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14171 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14172 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14173 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14178 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14179 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
14180 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14181 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14182 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14183 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14184 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14189 @subsubsection MH Spool
14191 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14193 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14194 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14195 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14196 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14198 Virtual server settings:
14201 @item nnmh-directory
14202 @vindex nnmh-directory
14203 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14204 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14207 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14208 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14209 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14213 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14214 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14215 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14216 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14217 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14218 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14219 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14224 @subsubsection Mail Folders
14226 @cindex mbox folders
14227 @cindex mail folders
14229 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
14230 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
14231 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
14234 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
14236 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
14237 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14238 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14239 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
14240 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
14241 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
14242 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
14243 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
14244 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
14245 @code{nnfolder} directory).
14247 Virtual server settings:
14250 @item nnfolder-directory
14251 @vindex nnfolder-directory
14252 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
14253 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14256 @item nnfolder-active-file
14257 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
14258 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
14260 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14261 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14262 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14263 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
14265 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
14266 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14267 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
14270 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14271 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14272 @cindex backup files
14273 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
14274 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
14275 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
14276 your @file{.emacs} file:
14279 (defun turn-off-backup ()
14280 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
14282 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
14285 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14286 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14287 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
14288 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
14289 extract some information from it before removing it.
14291 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14292 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14293 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14294 default is @code{nil}.
14296 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14297 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14298 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
14300 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
14301 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
14302 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
14303 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14305 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14306 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14307 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14308 default is @code{nil}.
14310 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14311 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14312 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
14314 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
14315 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
14316 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
14317 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14322 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
14323 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
14324 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
14325 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
14326 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
14327 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
14330 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
14331 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
14333 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
14334 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
14335 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
14336 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
14337 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
14339 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
14340 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
14341 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
14342 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
14343 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
14344 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
14345 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
14346 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
14349 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
14350 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
14351 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
14352 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
14357 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
14358 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
14359 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
14360 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
14361 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
14362 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
14363 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
14364 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
14365 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
14366 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
14367 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
14368 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
14369 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
14374 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
14375 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
14376 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
14377 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
14378 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
14379 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
14380 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
14381 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
14382 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
14383 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
14384 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
14385 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
14386 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
14387 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
14389 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
14390 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
14395 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
14396 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
14397 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
14398 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
14399 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
14400 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
14401 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
14402 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
14403 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
14404 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
14405 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
14406 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
14407 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
14408 provided by the active file and overviews.
14410 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
14411 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
14412 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
14413 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
14414 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
14417 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
14418 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
14423 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
14424 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
14425 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
14426 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
14427 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
14428 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
14429 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
14433 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
14434 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
14435 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
14436 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
14437 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
14438 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
14439 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
14440 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
14441 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
14443 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
14444 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
14445 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
14446 friendly mail back end all over.
14450 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
14451 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
14452 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
14453 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
14454 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
14455 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
14456 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to ReiserFS
14457 (@uref{http://www.namesys.com/}) or another non-block-structured
14460 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
14461 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
14462 This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
14463 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
14464 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
14465 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
14466 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
14467 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
14468 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
14469 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will undergo
14470 treatment such as duplicate checking.
14472 An article will not necessarily keep the same number across Gnus
14473 sessions; articles are renumbered starting from 1 for each Gnus session
14474 (more precisely, each time you open the @code{nnmaildir} server). This
14475 way, you don't get gaps in your article number ranges, and when entering
14476 large groups, Gnus is likely to give a more accurate article count. The
14477 price is that @code{nnmaildir} doesn't work with the cache or agent.
14478 This will probably be changed in the future.
14480 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
14481 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
14482 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
14483 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
14484 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
14487 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses group
14488 parameters slightly different from those of other mail back ends.
14490 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
14491 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
14492 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
14493 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
14494 parameter to somthing small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
14495 would) to make it use less memory.
14497 Startup and shutdown are likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than
14498 with other back ends. Everything in between is likely to be faster,
14499 depending in part on your filesystem.
14501 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
14502 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
14507 @node Browsing the Web
14508 @section Browsing the Web
14510 @cindex browsing the web
14514 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
14515 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
14516 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
14517 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
14518 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
14519 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
14520 even know what a news group is.
14522 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
14523 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
14524 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
14525 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
14526 you mad in the end.
14528 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
14531 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
14532 interfaces to these sources.
14536 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
14537 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
14538 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
14539 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
14540 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
14541 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
14544 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
14546 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
14547 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
14548 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
14549 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
14550 though, you should be ok.
14552 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
14553 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
14554 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
14555 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
14556 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
14558 @node Archiving Mail
14559 @subsection Archiving Mail
14560 @cindex archiving mail
14561 @cindex backup of mail
14563 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
14564 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
14565 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
14566 marks is fairly simple.
14568 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
14569 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
14572 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
14573 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
14574 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
14575 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
14576 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
14577 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
14578 might interfer with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
14579 before you restore the data.
14581 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
14582 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
14583 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
14584 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
14585 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
14586 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
14587 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
14588 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
14589 is unnecessary in that case.
14592 @subsection Web Searches
14597 @cindex Usenet searches
14598 @cindex searching the Usenet
14600 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
14601 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
14602 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
14603 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
14604 searches without having to use a browser.
14606 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
14607 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
14608 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
14609 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
14610 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
14612 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
14613 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
14614 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
14615 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
14616 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
14617 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
14618 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
14619 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
14620 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
14621 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
14624 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
14625 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
14626 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
14627 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
14628 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
14629 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
14631 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
14632 to use @code{nnweb}.
14634 Virtual server variables:
14639 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
14640 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
14641 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
14644 @vindex nnweb-search
14645 The search string to feed to the search engine.
14647 @item nnweb-max-hits
14648 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
14649 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
14652 @item nnweb-type-definition
14653 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
14654 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
14655 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
14660 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
14664 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
14667 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
14670 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
14674 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
14681 @subsection Slashdot
14685 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
14686 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
14687 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
14689 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
14690 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
14693 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14694 '((nnslashdot "")))
14697 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
14698 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
14699 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
14700 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
14701 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
14704 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
14705 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14707 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
14708 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
14709 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
14710 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
14711 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
14712 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
14715 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
14718 @item nnslashdot-threaded
14719 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
14720 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
14721 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
14722 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
14723 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
14724 but much, much slower than untreaded.
14726 @item nnslashdot-login-name
14727 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
14728 The login name to use when posting.
14730 @item nnslashdot-password
14731 @vindex nnslashdot-password
14732 The password to use when posting.
14734 @item nnslashdot-directory
14735 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
14736 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
14737 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
14739 @item nnslashdot-active-url
14740 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
14741 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
14742 news articles and comments. The default is
14743 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
14745 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
14746 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
14747 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
14749 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
14751 @item nnslashdot-article-url
14752 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
14753 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
14755 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
14757 @item nnslashdot-threshold
14758 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
14759 The score threshold. The default is -1.
14761 @item nnslashdot-group-number
14762 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
14763 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
14764 updated. The default is 0.
14771 @subsection Ultimate
14773 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
14775 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
14776 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
14777 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
14778 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
14780 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
14781 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
14782 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
14783 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
14784 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
14785 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
14786 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
14788 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
14791 @item nnultimate-directory
14792 @vindex nnultimate-directory
14793 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
14794 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
14799 @subsection Web Archive
14801 @cindex Web Archive
14803 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
14804 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
14805 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
14806 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14809 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
14810 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
14811 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
14812 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
14813 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
14814 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
14815 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
14817 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
14820 @item nnwarchive-directory
14821 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
14822 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
14823 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
14825 @item nnwarchive-login
14826 @vindex nnwarchive-login
14827 The account name on the web server.
14829 @item nnwarchive-passwd
14830 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
14831 The password for your account on the web server.
14839 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
14840 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
14841 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14844 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
14845 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
14848 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
14851 @item nnrss-directory
14852 @vindex nnrss-directory
14853 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
14854 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
14858 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
14859 the summary buffer.
14862 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
14863 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
14865 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
14867 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
14868 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
14871 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
14874 (require 'browse-url)
14876 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
14878 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
14881 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
14882 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
14885 (browse-url (cdr url))
14886 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
14887 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
14889 (eval-after-load "gnus"
14890 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
14891 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
14892 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
14895 @node Customizing w3
14896 @subsection Customizing w3
14902 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
14903 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
14904 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
14906 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
14907 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
14908 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
14911 (eval-after-load "w3"
14913 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
14914 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
14915 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
14916 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
14918 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
14921 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
14922 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
14931 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
14932 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
14933 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
14934 specify the network address of the server.
14936 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
14937 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
14938 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
14939 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
14940 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
14942 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
14943 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
14944 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
14945 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
14947 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
14948 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
14949 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
14950 usage explained in this section.
14952 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
14953 might look something like the following. (Note that for SSL/TLS, you
14954 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
14957 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14958 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
14959 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
14961 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14962 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
14963 ; a UW server running on localhost
14965 (nnimap-server-port 143)
14966 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14967 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
14968 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
14969 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
14970 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
14971 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
14972 (nnimap-stream network))
14973 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
14975 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
14976 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
14977 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
14980 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
14985 @item nnimap-address
14986 @vindex nnimap-address
14988 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
14989 server name if not specified.
14991 @item nnimap-server-port
14992 @vindex nnimap-server-port
14993 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
14995 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
14998 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14999 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
15002 @item nnimap-list-pattern
15003 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
15004 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
15005 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
15006 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
15007 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
15008 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
15010 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
15011 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
15012 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
15015 Example server specification:
15018 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15019 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
15020 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
15023 @item nnimap-stream
15024 @vindex nnimap-stream
15025 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
15026 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
15027 of SSL/TLS. (@sc{imap} over SSL/TLS is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
15028 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
15030 Example server specification:
15033 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15034 (nnimap-stream ssl))
15037 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
15041 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
15042 @samp{imtest} program.
15044 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
15046 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
15047 SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
15050 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
15051 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
15052 library @samp{ssl.el}.
15054 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
15056 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
15059 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
15060 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
15061 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
15062 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
15063 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
15064 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
15065 restrictions on @sc{imap} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
15066 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
15067 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
15070 @vindex imap-ssl-program
15071 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
15072 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
15073 and nnimap support it too - altough the most recent versions of
15074 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
15075 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
15076 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
15077 to OpenSSL/SSLeay. You also need @samp{ssl.el} (from the W3
15078 distribution, for instance).
15080 @vindex imap-shell-program
15081 @vindex imap-shell-host
15082 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
15083 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
15085 @item nnimap-authenticator
15086 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
15088 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
15089 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
15091 Example server specification:
15094 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15095 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
15098 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
15102 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
15103 external program @code{imtest}.
15105 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
15108 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
15109 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
15111 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
15113 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
15115 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
15118 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
15120 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
15121 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
15122 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
15123 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
15124 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
15125 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
15128 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
15129 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
15130 running in circles yet?
15132 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
15133 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
15136 The possible options are:
15141 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
15144 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
15145 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
15146 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
15147 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
15149 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
15154 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
15155 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
15157 If non-nil (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as well),
15158 for other @sc{imap} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
15159 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
15160 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @sc{imap}
15161 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @sc{imap}
15164 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
15165 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
15168 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
15169 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15170 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
15171 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15174 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
15175 as ticked for other users.
15177 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
15179 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
15181 This variable contain the @sc{imap} search command sent to server when
15182 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
15183 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
15184 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
15186 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
15187 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
15188 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
15189 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
15191 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
15192 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
15194 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
15195 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
15196 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
15202 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
15203 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
15204 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
15205 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
15206 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
15211 @node Splitting in IMAP
15212 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
15213 @cindex splitting imap mail
15215 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
15216 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
15217 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
15218 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
15219 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
15223 Here are the variables of interest:
15227 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
15228 @cindex splitting, crosspost
15230 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
15232 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
15233 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
15235 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
15237 @item nnimap-split-inbox
15238 @cindex splitting, inbox
15240 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
15242 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
15243 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
15247 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
15248 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
15251 No nnmail equivalent.
15253 @item nnimap-split-rule
15254 @cindex Splitting, rules
15255 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
15257 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
15260 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
15261 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
15262 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
15263 Neither did I, we need examples.
15266 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15268 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
15269 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
15270 ("INBOX.private" "")))
15273 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
15274 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
15275 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
15277 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
15278 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
15282 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
15285 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
15286 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
15288 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
15289 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
15290 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
15291 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
15293 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
15294 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
15295 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
15296 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
15297 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
15298 them every time you fetch new mail.)
15300 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
15301 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
15302 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
15304 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
15305 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
15306 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15308 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
15310 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
15311 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
15312 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
15315 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15316 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
15317 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
15318 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
15319 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
15320 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
15323 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
15324 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
15325 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
15326 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
15327 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
15328 group/function elements.
15330 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
15332 @item nnimap-split-predicate
15334 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
15336 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
15337 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
15339 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
15340 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
15341 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
15344 @item nnimap-split-fancy
15345 @cindex splitting, fancy
15346 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
15347 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
15349 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15350 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
15351 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
15353 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
15354 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15355 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
15356 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15361 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
15362 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
15365 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
15369 @node Expiring in IMAP
15370 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
15371 @cindex expiring imap mail
15373 Even though @sc{nnimap} is not a proper @sc{nnmail} derived backend,
15374 it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
15375 Unlike splitting in IMAP (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}) it do not clone
15376 the @sc{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating @var{nnimap-expiry-wait})
15377 but reuse the @sc{nnmail} variables. What follows below are the
15378 variables used by the @sc{nnimap} expiry process and any related notes
15381 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @sc{imap} server is
15382 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
15383 @sc{imap} client specific mark @code{gnus-expire} and store on the
15384 message. This means that only likely only Gnus will understand and
15385 treat the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may
15386 allow to view client specific flags on a message. It also means that
15387 your server must support the permanent storage of client specific
15388 flags on messages. Most do, fortunately.
15392 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
15393 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15395 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
15396 number, the symbol @var{immediate} or @var{never}.
15398 @item nnmail-expiry-target
15400 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
15401 @sc{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
15402 that if the destination is a IMAP group on the same server, the
15403 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
15407 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
15408 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
15409 @cindex editing imap acls
15410 @cindex Access Control Lists
15411 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
15413 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
15415 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
15416 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
15417 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
15420 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
15421 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
15422 editing window with detailed instructions.
15424 Some possible uses:
15428 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
15429 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
15430 follow the list without subscribing to it.
15432 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
15433 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
15434 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
15438 @node Expunging mailboxes
15439 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
15443 @cindex Manual expunging
15445 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
15447 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
15448 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
15449 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
15451 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
15454 @node A note on namespaces
15455 @subsection A note on namespaces
15456 @cindex IMAP namespace
15459 The IMAP protocol has a concept called namespaces, described by the
15460 following text in the RFC:
15463 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
15465 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
15466 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
15467 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
15468 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
15470 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
15471 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
15472 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
15473 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
15474 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
15475 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
15478 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the IMAP
15479 implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace prefixes in a way
15480 that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
15482 Specifically, University of Washington's IMAP server uses mailbox
15483 names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only in the
15484 @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is created
15485 (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed without
15486 the namespace prefix, i.e @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do not make it
15487 possible for the user to guarantee that user entered mailbox names
15488 will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands, you should
15489 simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in Gnus.
15491 See the UoW @sc{imapd} documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
15492 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
15493 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
15495 @node Other Sources
15496 @section Other Sources
15498 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
15499 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
15503 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
15504 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
15505 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
15506 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
15507 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
15511 @node Directory Groups
15512 @subsection Directory Groups
15514 @cindex directory groups
15516 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
15517 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
15520 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
15521 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
15522 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
15523 back end to read directories. Big deal.
15525 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
15526 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
15527 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
15528 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
15529 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
15531 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
15533 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
15534 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
15535 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
15536 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
15539 @node Anything Groups
15540 @subsection Anything Groups
15543 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
15544 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
15545 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
15548 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
15549 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
15550 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
15551 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
15552 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
15553 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
15554 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
15555 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
15556 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
15557 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
15560 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
15561 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
15562 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
15563 in the article buffer, just as usual.
15565 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
15566 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
15567 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
15568 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
15570 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
15571 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
15572 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
15573 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
15574 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
15575 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
15576 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
15577 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
15582 @item nneething-map-file-directory
15583 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
15584 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
15585 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
15587 @item nneething-exclude-files
15588 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
15589 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
15590 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
15592 @item nneething-include-files
15593 @vindex nneething-include-files
15594 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
15595 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
15597 @item nneething-map-file
15598 @vindex nneething-map-file
15599 Name of the map files.
15603 @node Document Groups
15604 @subsection Document Groups
15606 @cindex documentation group
15609 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
15610 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
15617 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
15622 The standard Unix mbox file.
15624 @cindex MMDF mail box
15626 The MMDF mail box format.
15629 Several news articles appended into a file.
15632 @cindex rnews batch files
15633 The rnews batch transport format.
15634 @cindex forwarded messages
15637 Forwarded articles.
15640 Netscape mail boxes.
15643 @sc{mime} multipart messages.
15645 @item standard-digest
15646 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
15649 A @sc{mime} digest of messages.
15651 @item lanl-gov-announce
15652 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
15654 @item rfc822-forward
15655 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
15658 The Outlook mail box.
15661 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
15664 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
15667 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
15670 An RFC934-forwarded message.
15676 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
15679 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
15685 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
15686 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
15687 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
15690 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
15691 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
15692 group. And that's it.
15694 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
15695 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
15696 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
15697 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
15698 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
15699 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
15700 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
15701 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
15702 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
15703 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
15705 Virtual server variables:
15708 @item nndoc-article-type
15709 @vindex nndoc-article-type
15710 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
15711 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
15712 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
15713 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
15714 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
15716 @item nndoc-post-type
15717 @vindex nndoc-post-type
15718 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
15719 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
15724 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
15728 @node Document Server Internals
15729 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
15731 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
15732 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
15733 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
15734 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
15736 First, here's an example document type definition:
15740 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
15741 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
15744 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
15745 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
15746 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
15747 types can be defined with very few settings:
15750 @item first-article
15751 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
15752 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
15755 @item article-begin
15756 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
15757 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
15759 @item head-begin-function
15760 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
15763 @item nndoc-head-begin
15764 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
15767 @item nndoc-head-end
15768 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
15769 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
15771 @item body-begin-function
15772 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
15776 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
15779 @item body-end-function
15780 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
15784 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
15787 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
15788 regexp will be totally ignored.
15792 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
15793 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
15794 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
15795 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
15796 something that's palatable for Gnus:
15799 @item prepare-body-function
15800 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
15801 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
15802 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
15804 @item article-transform-function
15805 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
15806 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
15807 body of the article.
15809 @item generate-head-function
15810 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
15811 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
15812 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
15813 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
15817 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
15822 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15823 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15824 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
15825 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
15826 (head-end . "^ ?$")
15827 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
15828 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
15829 (subtype digest guess))
15832 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
15833 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
15834 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
15835 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
15836 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
15838 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
15839 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
15840 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
15841 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
15842 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
15843 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
15844 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
15845 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
15846 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
15847 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
15855 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
15856 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
15857 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
15859 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
15860 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
15861 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
15864 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
15865 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
15866 that interested in doing things properly.
15868 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
15869 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
15872 First some terminology:
15877 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
15878 get news and/or mail from.
15881 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
15882 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
15885 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
15889 @item message packets
15890 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
15891 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
15892 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15894 @item response packets
15895 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
15896 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
15897 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15907 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
15908 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
15909 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
15910 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
15913 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
15916 You put the packet in your home directory.
15919 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
15920 the native or secondary server.
15923 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
15924 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
15927 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
15931 You transfer this packet to the server.
15934 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
15937 You then repeat until you die.
15941 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
15942 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
15945 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
15946 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
15947 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
15951 @node SOUP Commands
15952 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
15954 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
15958 @kindex G s b (Group)
15959 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
15960 Pack all unread articles in the current group
15961 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
15962 process/prefix convention.
15965 @kindex G s w (Group)
15966 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
15967 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
15970 @kindex G s s (Group)
15971 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
15972 Send all replies from the replies packet
15973 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
15976 @kindex G s p (Group)
15977 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
15978 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
15981 @kindex G s r (Group)
15982 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
15983 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
15986 @kindex O s (Summary)
15987 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
15988 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
15989 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
15990 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15995 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
16000 @item gnus-soup-directory
16001 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
16002 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
16003 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
16005 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
16006 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
16007 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
16008 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
16010 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
16011 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
16012 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
16013 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
16015 @item gnus-soup-packer
16016 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
16017 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16018 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
16020 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
16021 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
16022 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16023 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16025 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
16026 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
16027 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
16029 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16030 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16031 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
16032 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
16038 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
16041 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
16042 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
16043 you can read them at leisure.
16045 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
16049 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
16050 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
16051 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
16052 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
16054 @item nnsoup-directory
16055 @vindex nnsoup-directory
16056 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
16057 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
16059 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
16060 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
16061 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
16062 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
16064 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
16065 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
16066 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
16067 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
16068 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
16070 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
16071 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
16072 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
16073 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
16075 @item nnsoup-active-file
16076 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
16077 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
16078 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
16079 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
16080 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
16082 @item nnsoup-packer
16083 @vindex nnsoup-packer
16084 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
16085 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
16087 @item nnsoup-unpacker
16088 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
16089 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
16090 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16092 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
16093 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
16094 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
16097 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
16098 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
16099 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
16102 @item nnsoup-always-save
16103 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
16104 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
16110 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
16112 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
16113 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
16114 more for that to happen.
16116 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
16117 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
16118 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
16121 In specific, this is what it does:
16124 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
16125 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
16128 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
16129 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
16130 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
16133 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
16134 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
16135 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
16138 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
16139 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
16140 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
16142 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
16148 @item nngateway-address
16149 @vindex nngateway-address
16150 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
16152 @item nngateway-header-transformation
16153 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
16154 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
16155 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
16156 transformation should be called, and defaults to
16157 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
16158 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
16161 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
16162 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
16163 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
16166 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
16169 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
16172 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
16175 The following pre-defined functions exist:
16177 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16180 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16181 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16182 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
16184 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16186 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16187 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16188 @code{nngateway-address}.
16193 (setq gnus-post-method
16195 "mail2news@@replay.com"
16196 (nngateway-header-transformation
16197 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
16205 So, to use this, simply say something like:
16208 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
16213 @node Combined Groups
16214 @section Combined Groups
16216 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
16220 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
16221 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
16225 @node Virtual Groups
16226 @subsection Virtual Groups
16228 @cindex virtual groups
16229 @cindex merging groups
16231 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
16234 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
16235 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
16236 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
16238 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
16239 regexp to match component groups.
16241 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
16242 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
16243 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
16244 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
16245 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
16246 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
16247 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
16248 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
16250 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
16251 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
16254 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
16257 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
16258 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
16260 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
16261 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
16262 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
16263 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
16266 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
16269 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
16270 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
16271 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
16273 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
16274 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
16275 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
16276 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
16277 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
16279 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
16280 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
16281 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
16283 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
16284 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
16285 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
16286 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
16287 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
16288 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
16289 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
16290 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
16291 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
16292 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
16293 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
16295 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
16296 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
16297 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
16298 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
16299 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
16300 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
16301 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
16303 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
16304 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
16306 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
16307 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
16311 @node Kibozed Groups
16312 @subsection Kibozed Groups
16316 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
16317 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
16318 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
16319 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
16321 @kindex G k (Group)
16322 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
16325 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
16326 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
16327 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
16328 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
16330 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
16331 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
16332 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
16334 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
16335 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
16336 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
16337 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
16338 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
16339 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
16340 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
16341 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
16343 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
16344 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
16345 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
16346 Stranger things have happened.
16348 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
16349 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
16351 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
16352 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
16353 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
16354 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
16355 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
16356 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
16358 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
16359 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
16362 @node Gnus Unplugged
16363 @section Gnus Unplugged
16368 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
16370 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
16371 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
16372 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
16373 read news. Believe it or not.
16375 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
16376 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
16377 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
16378 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
16379 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
16381 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
16382 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
16383 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
16384 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
16385 reading news on a machine.
16387 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
16388 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
16390 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
16393 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
16394 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
16395 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
16396 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
16397 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
16398 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
16399 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
16400 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
16401 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
16402 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
16403 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
16408 @subsection Agent Basics
16410 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
16412 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
16413 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
16414 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
16415 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
16417 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
16418 connected to the net continuously.
16420 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
16421 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
16423 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
16428 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
16429 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
16430 already fetched while in this mode.
16433 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
16434 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
16435 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
16436 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
16437 Source Specifiers}).
16440 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
16441 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
16442 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
16443 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
16444 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
16447 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
16448 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
16449 then you read the news offline.
16452 And then you go to step 2.
16455 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
16461 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
16462 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
16463 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
16464 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
16465 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
16466 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
16467 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} groups in @code{gnus-select-method} and
16468 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
16471 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
16478 @node Agent Categories
16479 @subsection Agent Categories
16481 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
16482 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
16483 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
16484 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
16485 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
16486 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
16487 you're interested in the articles anyway.
16489 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
16490 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
16491 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
16492 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
16493 managing categories.
16496 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
16497 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
16498 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
16502 @node Category Syntax
16503 @subsubsection Category Syntax
16505 A category consists of two things.
16509 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
16510 are eligible for downloading; and
16513 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
16514 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
16515 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
16518 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
16519 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
16520 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
16521 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
16523 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
16524 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
16525 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
16527 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
16528 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
16529 operators sprinkled in between.
16531 Perhaps some examples are in order.
16533 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
16534 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
16540 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
16541 short (for some value of ``short'').
16543 Here's a more complex predicate:
16552 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
16553 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
16556 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
16557 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
16558 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
16560 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
16561 you want to do, you can write your own.
16565 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
16566 lines; default 100.
16569 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
16570 lines; default 200.
16573 True iff the article has a download score less than
16574 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
16577 True iff the article has a download score greater than
16578 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
16581 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
16582 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
16583 checksum and sees whether articles match.
16592 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
16593 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
16594 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
16597 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
16598 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
16599 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
16600 something along the lines of the following:
16603 (defun my-article-old-p ()
16604 "Say whether an article is old."
16605 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
16606 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
16609 with the predicate then defined as:
16612 (not my-article-old-p)
16615 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
16616 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
16620 (require 'gnus-agent)
16621 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
16622 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
16623 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
16626 and simply specify your predicate as:
16632 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
16633 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
16634 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
16635 just don't give a damn.
16637 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
16638 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
16639 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
16640 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
16641 parameters like so:
16644 (agent-predicate . short)
16647 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
16648 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
16649 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
16651 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
16654 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
16657 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
16658 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
16659 predicate is assumed to be a list.
16662 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
16663 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
16664 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
16665 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
16666 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
16667 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
16669 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
16670 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
16671 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
16672 if it's to be specific to that group.
16674 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
16681 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
16682 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
16688 Category specification
16692 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16698 Group Parameter specification
16701 (agent-score ("from"
16702 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16707 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
16713 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
16720 Category specification
16723 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
16729 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
16733 Group Parameter specification
16736 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
16739 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
16744 Use @code{normal} score files
16746 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
16747 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
16748 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
16749 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
16751 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
16752 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
16753 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
16754 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
16758 Category Specification
16765 Group Parameter specification
16768 (agent-score . file)
16773 @node Category Buffer
16774 @subsubsection Category Buffer
16776 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
16777 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
16778 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
16780 The following commands are available in this buffer:
16784 @kindex q (Category)
16785 @findex gnus-category-exit
16786 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
16789 @kindex k (Category)
16790 @findex gnus-category-kill
16791 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
16794 @kindex c (Category)
16795 @findex gnus-category-copy
16796 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
16799 @kindex a (Category)
16800 @findex gnus-category-add
16801 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
16804 @kindex p (Category)
16805 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
16806 Edit the predicate of the current category
16807 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
16810 @kindex g (Category)
16811 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
16812 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
16813 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
16816 @kindex s (Category)
16817 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
16818 Edit the download score rule of the current category
16819 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
16822 @kindex l (Category)
16823 @findex gnus-category-list
16824 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
16828 @node Category Variables
16829 @subsubsection Category Variables
16832 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
16833 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
16834 Hook run in category buffers.
16836 @item gnus-category-line-format
16837 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
16838 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
16839 Variables}). Valid elements are:
16843 The name of the category.
16846 The number of groups in the category.
16849 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
16850 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
16851 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
16853 @item gnus-agent-short-article
16854 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
16855 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
16857 @item gnus-agent-long-article
16858 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
16859 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
16861 @item gnus-agent-low-score
16862 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
16863 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
16866 @item gnus-agent-high-score
16867 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
16868 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
16874 @node Agent Commands
16875 @subsection Agent Commands
16877 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
16878 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
16879 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
16883 * Group Agent Commands::
16884 * Summary Agent Commands::
16885 * Server Agent Commands::
16888 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
16889 following incantation:
16891 @cindex gnus-agent-batch
16893 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch
16898 @node Group Agent Commands
16899 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
16903 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
16904 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
16905 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
16906 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
16909 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
16910 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
16911 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
16914 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
16915 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
16916 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
16917 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
16920 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
16921 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
16922 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
16923 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
16926 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
16927 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
16928 Add the current group to an Agent category
16929 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
16930 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16933 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
16934 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
16935 Remove the current group from its category, if any
16936 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
16937 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16940 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
16941 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16942 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
16948 @node Summary Agent Commands
16949 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
16953 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
16954 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
16955 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
16958 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
16959 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
16960 Remove the downloading mark from the article
16961 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
16964 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
16965 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
16966 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
16969 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
16970 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
16971 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
16974 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
16975 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
16976 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
16977 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
16982 @node Server Agent Commands
16983 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
16987 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
16988 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
16989 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
16990 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
16993 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
16994 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
16995 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
16996 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
17001 @node Agent as Cache
17002 @subsection Agent as Cache
17004 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
17005 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
17006 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
17007 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
17008 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
17009 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
17010 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
17011 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
17012 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
17014 This behaviour can be controlled by @code{gnus-agent-cache}
17015 (@pxref{Agent Variables}).
17018 @subsection Agent Expiry
17020 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17021 @findex gnus-agent-expire
17022 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
17023 @cindex Agent expiry
17024 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
17027 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
17028 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
17029 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
17030 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
17031 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
17032 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
17034 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} can also be a list of regexp/day pairs.
17035 The regexps will be matched against group names to allow differing
17036 expiry in different groups.
17039 (setq gnus-agent-expire-days
17045 If you use the list form, the last element must always be the default
17046 method---it must always match all groups.
17048 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
17049 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
17050 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
17051 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
17052 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
17054 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
17055 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
17056 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's a special
17057 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} command to fix possible problems.
17059 @node Agent and IMAP
17060 @subsection Agent and IMAP
17062 The Agent work with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
17063 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
17064 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
17065 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
17067 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
17068 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
17069 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
17070 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
17072 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
17073 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
17074 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
17075 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
17077 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17078 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
17079 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
17080 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
17081 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
17082 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
17084 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
17085 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
17086 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
17087 in the group buffer.
17089 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
17090 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
17095 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
17098 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
17102 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
17103 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
17104 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
17105 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
17106 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
17107 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
17108 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
17109 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
17112 @node Outgoing Messages
17113 @subsection Outgoing Messages
17115 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
17116 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
17117 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
17119 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
17120 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
17121 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
17122 messages in the draft group.
17126 @node Agent Variables
17127 @subsection Agent Variables
17130 @item gnus-agent-directory
17131 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
17132 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
17133 @file{~/News/agent/}.
17135 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
17136 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
17137 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
17138 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
17139 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
17142 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17143 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17144 Hook run when connecting to the network.
17146 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17147 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17148 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
17150 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17151 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17152 Hook run when after finishing fetching articles.
17154 @item gnus-agent-cache
17155 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
17156 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @sc{nov} and
17157 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
17158 The default is non-nil, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
17160 @item gnus-agent-go-online
17161 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
17162 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
17163 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
17164 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
17165 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
17166 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
17169 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
17170 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
17171 Perhaps not a Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
17172 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
17173 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
17174 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
17175 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
17176 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
17177 is only valid if the Agent is used.
17182 @node Example Setup
17183 @subsection Example Setup
17185 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
17186 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
17187 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
17190 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
17191 ;;; from your ISP's server.
17192 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
17194 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
17195 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
17196 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
17198 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
17199 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
17201 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
17202 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; The obsolete setting.
17203 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; Now the default.
17206 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
17207 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
17210 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
17211 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
17212 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
17213 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
17214 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
17217 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
17218 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
17219 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
17220 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
17221 back all the killed groups.)
17223 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
17224 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
17225 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
17228 @node Batching Agents
17229 @subsection Batching Agents
17231 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
17232 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
17233 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
17237 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
17241 @node Agent Caveats
17242 @subsection Agent Caveats
17244 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
17245 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
17249 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
17253 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
17255 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is `nil'.
17259 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
17260 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP and also uses the
17261 locally stored articles.
17268 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
17269 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
17270 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
17273 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
17274 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
17275 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
17276 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
17277 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
17279 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
17280 before generating the summary buffer.
17282 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
17283 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
17284 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
17286 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
17287 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
17288 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
17289 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
17292 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
17293 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
17294 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
17295 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
17296 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
17297 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
17298 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
17299 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
17300 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
17301 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
17302 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
17303 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
17304 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
17305 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
17306 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
17307 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
17308 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
17312 @node Summary Score Commands
17313 @section Summary Score Commands
17314 @cindex score commands
17316 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
17317 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
17318 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
17319 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
17320 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
17322 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
17323 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
17324 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
17325 score file the current one.
17327 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
17332 @kindex V s (Summary)
17333 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
17334 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
17337 @kindex V S (Summary)
17338 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
17339 Display the score of the current article
17340 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
17343 @kindex V t (Summary)
17344 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
17345 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
17346 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
17349 @kindex V w (Summary)
17350 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
17351 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
17354 @kindex V R (Summary)
17355 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
17356 Run the current summary through the scoring process
17357 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
17358 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
17359 effect you're having.
17362 @kindex V c (Summary)
17363 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
17364 Make a different score file the current
17365 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
17368 @kindex V e (Summary)
17369 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
17370 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
17371 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
17375 @kindex V f (Summary)
17376 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
17377 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
17378 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
17381 @kindex V F (Summary)
17382 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17383 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
17384 after editing score files.
17387 @kindex V C (Summary)
17388 @findex gnus-score-customize
17389 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
17390 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
17394 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
17399 @kindex V m (Summary)
17400 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
17401 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
17402 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
17405 @kindex V x (Summary)
17406 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
17407 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
17408 expunge all articles below this score
17409 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
17412 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
17413 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
17416 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
17417 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
17421 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
17422 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
17424 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
17425 keys are available:
17429 Score on the author name.
17432 Score on the subject line.
17435 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
17438 Score on the @code{References} line.
17444 Score on the number of lines.
17447 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
17450 Score on an "extra" header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
17451 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
17454 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
17455 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
17456 @file{ADAPT} files.)
17465 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
17471 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
17472 what headers you are scoring on.
17484 Substring matching.
17487 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
17516 Greater than number.
17521 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
17522 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
17523 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
17528 Temporary score entry.
17531 Permanent score entry.
17534 Immediately scoring.
17538 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
17539 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
17540 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
17544 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
17545 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
17546 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
17547 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
17549 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
17550 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
17551 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
17552 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
17553 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
17555 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
17556 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
17557 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
17558 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
17559 current score file.
17561 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
17562 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
17563 pretend they are keymaps or not.
17566 @node Group Score Commands
17567 @section Group Score Commands
17568 @cindex group score commands
17570 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
17575 @kindex W f (Group)
17576 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17577 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
17578 all the time. This command will flush the cache
17579 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
17583 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
17585 @findex gnus-batch-score
17586 @cindex batch scoring
17588 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
17592 @node Score Variables
17593 @section Score Variables
17594 @cindex score variables
17598 @item gnus-use-scoring
17599 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
17600 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
17601 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
17603 @item gnus-kill-killed
17604 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
17605 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
17606 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
17607 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
17608 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
17609 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
17610 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
17612 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
17613 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
17614 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
17615 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
17616 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
17618 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
17619 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
17620 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
17621 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
17623 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17624 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17625 @cindex score cache
17626 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
17627 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
17628 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
17629 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
17630 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
17631 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
17634 @item gnus-save-score
17635 @vindex gnus-save-score
17636 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
17637 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
17638 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
17640 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
17641 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
17642 across group visits.
17644 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17645 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17646 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
17647 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
17648 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
17649 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
17650 manually entered data.
17652 @item gnus-summary-default-score
17653 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
17654 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
17656 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
17657 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
17658 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
17659 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
17660 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
17661 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
17663 @item gnus-score-over-mark
17664 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
17665 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
17666 default. Default is @samp{+}.
17668 @item gnus-score-below-mark
17669 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
17670 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
17671 default. Default is @samp{-}.
17673 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17674 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17675 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
17676 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
17678 Predefined functions available are:
17681 @item gnus-score-find-single
17682 @findex gnus-score-find-single
17683 Only apply the group's own score file.
17685 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
17686 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
17687 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
17688 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
17689 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
17690 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
17691 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
17692 then a regexp match is done.
17694 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
17695 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
17697 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
17698 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
17699 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
17700 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
17702 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17703 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17704 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
17705 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
17706 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
17710 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
17711 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
17712 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
17713 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
17714 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
17715 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
17716 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
17719 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
17720 overall score file, you could use the value
17722 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
17723 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
17726 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
17727 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
17728 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
17729 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
17730 are expired. It's 7 by default.
17732 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17733 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17734 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
17735 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
17736 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
17737 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
17738 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
17739 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
17741 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17742 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17743 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
17745 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
17746 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
17747 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
17748 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
17749 threading---according to the current value of
17750 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
17751 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
17752 simplified in this manner.
17757 @node Score File Format
17758 @section Score File Format
17759 @cindex score file format
17761 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
17762 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
17763 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
17765 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
17769 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
17771 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
17773 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
17775 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
17780 (mark-and-expunge -10)
17784 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
17785 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
17786 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
17787 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
17791 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
17792 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
17794 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
17795 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
17796 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
17798 Six keys are supported by this alist:
17803 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
17804 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
17805 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
17806 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
17807 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
17808 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
17809 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
17810 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
17811 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
17812 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
17813 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
17814 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
17815 to articles that matches these score entries.
17817 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
17818 score entry has one to four elements.
17822 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
17823 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
17827 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
17828 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
17829 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
17830 is successful. If this element is not present, the
17831 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
17832 instead. This is 1000 by default.
17835 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
17836 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
17837 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
17838 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
17839 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
17842 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
17843 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
17844 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
17845 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
17848 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
17849 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
17850 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
17851 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
17852 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
17853 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
17854 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
17855 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
17856 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
17857 instead, if you feel like.
17860 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
17861 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
17862 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
17863 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
17864 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
17865 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
17868 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
17872 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
17873 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
17875 These predicates are true if
17878 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
17881 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
17882 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
17889 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
17890 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
17891 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
17892 it's not. I think.)
17894 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
17895 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
17896 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
17897 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
17900 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
17901 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
17902 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
17903 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
17904 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
17905 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
17906 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
17910 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
17911 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
17912 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
17913 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
17914 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
17915 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
17916 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
17917 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
17920 @item Head, Body, All
17921 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
17925 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
17926 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
17927 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
17928 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
17929 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
17930 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
17931 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
17935 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
17936 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
17937 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
17938 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
17939 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
17940 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
17941 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
17942 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
17943 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
17944 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
17945 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
17949 @cindex Score File Atoms
17951 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17952 lower than this number will be marked as read.
17955 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17956 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
17958 @item mark-and-expunge
17959 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17960 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
17963 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
17964 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
17965 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
17966 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
17967 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
17970 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
17971 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
17974 @item exclude-files
17975 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
17976 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
17980 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
17981 ignored when handling global score files.
17984 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
17985 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
17986 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
17987 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
17990 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
17991 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
17992 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
17993 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
17995 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
17999 (mark-and-expunge -100)
18002 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
18003 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
18004 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
18005 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
18006 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
18008 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
18009 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
18010 scoring rules exist.
18013 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
18014 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
18015 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
18016 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
18017 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
18018 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
18019 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18020 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
18021 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
18022 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
18023 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
18027 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
18028 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
18029 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
18030 file for a number of groups.
18033 @cindex local variables
18034 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
18035 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
18036 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
18037 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
18038 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
18042 @node Score File Editing
18043 @section Score File Editing
18045 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
18046 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
18047 with a mode for that.
18049 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
18050 additional commands:
18055 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
18056 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
18057 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
18058 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
18061 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
18062 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
18063 Insert the current date in numerical format
18064 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
18065 you were wondering.
18068 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
18069 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
18070 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
18071 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
18072 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
18077 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
18079 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
18080 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
18082 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
18083 e} to begin editing score files.
18086 @node Adaptive Scoring
18087 @section Adaptive Scoring
18088 @cindex adaptive scoring
18090 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
18091 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
18092 stupidity, to be precise.
18094 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
18095 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
18096 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
18097 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
18098 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18099 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
18100 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
18101 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
18102 variable to @code{(word line)}.
18104 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18105 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
18106 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
18107 might look something like this:
18110 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18111 '((gnus-unread-mark)
18112 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
18113 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
18114 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
18115 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
18116 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
18117 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
18118 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
18119 (gnus-ancient-mark)
18120 (gnus-low-score-mark)
18121 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
18124 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
18125 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
18126 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
18127 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
18128 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
18129 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
18132 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
18133 will be applied to each article.
18135 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
18136 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
18137 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
18138 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
18140 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
18141 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
18142 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
18143 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
18145 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
18146 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
18147 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
18148 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
18150 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
18151 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
18152 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
18153 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
18154 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
18155 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
18157 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
18158 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
18159 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
18160 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
18161 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
18162 aspirins afterwards.)
18164 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
18165 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
18166 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
18168 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
18169 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
18170 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
18172 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
18173 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
18174 let you use different rules in different groups.
18176 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
18177 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
18178 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
18181 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
18182 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
18183 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
18184 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
18185 the length of the match is less than
18186 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
18187 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
18190 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18191 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
18192 headers. If you adapt on words, the
18193 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
18194 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
18197 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18198 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
18199 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
18200 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
18201 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
18204 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
18205 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
18206 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
18207 score with 30 points.
18209 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
18210 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
18211 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
18212 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
18213 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
18215 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
18216 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
18217 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
18218 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
18219 variable defaults til @code{nil}.
18221 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
18222 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
18223 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
18224 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
18226 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
18227 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
18228 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
18229 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
18231 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
18232 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
18233 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
18234 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
18235 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
18237 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
18238 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
18239 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
18241 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
18242 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
18243 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
18244 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
18247 @node Home Score File
18248 @section Home Score File
18250 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
18251 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
18252 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
18253 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
18255 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
18256 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
18257 could perhaps use the same home score file.
18259 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
18260 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
18265 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
18269 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
18270 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
18274 A list. The elements in this list can be:
18278 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
18279 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
18282 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
18283 the home score file.
18286 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
18289 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
18294 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
18297 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18298 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
18301 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
18302 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
18304 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
18306 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18307 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
18310 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
18311 Other functions include
18314 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
18315 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
18316 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
18317 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
18321 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
18322 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
18323 their own home score files:
18326 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18327 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
18328 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
18329 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
18330 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
18333 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
18334 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
18335 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
18336 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
18337 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
18339 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
18340 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
18341 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
18342 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
18343 precedence over this variable.
18346 @node Followups To Yourself
18347 @section Followups To Yourself
18349 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
18350 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
18351 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
18352 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
18353 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
18354 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
18358 @item gnus-score-followup-article
18359 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
18360 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
18363 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
18364 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
18365 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
18369 @vindex message-sent-hook
18370 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
18371 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
18373 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
18377 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
18378 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
18382 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18383 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18386 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
18387 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
18392 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
18396 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
18397 is system-dependent.
18400 @node Scoring On Other Headers
18401 @section Scoring On Other Headers
18402 @cindex scoring on other headers
18404 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
18405 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
18406 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
18407 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
18408 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
18410 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
18411 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
18412 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
18413 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
18414 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
18416 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18419 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
18420 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
18423 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
18424 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
18425 time if you have much mail.
18427 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
18428 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
18434 @section Scoring Tips
18435 @cindex scoring tips
18441 @cindex scoring crossposts
18442 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
18443 the @code{Xref} header.
18445 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
18448 @item Multiple crossposts
18449 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
18450 more than, say, 3 groups:
18453 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
18457 @item Matching on the body
18458 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
18459 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
18460 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
18461 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
18462 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
18463 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
18464 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
18467 @item Marking as read
18468 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
18469 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
18470 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
18474 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
18476 @item Negated character classes
18477 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
18478 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
18479 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
18483 @node Reverse Scoring
18484 @section Reverse Scoring
18485 @cindex reverse scoring
18487 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
18488 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
18489 like this in your score file:
18493 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
18498 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
18499 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
18502 @node Global Score Files
18503 @section Global Score Files
18504 @cindex global score files
18506 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
18507 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
18508 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
18510 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
18511 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
18512 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
18514 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
18515 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
18516 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
18517 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
18518 files are applicable to which group.
18520 To use the score file
18521 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
18522 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
18526 (setq gnus-global-score-files
18527 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
18528 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
18531 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
18533 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
18534 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
18535 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
18536 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
18538 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
18539 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
18541 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
18542 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
18543 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
18544 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
18545 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
18546 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
18548 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
18554 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
18556 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
18558 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
18560 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
18561 lowered out of existence.
18563 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
18564 articles completely.
18567 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
18568 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
18569 old articles for a long time.
18572 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
18573 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
18574 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
18575 holding our breath yet?
18579 @section Kill Files
18582 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
18583 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
18584 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
18586 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
18587 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
18588 files into score files.
18590 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
18591 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
18592 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
18593 that isn't a very good idea.
18595 Normal kill files look like this:
18598 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18599 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
18603 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
18604 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
18606 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
18607 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
18610 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
18615 @kindex M-k (Summary)
18616 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
18617 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
18620 @kindex M-K (Summary)
18621 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
18622 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
18625 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
18630 @kindex M-k (Group)
18631 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
18632 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
18635 @kindex M-K (Group)
18636 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
18637 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
18640 Kill file variables:
18643 @item gnus-kill-file-name
18644 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
18645 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
18646 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
18647 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
18648 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
18649 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
18651 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18652 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18653 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
18654 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
18657 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
18658 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
18659 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
18660 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
18661 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
18662 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
18663 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
18664 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
18665 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
18667 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18668 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18669 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
18674 @node Converting Kill Files
18675 @section Converting Kill Files
18677 @cindex converting kill files
18679 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
18680 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
18681 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
18684 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
18685 You can fetch it from
18686 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
18688 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
18689 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
18690 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
18698 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
18699 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
18700 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
18701 news articles generated every day.
18703 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
18704 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
18705 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
18706 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
18707 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
18708 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
18709 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
18710 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
18713 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
18714 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
18717 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
18718 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
18719 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
18720 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
18724 @node Using GroupLens
18725 @subsection Using GroupLens
18727 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
18729 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
18730 better bit in town at the moment.
18732 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
18736 @item gnus-use-grouplens
18737 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
18738 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
18739 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
18741 @item grouplens-pseudonym
18742 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
18743 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
18744 with the Better Bit Bureau.
18746 @item grouplens-newsgroups
18747 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
18748 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
18752 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
18753 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
18754 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
18755 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
18756 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
18757 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
18760 @node Rating Articles
18761 @subsection Rating Articles
18763 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
18764 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
18765 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
18766 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
18769 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
18774 @kindex r (GroupLens)
18775 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
18776 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
18779 @kindex k (GroupLens)
18780 @findex grouplens-score-thread
18781 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
18782 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
18783 threads in rec.humor.
18787 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
18788 the score of the article you're reading.
18793 @kindex n (GroupLens)
18794 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
18795 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
18798 @kindex , (GroupLens)
18799 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
18800 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
18804 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
18805 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
18808 @node Displaying Predictions
18809 @subsection Displaying Predictions
18811 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
18812 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
18813 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
18814 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
18815 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
18817 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
18818 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
18819 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
18820 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
18821 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
18822 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
18823 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
18824 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
18825 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
18826 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
18827 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
18828 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
18829 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
18831 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
18832 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
18833 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
18834 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
18836 The following are valid values for that variable.
18839 @item prediction-spot
18840 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
18843 @item confidence-interval
18844 A numeric confidence interval.
18846 @item prediction-bar
18847 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
18849 @item confidence-bar
18850 Numerical confidence.
18852 @item confidence-spot
18853 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
18855 @item prediction-num
18856 Plain-old numeric value.
18858 @item confidence-plus-minus
18859 Prediction +/- confidence.
18864 @node GroupLens Variables
18865 @subsection GroupLens Variables
18869 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
18870 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
18871 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
18872 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
18875 @item grouplens-bbb-host
18876 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
18879 @item grouplens-bbb-port
18880 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
18882 @item grouplens-score-offset
18883 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
18884 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
18887 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
18888 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
18889 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
18894 @node Advanced Scoring
18895 @section Advanced Scoring
18897 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
18898 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
18899 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
18900 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
18901 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
18903 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
18907 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
18908 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
18909 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
18913 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
18914 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
18916 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
18917 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
18918 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
18919 non-@code{nil} value.
18921 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
18922 operator, and various match operators.
18929 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18930 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
18931 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
18936 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18937 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
18938 then this operator will return @code{false}.
18943 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
18944 logical negation of the value of its argument.
18948 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
18949 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
18950 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
18951 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
18952 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
18953 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
18954 the ancestry you want to go.
18956 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
18957 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
18958 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
18959 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
18960 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
18963 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
18964 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
18966 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
18967 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
18970 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
18971 when he's talking about Gnus:
18975 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18976 ("subject" "Gnus"))
18982 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
18986 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18993 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
18994 really don't want to read what he's written:
18998 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18999 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
19003 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
19004 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
19005 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
19012 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
19013 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
19014 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
19015 ("body" "white.*socks"))
19019 The possibilities are endless.
19022 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
19023 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
19025 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
19026 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
19027 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
19028 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
19029 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
19030 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
19031 @samp{subject}) first.
19033 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
19034 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
19045 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
19046 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
19052 ("subject" "Gnus")))
19059 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
19060 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
19065 @section Score Decays
19066 @cindex score decays
19069 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
19070 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
19071 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
19072 use them in any sensible way.
19074 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
19075 @findex gnus-decay-score
19076 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
19077 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
19078 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
19079 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
19080 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
19081 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
19082 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
19083 definition of that function:
19086 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
19088 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
19089 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
19092 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
19094 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
19096 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
19099 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
19100 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
19101 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
19102 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
19106 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
19109 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
19112 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
19116 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
19117 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
19118 the new score, which should be an integer.
19120 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
19121 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
19126 @include message.texi
19127 @chapter Emacs MIME
19128 @include emacs-mime.texi
19130 @include sieve.texi
19140 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
19141 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
19142 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
19143 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
19144 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
19145 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
19146 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
19147 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
19148 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
19149 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
19150 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
19151 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
19152 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
19153 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
19154 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
19155 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
19156 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
19157 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
19158 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
19162 @node Process/Prefix
19163 @section Process/Prefix
19164 @cindex process/prefix convention
19166 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
19167 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
19169 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
19170 command to be performed on.
19174 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
19175 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
19176 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
19177 with the current one.
19179 @vindex transient-mark-mode
19180 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
19181 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
19183 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
19184 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
19187 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
19188 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
19190 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
19193 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
19194 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
19195 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
19196 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
19198 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
19199 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
19200 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
19201 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
19202 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
19203 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
19204 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
19205 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
19207 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
19208 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
19209 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
19210 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
19211 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
19215 @section Interactive
19216 @cindex interaction
19220 @item gnus-novice-user
19221 @vindex gnus-novice-user
19222 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
19223 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
19224 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
19225 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
19228 @item gnus-expert-user
19229 @vindex gnus-expert-user
19230 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
19231 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
19232 matter how strange.
19234 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
19235 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
19236 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
19237 is @code{t} by default.
19239 @item gnus-interactive-exit
19240 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
19241 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
19246 @node Symbolic Prefixes
19247 @section Symbolic Prefixes
19248 @cindex symbolic prefixes
19250 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
19251 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
19252 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
19253 rule of 900 to the current article.
19255 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
19256 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
19257 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
19258 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
19259 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
19260 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
19261 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
19263 @kindex M-i (Summary)
19264 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
19265 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
19266 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
19267 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
19268 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
19269 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
19270 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
19271 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
19273 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
19274 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
19275 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
19277 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
19281 @node Formatting Variables
19282 @section Formatting Variables
19283 @cindex formatting variables
19285 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
19286 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
19287 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
19288 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
19289 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
19292 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
19293 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
19294 lots of percentages everywhere.
19297 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
19298 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
19299 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
19300 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
19301 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
19302 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
19303 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
19304 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
19307 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
19308 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
19309 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
19310 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
19311 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
19312 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
19313 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
19314 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
19316 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
19317 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
19319 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
19320 @findex gnus-update-format
19321 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
19322 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
19323 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
19324 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
19328 @node Formatting Basics
19329 @subsection Formatting Basics
19331 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
19332 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
19333 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
19335 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
19336 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
19337 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
19338 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
19339 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
19342 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
19343 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
19344 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
19345 less than 4 characters wide.
19347 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
19348 @samp{%&user-date;}.
19351 @node Mode Line Formatting
19352 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
19354 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
19355 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
19356 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
19357 with the following two differences:
19362 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
19365 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
19366 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
19367 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
19368 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
19369 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
19370 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
19371 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
19376 @node Advanced Formatting
19377 @subsection Advanced Formatting
19379 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
19380 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
19381 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
19382 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
19384 These are the valid modifiers:
19389 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
19393 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
19398 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
19401 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
19406 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
19409 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
19412 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
19415 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
19421 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
19426 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
19427 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
19428 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
19429 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
19430 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
19431 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
19432 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
19434 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
19435 last operation, padding.
19437 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
19438 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
19439 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
19440 @xref{Compilation}.
19443 @node User-Defined Specs
19444 @subsection User-Defined Specs
19446 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
19447 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
19448 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
19449 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
19450 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
19451 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
19452 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
19453 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
19454 should protect against that.
19456 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
19457 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
19459 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
19460 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
19461 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
19462 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
19466 @node Formatting Fonts
19467 @subsection Formatting Fonts
19469 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
19470 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
19471 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
19472 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
19475 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
19476 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
19477 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
19478 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
19479 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
19480 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
19482 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
19483 special @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}.
19484 If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on.
19485 The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or
19486 symbols naming functions that return a string. When the mouse passes
19487 over text with this property set, a balloon window will appear and
19488 display the string. Please refer to @ref{(emacs)Help Echo} (in GNU
19489 Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in XEmacs) for
19490 more information on this. (For technical reasons, the guillemets have
19491 been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this paragraph.)
19493 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
19496 ;; Create three face types.
19497 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
19498 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
19500 ;; We want the article count to be in
19501 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
19502 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
19503 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
19505 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
19506 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
19508 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
19509 (setq gnus-group-line-format
19510 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
19513 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
19514 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
19516 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
19517 mode-line variables.
19519 @node Positioning Point
19520 @subsection Positioning Point
19522 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
19523 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
19524 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
19526 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
19528 @findex gnus-goto-colon
19529 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
19530 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
19532 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
19533 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%C} specifier. If you
19534 put a @samp{%C} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
19539 @subsection Tabulation
19541 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
19542 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
19543 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
19544 about lining up the following text afterwards.
19546 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
19547 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
19549 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19550 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
19551 This is the soft tabulator.
19553 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19554 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
19555 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
19558 @node Wide Characters
19559 @subsection Wide Characters
19561 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
19562 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
19563 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
19565 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
19566 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
19567 these coutries, that's not true.
19569 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
19570 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
19571 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
19572 prettieer. The default value is @code{t}.
19576 @node Window Layout
19577 @section Window Layout
19578 @cindex window layout
19580 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
19582 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
19583 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
19584 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
19585 @code{t} by default.
19587 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
19588 glitches. Use at your own peril.
19590 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
19591 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
19592 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
19595 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
19596 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
19597 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19601 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
19602 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
19603 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
19604 possible names is listed below.
19606 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
19607 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
19610 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19614 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
19615 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
19616 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
19617 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
19618 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
19619 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
19620 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
19621 size spec per split.
19623 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
19624 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
19625 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
19626 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
19627 present) gets focus.
19629 Here's a more complicated example:
19632 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
19633 (summary 0.25 point)
19634 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
19638 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
19639 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
19640 occupy, not a percentage.
19642 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
19643 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
19644 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
19645 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
19646 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
19649 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
19652 (article (horizontal 1.0
19657 (summary 0.25 point)
19662 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
19663 @code{horizontal} thingie?
19665 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
19666 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
19667 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
19668 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
19669 the screen is to be given to this strip.
19671 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
19672 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
19673 lines from the splits.
19675 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
19679 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
19680 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
19681 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
19682 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
19683 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
19684 size = number | frame-params
19685 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
19688 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
19689 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
19690 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
19691 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
19693 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
19694 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
19695 @cindex window height
19696 @cindex window width
19697 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
19698 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
19699 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
19700 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
19701 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
19702 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
19704 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
19705 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
19706 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
19707 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
19709 @findex gnus-configure-frame
19710 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
19711 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
19712 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
19713 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
19714 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
19715 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
19716 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
19717 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
19718 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
19719 configuration list.
19722 (gnus-configure-frame
19726 (article 0.3 point))
19734 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
19735 @code{frame} split:
19738 (gnus-configure-frame
19741 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
19743 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
19744 (user-position . t)
19745 (left . -1) (top . 1))
19750 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
19751 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
19752 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
19753 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
19754 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
19755 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
19756 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
19757 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
19759 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
19760 be found in its default value.
19762 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
19763 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
19764 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
19768 (message (horizontal 1.0
19769 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
19771 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
19776 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
19777 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
19778 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
19783 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
19784 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
19785 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
19786 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
19787 (name . "Message"))
19788 (message 1.0 point))))
19791 @findex gnus-add-configuration
19792 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
19793 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
19794 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
19795 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
19798 (gnus-add-configuration
19799 '(article (vertical 1.0
19801 (summary .25 point)
19805 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
19806 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
19807 Gnus has been loaded.
19809 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
19810 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
19811 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
19812 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
19813 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
19815 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
19816 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
19817 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
19820 @subsection Example Window Configurations
19824 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
19825 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
19840 (gnus-add-configuration
19843 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19845 (summary 0.16 point)
19848 (gnus-add-configuration
19851 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19852 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
19858 @node Faces and Fonts
19859 @section Faces and Fonts
19864 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
19865 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
19866 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
19871 @section Compilation
19872 @cindex compilation
19873 @cindex byte-compilation
19875 @findex gnus-compile
19877 Remember all those line format specification variables?
19878 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
19879 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
19880 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
19881 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
19882 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
19885 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
19886 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
19887 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
19888 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
19889 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
19890 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
19891 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
19895 @section Mode Lines
19898 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
19899 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
19900 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
19901 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
19902 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
19903 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
19904 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
19907 @cindex display-time
19909 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
19910 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
19911 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
19912 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
19913 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
19914 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
19915 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
19916 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
19919 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
19921 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
19922 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
19924 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
19925 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
19926 (length display-time-string)))))
19929 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
19930 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
19931 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
19932 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
19933 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
19936 @node Highlighting and Menus
19937 @section Highlighting and Menus
19939 @cindex highlighting
19942 @vindex gnus-visual
19943 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
19944 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
19945 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
19948 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
19949 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
19952 @item group-highlight
19953 Do highlights in the group buffer.
19954 @item summary-highlight
19955 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
19956 @item article-highlight
19957 Do highlights in the article buffer.
19959 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
19961 Create menus in the group buffer.
19963 Create menus in the summary buffers.
19965 Create menus in the article buffer.
19967 Create menus in the browse buffer.
19969 Create menus in the server buffer.
19971 Create menus in the score buffers.
19973 Create menus in all buffers.
19976 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
19977 buffers, you could say something like:
19980 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
19983 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
19986 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
19989 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
19990 in all Gnus buffers.
19992 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
19995 @item gnus-mouse-face
19996 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
19997 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
19998 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
20002 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
20006 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
20007 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
20008 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
20010 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
20011 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
20012 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
20014 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
20015 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
20016 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
20018 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
20019 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
20020 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
20022 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
20023 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
20024 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
20026 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
20027 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
20028 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
20039 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
20040 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
20041 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
20042 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
20043 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
20047 @vindex gnus-carpal
20048 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
20049 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
20050 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
20055 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20056 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20057 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
20059 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
20060 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
20061 Face used on buttons.
20063 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
20064 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
20065 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
20067 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20068 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20069 Buttons in the group buffer.
20071 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20072 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20073 Buttons in the summary buffer.
20075 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20076 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20077 Buttons in the server buffer.
20079 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20080 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20081 Buttons in the browse buffer.
20084 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
20085 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
20086 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
20094 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
20095 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
20096 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
20097 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
20098 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
20100 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
20101 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
20102 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
20104 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
20105 been idle for thirty minutes:
20108 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
20111 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
20115 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
20118 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
20119 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
20120 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20122 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
20123 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
20124 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
20125 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20127 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
20128 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
20129 @var{idle} minutes.
20131 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
20132 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
20135 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
20136 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
20137 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
20139 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
20140 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
20141 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
20142 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
20144 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
20145 your @file{.gnus} file:
20147 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
20149 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
20152 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
20153 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
20154 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
20155 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
20156 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
20157 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
20158 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
20159 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
20160 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
20161 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
20162 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
20164 @findex gnus-demon-init
20165 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
20166 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
20167 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
20168 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
20169 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
20171 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
20172 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
20173 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
20182 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
20183 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
20185 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
20186 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
20187 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
20188 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
20191 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
20192 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
20193 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
20194 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
20196 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
20197 this will make spam disappear.
20199 There are some variables to customize, of course:
20202 @item gnus-use-nocem
20203 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
20204 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
20207 @item gnus-nocem-groups
20208 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
20209 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
20210 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
20211 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
20213 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
20214 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
20215 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
20216 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
20217 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
20218 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
20220 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
20221 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
20223 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
20224 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
20225 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
20226 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
20227 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
20228 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
20229 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
20230 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
20231 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
20232 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
20234 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
20235 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
20238 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
20241 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
20242 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
20245 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
20248 The specs are applied left-to-right.
20251 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
20252 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
20254 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
20255 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
20256 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
20257 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
20259 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
20260 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
20263 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
20265 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
20273 This might be dangerous, though.
20275 @item gnus-nocem-directory
20276 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
20277 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
20278 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
20280 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20281 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20282 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
20283 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
20284 might then see old spam.
20286 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
20287 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
20288 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
20289 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
20290 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
20293 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20294 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20295 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
20296 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
20300 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
20301 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
20302 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
20303 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
20310 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
20311 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
20312 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
20314 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
20315 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
20316 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
20317 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
20318 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
20319 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
20320 @code{undo} function.
20322 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
20323 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
20324 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
20325 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
20326 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
20327 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
20328 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
20329 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
20330 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
20331 never be totally undoable.
20333 @findex gnus-undo-mode
20334 @vindex gnus-use-undo
20336 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
20337 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
20338 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
20339 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
20343 @node Predicate Specifiers
20344 @section Predicate Specifiers
20345 @cindex predicate specifiers
20347 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
20348 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
20349 to type all that much.
20351 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
20356 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
20357 gnus-article-unread-p)
20360 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
20361 functions all take one parameter.
20363 @findex gnus-make-predicate
20364 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
20365 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
20366 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
20371 @section Moderation
20374 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
20375 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
20376 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
20379 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
20383 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
20386 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
20388 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
20393 You split your incoming mail by matching on
20394 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
20395 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
20398 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
20399 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
20402 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
20403 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
20407 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
20410 (setq gnus-moderated-list
20411 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
20415 @node Image Enhancements
20416 @section Image Enhancements
20418 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
20419 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
20422 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
20423 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
20424 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
20425 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
20426 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
20439 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
20440 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
20441 over your shoulder as you read news.
20444 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
20445 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
20446 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
20447 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
20448 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
20453 @subsubsection Picon Basics
20455 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
20464 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
20465 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
20466 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
20467 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
20468 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
20469 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
20470 @code{GIF} formats.
20473 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20474 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
20475 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
20476 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
20477 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
20479 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20480 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
20481 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
20482 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
20483 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
20484 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20486 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
20487 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
20490 @node Picon Requirements
20491 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
20493 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must have @code{x} support
20494 compiled into XEmacs. To display color picons which are much nicer
20495 than the black & white one, you also need one of @code{xpm} or
20496 @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
20498 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20499 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
20500 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
20501 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
20502 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
20503 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20506 @subsubsection Easy Picons
20508 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
20509 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
20512 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
20513 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
20516 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
20517 containing the Picons databases.
20519 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
20522 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20523 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
20528 @subsubsection Hard Picons
20536 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
20537 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
20538 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
20539 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
20540 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
20545 @item gnus-picons-database
20546 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20547 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
20548 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
20549 subdirectories. This is only useful if
20550 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
20551 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
20553 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20554 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20555 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
20556 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
20557 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
20558 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
20559 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20561 @item gnus-picons-display-where
20562 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20563 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
20564 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
20565 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
20566 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
20567 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
20568 routines---@pxref{Window Layout}.
20570 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20571 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20572 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
20577 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
20578 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
20580 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
20581 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
20584 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20586 @item gnus-article-display-picons
20587 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
20588 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
20589 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
20591 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20592 @findex gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20593 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
20594 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the function name, not @code{xface})
20600 @node Picon Useless Configuration
20601 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
20609 The following variables offer further control over how things are
20610 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
20611 don't need to worry about.
20615 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
20616 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
20617 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20618 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
20620 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
20621 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
20622 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
20623 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
20625 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
20626 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
20627 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20628 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
20629 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
20631 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20632 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20633 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
20634 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
20635 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
20636 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
20637 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
20638 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20640 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20641 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20642 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
20643 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
20644 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20646 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20647 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20648 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
20649 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
20650 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
20651 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
20652 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
20654 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20655 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20656 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
20657 Defaults to @code{nil}.
20659 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
20660 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
20661 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
20662 Defaults to @code{t}.
20664 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20665 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20666 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
20667 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
20669 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
20670 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
20671 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
20673 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20674 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20675 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
20676 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
20678 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
20679 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
20681 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20682 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20683 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
20684 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
20685 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
20686 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
20687 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
20688 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
20699 @subsection Smileys
20704 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
20709 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
20710 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
20712 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
20713 @file{.gnus.el} file:
20716 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
20719 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
20720 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
20721 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
20722 text and maps that to file names.
20724 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
20725 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
20726 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
20727 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
20728 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
20729 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
20731 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
20732 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
20734 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
20735 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
20736 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
20738 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
20739 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
20743 @item smiley-data-directory
20744 @vindex smiley-data-directory
20745 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
20747 @item smiley-flesh-color
20748 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
20749 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
20751 @item smiley-features-color
20752 @vindex smiley-features-color
20753 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20755 @item smiley-tongue-color
20756 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
20757 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
20759 @item smiley-circle-color
20760 @vindex smiley-circle-color
20761 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20763 @item smiley-mouse-face
20764 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
20765 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
20774 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
20775 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
20776 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
20780 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
20781 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
20782 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
20783 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
20791 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
20792 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
20793 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
20794 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
20796 The variable that controls this is the
20797 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
20798 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
20799 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
20800 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
20801 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
20803 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
20804 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
20805 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
20806 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
20809 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
20810 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
20811 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
20812 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
20813 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
20814 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
20815 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
20816 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
20818 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
20821 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
20822 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
20824 @findex gnus-random-x-face
20825 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files
20826 in @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
20827 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
20828 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
20829 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big.
20831 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
20832 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
20833 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
20835 Here's how you would typically use the former function. Put something
20836 like the folllowing in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20839 (setq message-required-news-headers
20840 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20841 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
20844 Using the latter function would be something like this:
20847 (setq message-required-news-headers
20848 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20849 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
20850 (gnus-x-face-from-file
20851 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
20856 @subsection Toolbar
20866 @item gnus-use-toolbar
20867 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
20868 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
20869 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
20870 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
20872 @item gnus-group-toolbar
20873 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
20874 The toolbar in the group buffer.
20876 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
20877 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
20878 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
20880 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20881 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20882 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
20888 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
20891 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20892 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20893 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
20894 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
20895 unusual directory structure.
20897 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20898 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20899 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
20900 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
20902 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20903 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20904 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
20905 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
20906 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
20907 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
20909 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20910 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20911 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
20925 @node Fuzzy Matching
20926 @section Fuzzy Matching
20927 @cindex fuzzy matching
20929 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
20930 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
20932 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
20933 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
20934 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
20936 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
20937 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
20938 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
20939 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
20940 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
20943 @node Thwarting Email Spam
20944 @section Thwarting Email Spam
20948 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
20950 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
20951 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
20952 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
20953 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
20954 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
20955 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
20956 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
20957 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
20960 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
20961 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
20962 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
20963 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
20964 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
20965 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
20970 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
20971 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
20972 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
20975 @node Anti-Spam Basics
20976 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
20980 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
20982 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
20983 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
20985 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
20986 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
20987 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
20988 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
20989 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
20990 part of the mail address.)
20993 (setq message-default-news-headers
20994 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
20997 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
20998 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21003 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
21004 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
21005 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
21011 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
21012 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
21013 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
21014 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
21016 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @sc{smtp} server
21017 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
21018 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
21019 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
21020 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
21021 your fancy split rule in this way:
21026 (to "larsi" "misc")
21030 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
21031 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
21032 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
21033 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
21034 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
21036 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
21037 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
21038 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
21039 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
21040 cosmic balance somewhat.
21042 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
21043 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
21044 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
21045 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
21050 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
21051 @cindex SpamAssassin
21052 @cindex Vipul's Razor
21055 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
21056 avoiding spam is coming to an end. There are many tools out there
21057 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
21058 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
21059 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
21060 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
21061 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
21063 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
21064 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
21065 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
21066 Specifiers}) follows.
21070 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
21073 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
21076 Once you managed to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
21077 the mail contain e.g. a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
21078 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
21081 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
21085 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21088 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
21089 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
21093 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
21094 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
21095 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
21096 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
21099 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
21101 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
21103 (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
21104 (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
21106 (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
21108 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
21109 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
21113 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
21114 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
21115 spam. And here is the nifty function:
21118 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
21119 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
21121 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
21122 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
21123 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
21127 @subsection Hashcash
21130 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
21131 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
21132 you cannot rely on that everyone in the world uses this technique,
21133 since it is not part of the internet standards, but it may be useful
21134 in smaller communities.
21136 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
21137 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
21138 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
21139 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
21140 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
21141 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
21142 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
21143 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
21144 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
21145 one of them separately.
21148 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
21149 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
21150 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
21151 header. For more details, and for the external application
21152 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
21153 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
21154 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
21156 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
21160 (require 'hashcash)
21161 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
21164 The @code{hashcash.el} library can be found at
21165 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}, or in the Gnus
21166 development contrib directory.
21168 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
21172 @item hashcash-default-payment
21173 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
21174 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
21175 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
21176 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
21178 @item hashcash-payment-alist
21179 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
21180 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
21181 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(ADDR AMOUNT)} cells,
21182 where ADDR is the receiver (email address or newsgroup) and AMOUNT is
21183 the number of bits in the collision that is needed. It can also
21184 contain @samp{(ADDR STRING AMOUNT)} cells, where the STRING is the
21185 string to use (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
21189 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
21193 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
21194 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
21195 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
21196 a useful contribution, however.
21198 @node Various Various
21199 @section Various Various
21205 @item gnus-home-directory
21206 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
21207 defaults to @file{~/}.
21209 @item gnus-directory
21210 @vindex gnus-directory
21211 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
21212 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
21213 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
21215 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
21216 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
21217 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
21218 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
21220 @item gnus-default-directory
21221 @vindex gnus-default-directory
21222 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
21223 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
21224 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
21225 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
21226 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
21227 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
21230 @vindex gnus-verbose
21231 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
21232 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
21233 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
21234 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
21235 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
21237 @item gnus-verbose-backends
21238 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
21239 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
21240 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
21242 @item nnheader-max-head-length
21243 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
21244 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
21245 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
21246 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
21247 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
21248 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
21249 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
21250 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
21251 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
21253 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
21254 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
21255 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
21256 read when doing the operation described above.
21258 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
21259 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
21261 @cindex invalid characters in file names
21262 @cindex characters in file names
21263 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
21264 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
21265 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
21268 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
21272 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
21273 Windows (phooey) systems.
21275 @item gnus-hidden-properties
21276 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
21277 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
21278 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
21279 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
21281 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
21282 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
21283 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
21284 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
21285 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
21287 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
21288 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
21289 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
21291 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
21292 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
21294 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
21295 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
21296 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
21297 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
21300 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
21308 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
21309 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
21311 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
21313 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
21319 Not because of victories @*
21322 but for the common sunshine,@*
21324 the largess of the spring.
21328 but for the day's work done@*
21329 as well as I was able;@*
21330 not for a seat upon the dais@*
21331 but at the common table.@*
21336 @chapter Appendices
21339 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
21340 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
21341 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
21342 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
21343 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
21344 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
21345 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
21346 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
21347 * Frequently Asked Questions::
21354 @cindex Installing under XEmacs
21356 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
21357 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
21358 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
21359 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
21360 @samp{xemacs-base}, and @samp{fsf-compat}. The @samp{misc-games}
21361 package is required for Morse decoding.
21368 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
21369 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
21371 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
21372 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
21373 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
21374 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
21375 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
21377 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
21378 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
21379 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
21380 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
21381 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
21382 appropriate name, don't you think?)
21384 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
21385 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
21386 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
21387 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
21390 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
21391 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
21392 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
21393 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
21394 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
21395 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
21396 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
21397 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
21398 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
21402 @node Gnus Versions
21403 @subsection Gnus Versions
21405 @cindex September Gnus
21407 @cindex Quassia Gnus
21408 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
21412 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
21413 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
21414 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
21416 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
21417 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
21419 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
21420 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
21422 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
21423 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
21425 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
21426 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
21429 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
21431 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
21432 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
21433 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
21434 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
21435 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
21436 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
21439 @node Other Gnus Versions
21440 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
21443 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
21444 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
21445 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
21446 @sc{mime} capabilities.
21448 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
21449 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
21450 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
21451 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
21458 What's the point of Gnus?
21460 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
21461 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
21462 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
21463 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
21464 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
21465 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
21466 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
21467 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
21468 keep track of millions of people who post?
21470 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
21471 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
21472 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
21473 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
21474 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
21475 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
21476 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
21477 every one of you to explore and invent.
21479 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
21480 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
21483 @node Compatibility
21484 @subsection Compatibility
21486 @cindex compatibility
21487 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
21488 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
21489 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
21494 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
21498 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
21501 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
21504 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
21505 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
21506 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
21507 important variables have their values copied into their global
21508 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
21509 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
21511 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
21512 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
21513 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
21514 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
21515 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
21519 @cindex highlighting
21520 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
21521 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
21522 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
21523 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
21524 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
21525 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
21528 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
21529 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
21530 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
21531 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
21533 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
21534 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
21535 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
21536 to stop doing it the old way.
21538 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
21540 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
21542 @cindex reporting bugs
21544 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
21545 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
21546 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
21548 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
21549 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
21550 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
21551 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
21556 @subsection Conformity
21558 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
21559 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
21567 There are no known breaches of this standard.
21571 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
21573 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
21574 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
21575 We do have some breaches to this one.
21581 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
21582 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
21583 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
21584 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
21585 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
21590 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
21591 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
21592 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
21593 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
21595 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
21597 All the various @sc{mime} RFCs are supported.
21599 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
21600 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
21602 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
21605 RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
21606 Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
21607 put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-@sc{mime} aware PGP
21608 format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
21609 decoding (verification and decryption).
21611 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
21612 RFC 2015 (superceded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
21613 1991) describes the @sc{mime}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
21614 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
21616 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
21617 RFC 2633 describes the @sc{s/mime} format.
21619 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
21620 RFC 1730 is @sc{imap} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (@sc{imap} 4
21621 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for @sc{imap}. RFC
21622 2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for @sc{imap}. RFC 2359
21623 describes a @sc{imap} protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
21624 TLS integration (STARTTLS) with @sc{imap}. RFC 1731 describes the
21625 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @sc{imap}.
21629 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
21630 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
21635 @subsection Emacsen
21641 Gnus should work on :
21649 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
21653 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
21654 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
21657 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
21658 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
21659 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
21663 @node Gnus Development
21664 @subsection Gnus Development
21666 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
21667 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
21668 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
21669 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
21670 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
21671 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
21672 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
21673 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
21675 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
21676 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
21677 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
21678 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
21679 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
21682 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
21683 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
21684 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
21685 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
21686 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
21688 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
21689 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
21690 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
21691 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
21692 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
21693 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
21694 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
21695 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
21696 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
21697 can't be assumed to do so.
21702 @subsection Contributors
21703 @cindex contributors
21705 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
21706 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
21707 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
21708 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
21709 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
21710 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
21711 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
21712 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
21713 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
21714 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
21716 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
21722 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
21725 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
21726 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
21727 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
21728 functionality and stuff.
21731 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
21732 well as numerous other things).
21735 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
21738 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
21741 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
21744 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
21747 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
21748 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
21751 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
21754 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
21755 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
21758 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
21761 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
21764 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
21767 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
21770 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
21771 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
21774 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
21777 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
21780 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
21783 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
21787 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
21790 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
21793 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
21796 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
21797 well as autoconf support.
21801 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
21802 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
21804 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
21813 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
21817 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
21827 Alexei V. Barantsev,
21842 Massimo Campostrini,
21847 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
21848 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
21852 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
21855 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
21861 Michael Welsh Duggan,
21866 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
21870 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
21878 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
21880 Michelangelo Grigni,
21884 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
21886 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
21888 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
21895 François Felix Ingrand,
21896 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
21897 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
21899 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
21910 Peter Skov Knudsen,
21911 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
21913 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
21914 Thor Kristoffersen,
21917 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
21935 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
21936 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
21943 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
21948 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
21952 John McClary Prevost,
21958 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
21963 Christian von Roques,
21966 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
21973 Philippe Schnoebelen,
21975 Randal L. Schwartz,
21989 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
21994 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
22010 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
22015 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
22016 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
22017 (550kB and counting).
22019 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
22022 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
22023 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
22027 @subsection New Features
22028 @cindex new features
22031 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
22032 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
22033 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
22034 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
22035 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
22038 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
22039 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
22040 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
22043 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
22045 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
22050 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
22051 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
22054 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
22055 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
22058 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
22061 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
22062 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
22063 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
22066 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
22067 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
22068 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
22069 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
22072 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
22073 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
22076 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
22077 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
22078 (@pxref{The Active File}).
22081 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
22082 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
22085 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
22086 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
22087 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
22090 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
22091 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
22092 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
22095 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
22096 the @file{.emacs} file.
22099 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
22100 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
22103 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
22104 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
22107 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
22108 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
22111 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
22112 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
22115 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
22116 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
22119 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
22122 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
22123 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
22126 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
22127 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
22130 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
22131 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
22134 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
22137 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
22138 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
22141 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
22145 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
22149 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
22150 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
22153 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
22159 @node September Gnus
22160 @subsubsection September Gnus
22164 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
22168 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
22173 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
22174 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
22178 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
22179 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
22183 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
22187 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
22188 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
22191 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
22195 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
22198 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
22201 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
22204 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
22208 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
22209 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
22212 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
22216 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
22220 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
22224 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
22228 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
22231 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
22232 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
22235 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
22239 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
22240 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
22243 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
22246 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
22247 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
22248 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
22251 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
22255 The Gnus cache is much faster.
22258 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
22262 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
22263 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
22266 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
22267 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
22270 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
22271 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
22274 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
22275 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
22276 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
22279 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
22280 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
22283 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
22286 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
22289 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
22292 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
22295 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
22296 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
22299 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
22303 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
22306 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
22311 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
22314 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
22318 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
22321 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
22325 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
22328 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
22331 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
22332 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
22335 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
22336 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
22340 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
22341 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
22344 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
22348 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
22349 buffer to allow easier treatment.
22352 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
22355 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
22359 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
22363 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
22364 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
22367 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
22371 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
22372 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
22375 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
22376 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
22379 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
22383 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
22386 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
22389 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
22395 @subsubsection Red Gnus
22397 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
22401 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
22408 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
22411 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
22412 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
22415 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
22416 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
22420 Article washing status can be displayed in the
22421 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
22424 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
22427 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
22428 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
22431 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
22435 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
22436 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
22440 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
22441 Server Internals}).
22444 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
22448 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
22451 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
22452 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
22455 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
22456 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
22457 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
22460 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
22461 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
22464 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
22465 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
22468 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
22472 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
22473 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
22476 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
22477 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
22480 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
22484 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
22487 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
22491 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
22492 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
22495 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
22496 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
22499 A new command for reading collections of documents
22500 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
22501 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
22504 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
22508 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
22509 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
22512 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
22513 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
22514 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
22517 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
22518 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
22522 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
22526 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
22530 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
22535 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
22539 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
22543 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
22544 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
22547 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
22553 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
22555 New features in Gnus 5.6:
22560 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
22561 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
22562 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
22565 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
22566 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
22567 group, which is created automatically.
22570 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
22574 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
22577 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
22578 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
22581 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
22585 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
22588 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
22589 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
22592 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
22595 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
22596 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
22599 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
22600 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
22603 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
22604 control over simplification.
22607 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
22610 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
22614 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
22617 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
22620 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
22621 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
22622 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
22625 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
22626 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
22629 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
22633 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
22634 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
22637 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
22638 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
22641 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
22645 A history of where mails have been split is available.
22648 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
22651 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
22652 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
22655 A new function for citing in Message has been
22656 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
22659 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
22662 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
22666 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
22667 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
22670 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
22671 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
22674 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
22677 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
22681 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
22682 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
22684 New features in Gnus 5.8:
22689 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
22690 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
22692 If you used procmail like in
22695 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
22696 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
22697 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
22698 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
22701 this now has changed to
22705 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
22709 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
22710 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
22713 Gnus is now a @sc{mime}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
22714 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
22717 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
22718 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
22721 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
22722 called to position point.
22725 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
22726 summary buffers and @sc{nov} files.
22729 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
22730 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
22733 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
22734 subtly different manner.
22737 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
22738 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
22739 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
22742 Gnus can now read @sc{imap} mail via @code{nnimap}.
22750 @section The Manual
22754 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
22755 either @code{texi2dvi}
22757 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
22758 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
22760 to get what you hold in your hands now.
22762 The following conventions have been used:
22767 This is a @samp{string}
22770 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
22773 This is a @file{file}
22776 This is a @code{symbol}
22780 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
22784 (setq flargnoze "yes")
22787 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
22790 (setq flumphel 'yes)
22793 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
22794 ever get them confused.
22798 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
22799 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
22800 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
22801 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
22802 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
22803 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
22804 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
22810 @node On Writing Manuals
22811 @section On Writing Manuals
22813 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
22814 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
22815 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
22816 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
22817 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
22818 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
22821 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
22822 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
22823 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
22826 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
22827 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
22832 @section Terminology
22834 @cindex terminology
22839 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
22840 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
22841 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
22842 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
22843 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
22847 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
22848 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
22849 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
22850 not posting, and replying is not following up.
22854 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
22858 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
22863 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
22864 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
22865 commonly fetched via the protocol NNTP, whereas mail messages could be
22866 read from a file on the local disk. The internal architecture of Gnus
22867 thus comprises a `front end' and a number of `back ends'. Internally,
22868 when you enter a group (by hitting @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke
22869 a function in the front end in Gnus. The front end then `talks' to a
22870 back end and says things like ``Give me the list of articles in the foo
22871 group'' or ``Show me article number 4711''.
22873 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back end
22874 accesses news via NNTP, the @code{nnimap} back end accesses mail via
22875 IMAP) or a file format and directory layout (the @code{nnspool} back end
22876 accesses news via the common `spool directory' format, the @code{nnml}
22877 back end access mail via a file format and directory layout that's
22880 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
22881 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
22882 access the articles.
22884 However, sometimes the term `back end' is also used where `server'
22885 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term `select
22886 method' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
22891 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
22892 default, way of getting news.
22896 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
22897 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
22902 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
22903 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
22907 A message that has been posted as news.
22910 @cindex mail message
22911 A message that has been mailed.
22915 A mail message or news article
22919 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
22924 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
22929 A line from the head of an article.
22933 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
22934 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
22938 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
22939 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
22940 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
22941 normal @sc{head} format.
22945 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
22946 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
22947 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
22948 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
22949 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
22950 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
22952 @item killed groups
22953 @cindex killed groups
22954 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
22955 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
22957 @item zombie groups
22958 @cindex zombie groups
22959 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
22962 @cindex active file
22963 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
22964 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
22965 is rather large, as you might surmise.
22968 @cindex bogus groups
22969 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
22970 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
22971 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
22974 @cindex activating groups
22975 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
22976 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
22977 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
22981 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
22983 @item select method
22984 @cindex select method
22985 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
22988 @item virtual server
22989 @cindex virtual server
22990 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
22991 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
22992 whole is a virtual server.
22996 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
22997 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
23000 @item ephemeral groups
23001 @cindex ephemeral groups
23002 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
23003 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
23004 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
23007 @cindex solid groups
23008 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
23009 group buffer are solid groups.
23011 @item sparse articles
23012 @cindex sparse articles
23013 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
23014 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
23018 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
23019 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
23023 @cindex thread root
23024 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
23025 articles in the thread.
23029 An article that has responses.
23033 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
23037 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
23038 specified by RFC 1153.
23044 @node Customization
23045 @section Customization
23046 @cindex general customization
23048 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
23049 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
23050 for some quite common situations.
23053 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
23054 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
23055 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
23056 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
23060 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
23061 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
23063 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
23064 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
23065 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
23069 @item gnus-read-active-file
23070 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
23071 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
23072 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
23073 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
23074 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
23076 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
23077 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
23078 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
23079 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
23083 @node Slow Terminal Connection
23084 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
23086 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
23087 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
23088 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
23092 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
23093 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
23094 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
23095 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
23096 horizontal and vertical recentering.
23098 @item gnus-visible-headers
23099 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
23100 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
23101 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
23102 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
23104 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
23106 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
23107 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
23108 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
23111 @item gnus-use-full-window
23112 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
23113 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
23114 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
23115 want to read them anyway.
23117 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
23118 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
23122 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
23123 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
23124 lines, which might save some time.
23128 @node Little Disk Space
23129 @subsection Little Disk Space
23132 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
23133 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
23137 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
23138 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
23139 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
23140 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
23143 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
23144 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
23145 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
23146 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
23149 @item gnus-save-killed-list
23150 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
23151 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
23152 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
23153 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
23159 @subsection Slow Machine
23160 @cindex slow machine
23162 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
23163 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
23165 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
23166 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
23168 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
23169 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
23170 summary buffer faster.
23174 @node Troubleshooting
23175 @section Troubleshooting
23176 @cindex troubleshooting
23178 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
23186 Make sure your computer is switched on.
23189 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
23190 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
23194 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
23195 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
23196 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
23197 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
23200 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
23204 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
23205 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
23206 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
23207 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
23208 something like that.
23211 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
23214 @cindex reporting bugs
23216 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
23218 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
23219 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
23220 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
23221 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
23223 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
23224 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
23225 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
23226 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
23229 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
23230 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
23231 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
23232 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
23233 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
23234 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
23236 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
23237 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
23238 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
23242 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
23243 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
23246 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
23247 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
23248 edebug. Debugging lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
23249 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
23250 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
23251 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
23252 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
23253 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
23254 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
23255 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
23256 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
23257 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
23258 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
23259 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
23261 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
23262 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
23264 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
23265 @cindex ding mailing list
23266 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
23267 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
23271 @node Gnus Reference Guide
23272 @section Gnus Reference Guide
23274 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
23275 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
23276 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
23277 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
23280 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
23281 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
23282 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
23283 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
23284 and general methods of operation.
23287 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
23288 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
23289 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
23290 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
23291 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
23292 * Group Info:: The group info format.
23293 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
23294 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
23295 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
23299 @node Gnus Utility Functions
23300 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
23301 @cindex Gnus utility functions
23302 @cindex utility functions
23304 @cindex internal variables
23306 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
23307 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
23308 Below is a list of the most common ones.
23312 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
23313 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
23314 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
23316 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
23317 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
23318 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
23320 @item gnus-group-real-name
23321 @findex gnus-group-real-name
23322 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
23325 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
23326 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
23327 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
23328 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
23330 @item gnus-get-info
23331 @findex gnus-get-info
23332 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
23334 @item gnus-group-unread
23335 @findex gnus-group-unread
23336 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
23340 @findex gnus-active
23341 The active entry for @var{group}.
23343 @item gnus-set-active
23344 @findex gnus-set-active
23345 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
23347 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
23348 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
23349 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
23352 @item gnus-continuum-version
23353 @findex gnus-continuum-version
23354 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
23355 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
23358 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
23359 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
23360 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
23362 @item gnus-news-group-p
23363 @findex gnus-news-group-p
23364 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
23366 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
23367 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
23368 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
23370 @item gnus-server-to-method
23371 @findex gnus-server-to-method
23372 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
23374 @item gnus-server-equal
23375 @findex gnus-server-equal
23376 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
23378 @item gnus-group-native-p
23379 @findex gnus-group-native-p
23380 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
23382 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
23383 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
23384 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
23386 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
23387 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
23388 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
23390 @item group-group-find-parameter
23391 @findex group-group-find-parameter
23392 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
23393 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
23395 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
23396 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
23397 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
23399 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
23400 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
23401 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
23403 @item gnus-check-backend-function
23404 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
23405 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
23406 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
23409 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
23413 @item gnus-read-method
23414 @findex gnus-read-method
23415 Prompts the user for a select method.
23420 @node Back End Interface
23421 @subsection Back End Interface
23423 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
23424 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
23425 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
23426 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
23427 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
23428 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
23430 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
23431 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
23432 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
23433 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
23434 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
23435 been opened, the function should fail.
23437 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
23438 name. Take this example:
23442 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
23443 (nntp-port-number 4324))
23446 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
23447 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
23449 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
23450 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
23451 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
23453 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
23454 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
23455 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
23457 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
23458 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
23459 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
23460 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
23461 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
23462 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
23465 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
23466 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
23467 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
23468 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
23471 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
23472 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
23473 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
23474 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
23475 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
23476 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
23477 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
23478 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
23479 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
23480 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
23482 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
23483 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
23484 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
23485 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
23486 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
23487 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
23488 of numbers as long as possible.
23490 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
23493 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
23496 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
23497 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
23498 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
23499 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
23500 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
23501 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
23505 @node Required Back End Functions
23506 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
23510 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
23512 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
23513 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
23514 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
23515 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
23517 The result data should either be HEADs or @sc{nov} lines, and the result
23518 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
23519 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
23520 of HEADs and @sc{nov} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
23522 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
23523 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
23524 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
23525 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
23526 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
23527 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
23528 number, do maximum fetches.
23530 Here's an example HEAD:
23533 221 1056 Article retrieved.
23534 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
23535 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
23536 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
23537 Subject: Re: Something very droll
23538 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
23539 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
23541 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
23542 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
23543 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
23547 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
23548 these in the data buffer.
23550 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
23554 head = error / valid-head
23555 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
23556 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
23557 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
23558 header = <text> eol
23561 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
23562 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
23566 nov-buffer = *nov-line
23567 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
23568 field = <text except TAB>
23571 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
23575 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
23577 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
23578 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
23580 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
23581 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
23582 server. In fact, it should do so.
23584 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
23585 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
23588 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
23590 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
23591 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
23594 There should be no data returned.
23597 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
23599 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
23600 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
23601 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
23602 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
23604 There should be no data returned.
23607 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
23609 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
23610 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
23611 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
23612 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
23614 There should be no data returned.
23617 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
23619 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
23621 There should be no data returned.
23624 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
23626 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
23627 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
23628 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
23629 it would be nice if that were possible.
23631 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
23632 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
23633 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
23634 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
23635 into its article buffer.
23637 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
23638 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
23639 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
23640 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
23641 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
23642 on successful article retrieval.
23645 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
23647 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
23648 making @var{group} the current group.
23650 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
23653 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
23656 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
23659 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
23660 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
23661 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
23662 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
23663 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
23664 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
23665 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
23666 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
23667 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
23671 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
23672 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
23673 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
23677 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
23679 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
23680 a no-op on most back ends.
23682 There should be no data returned.
23685 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
23687 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
23690 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
23693 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
23694 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
23697 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
23698 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
23699 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
23700 and the highest as 0.
23703 active-file = *active-line
23704 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
23706 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
23709 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
23710 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
23711 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
23714 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
23716 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
23717 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
23718 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
23719 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
23720 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
23721 clear if the posting could not be completed.
23723 There should be no result data from this function.
23728 @node Optional Back End Functions
23729 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
23733 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
23735 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
23736 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
23737 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
23739 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
23740 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
23741 former is in the same format as the data from
23742 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
23743 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
23746 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
23750 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
23752 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
23753 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
23754 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
23755 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
23756 should return the (altered) group info.
23758 There should be no result data from this function.
23761 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
23763 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
23764 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
23765 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
23766 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
23767 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
23768 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
23769 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
23770 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
23772 There should be no result data from this function.
23775 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
23777 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
23778 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
23779 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
23780 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
23781 propagate the mark information to the server.
23783 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
23786 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
23789 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
23790 @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove marks
23791 (preserving all marks not mentioned). MARK is a list of marks; where
23792 each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are @code{read},
23793 @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
23794 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
23795 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
23796 possible, not limit itself to these.
23798 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
23799 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
23800 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
23801 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
23803 An example action list:
23806 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
23807 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
23808 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
23811 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
23812 mark on (currently not used for anything).
23814 There should be no result data from this function.
23816 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
23818 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
23819 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
23820 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
23821 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
23822 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
23824 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
23825 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
23826 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
23829 There should be no result data from this function.
23832 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
23834 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
23835 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
23836 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
23837 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
23838 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
23839 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
23840 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
23842 There should be no result data from this function.
23845 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
23847 The result data from this function should be a description of
23851 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
23853 description = <text>
23856 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
23858 The result data from this function should be the description of all
23859 groups available on the server.
23862 description-buffer = *description-line
23866 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
23868 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
23869 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
23870 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
23871 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
23872 in the active buffer format.
23874 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
23875 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
23876 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
23877 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
23878 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
23879 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
23880 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
23883 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
23885 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
23887 There should be no return data.
23890 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
23892 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
23893 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
23894 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
23895 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
23896 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
23899 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
23902 There should be no result data returned.
23905 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
23908 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
23909 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
23911 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
23912 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
23913 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
23914 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
23915 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
23916 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
23918 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
23919 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
23922 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
23923 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
23925 There should be no data returned.
23928 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
23930 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
23931 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
23932 this function in short order.
23934 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
23935 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
23937 There should be no data returned.
23940 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
23942 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
23943 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
23945 There should be no data returned.
23948 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
23950 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
23951 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
23952 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
23954 There should be no data returned.
23957 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
23959 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
23960 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
23962 There should be no data returned.
23967 @node Error Messaging
23968 @subsubsection Error Messaging
23970 @findex nnheader-report
23971 @findex nnheader-get-report
23972 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
23973 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
23974 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
23975 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
23976 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
23977 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
23980 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
23982 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
23985 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
23986 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
23987 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
23988 takes one argument---the server symbol.
23990 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
23991 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
23992 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
23995 @node Writing New Back Ends
23996 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
23998 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
23999 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
24000 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
24001 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
24002 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
24005 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
24006 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
24007 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
24009 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
24010 package called @code{nnoo}.
24012 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
24013 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
24019 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
24020 parameters. For instance:
24023 (nnoo-declare nndir
24027 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
24028 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
24031 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
24032 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
24033 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
24035 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
24036 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
24037 a function in those back ends.
24040 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
24041 "Where nndir will look for groups."
24042 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
24045 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
24046 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
24047 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
24049 @item nnoo-define-basics
24050 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
24054 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
24058 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
24059 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
24060 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
24062 @item nnoo-map-functions
24063 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
24064 functions from the parent back ends.
24067 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
24068 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
24069 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
24072 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
24073 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
24074 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
24075 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
24078 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
24079 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
24080 haven't already been defined.
24086 nnmh-request-newgroups)
24090 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
24091 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
24092 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
24097 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
24100 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
24101 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
24105 (require 'nnheader)
24109 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
24111 (nnoo-declare nndir
24114 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
24115 "Where nndir will look for groups."
24116 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
24118 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
24119 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
24122 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
24124 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
24125 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
24126 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
24128 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
24129 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
24131 ;;; Interface functions.
24133 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
24135 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
24136 (setq nndir-directory
24137 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
24139 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
24140 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
24141 (push `(nndir-current-group
24142 ,(file-name-nondirectory
24143 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
24145 (push `(nndir-top-directory
24146 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
24148 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
24150 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
24151 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
24152 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
24153 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
24154 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
24158 nnmh-status-message
24160 nnmh-request-newgroups))
24166 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
24167 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
24169 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
24170 @findex gnus-declare-backend
24171 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
24172 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
24173 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
24175 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
24176 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
24181 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
24184 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
24186 The abilities can be:
24190 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
24192 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
24194 This back end supports both mail and news.
24196 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
24199 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
24200 articles and groups.
24202 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
24203 true for almost all back ends.
24204 @item prompt-address
24205 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
24206 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
24207 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
24211 @node Mail-like Back Ends
24212 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
24214 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
24215 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
24216 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
24217 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
24220 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
24221 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
24222 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
24225 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
24226 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
24229 This function takes four parameters.
24233 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
24236 @item exit-function
24237 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
24239 @item temp-directory
24240 Where the temporary files should be stored.
24243 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
24244 performed for one group only.
24247 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
24248 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
24249 find the article number assigned to this article.
24251 The function also uses the following variables:
24252 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
24253 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
24254 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
24255 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
24259 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
24260 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
24264 @node Score File Syntax
24265 @subsection Score File Syntax
24267 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
24268 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
24269 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
24271 Here's a typical score file:
24275 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
24282 BNF definition of a score file:
24285 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
24286 element = rule / atom
24287 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
24288 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
24289 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
24290 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
24292 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
24293 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
24294 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
24295 date-header = "date"
24296 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
24297 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
24298 score = "nil" / <integer>
24299 date = "nil" / <natural number>
24300 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
24301 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
24302 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
24303 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
24304 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
24305 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
24306 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
24307 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
24308 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
24309 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
24310 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
24311 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
24312 exclude-files / read-only / touched
24313 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
24314 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
24315 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
24316 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
24317 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
24318 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
24319 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
24320 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
24321 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
24322 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
24323 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
24324 eval = "eval" space <form>
24325 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
24328 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
24331 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
24332 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
24333 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
24334 one looong line, then that's ok.
24336 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
24337 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24341 @subsection Headers
24343 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
24344 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
24345 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
24346 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
24348 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
24349 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
24350 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
24351 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
24352 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
24353 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
24354 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
24356 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
24357 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
24358 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
24359 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
24360 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
24362 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
24363 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
24369 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
24370 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
24372 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
24373 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
24374 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
24375 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
24377 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
24381 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
24384 is transformed into
24387 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
24390 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
24391 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
24394 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
24397 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
24398 is slightly tricky:
24401 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
24407 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
24410 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
24416 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
24423 and is equal to the previous range.
24425 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
24426 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
24427 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
24431 range = simple-range / normal-range
24432 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
24433 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
24434 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
24435 number *[ " " contents ]
24438 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
24439 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
24440 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
24441 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
24442 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
24447 @subsection Group Info
24449 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
24450 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
24451 describes the group.
24453 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
24454 second is a more complex one:
24457 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
24459 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
24460 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
24462 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
24465 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
24466 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
24467 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
24468 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
24469 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
24470 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
24471 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
24472 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
24473 this section is about.
24475 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
24476 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
24477 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
24479 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
24482 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
24483 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
24484 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
24485 group = quote <string> quote
24486 ralevel = rank / level
24487 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
24488 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
24489 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
24491 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
24492 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
24493 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
24494 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
24497 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
24498 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
24501 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
24502 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
24505 @item gnus-info-group
24506 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
24507 @findex gnus-info-group
24508 @findex gnus-info-set-group
24509 Get/set the group name.
24511 @item gnus-info-rank
24512 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
24513 @findex gnus-info-rank
24514 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
24515 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
24517 @item gnus-info-level
24518 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
24519 @findex gnus-info-level
24520 @findex gnus-info-set-level
24521 Get/set the group level.
24523 @item gnus-info-score
24524 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
24525 @findex gnus-info-score
24526 @findex gnus-info-set-score
24527 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
24529 @item gnus-info-read
24530 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
24531 @findex gnus-info-read
24532 @findex gnus-info-set-read
24533 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
24535 @item gnus-info-marks
24536 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
24537 @findex gnus-info-marks
24538 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
24539 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
24541 @item gnus-info-method
24542 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
24543 @findex gnus-info-method
24544 @findex gnus-info-set-method
24545 Get/set the group select method.
24547 @item gnus-info-params
24548 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
24549 @findex gnus-info-params
24550 @findex gnus-info-set-params
24551 Get/set the group parameters.
24554 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
24555 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
24557 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
24558 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
24559 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
24560 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
24563 @node Extended Interactive
24564 @subsection Extended Interactive
24565 @cindex interactive
24566 @findex gnus-interactive
24568 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
24569 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
24570 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
24573 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
24574 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
24579 The best thing to do would have been to implement
24580 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
24581 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
24582 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
24583 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
24584 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
24585 @code{interactive}.
24587 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
24592 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
24593 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
24597 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
24598 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
24599 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
24602 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
24606 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
24610 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
24616 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
24617 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
24621 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
24622 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
24623 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
24625 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
24626 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
24627 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
24628 Gnus, that's very useful.
24630 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
24631 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
24632 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
24633 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
24634 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
24635 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
24636 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
24637 following function:
24640 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
24644 (,function ,@@args))
24648 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
24649 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
24650 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
24653 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
24654 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
24655 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
24657 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
24658 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
24659 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
24662 @node Various File Formats
24663 @subsection Various File Formats
24666 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
24667 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
24671 @node Active File Format
24672 @subsubsection Active File Format
24674 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
24675 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
24678 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
24681 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
24682 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
24683 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
24684 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
24685 no.general 1000 900 y
24688 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
24691 active = *group-line
24692 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
24693 group = <non-white-space string>
24695 high-number = <non-negative integer>
24696 low-number = <positive integer>
24697 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
24700 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
24701 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
24704 @node Newsgroups File Format
24705 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
24707 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
24708 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
24709 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
24712 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
24713 Here's the definition:
24717 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
24718 group = <non-white-space string>
24720 description = <string>
24725 @node Emacs for Heathens
24726 @section Emacs for Heathens
24728 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
24729 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
24730 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
24731 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
24732 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
24733 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
24734 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
24738 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
24739 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
24744 @subsection Keystrokes
24748 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
24751 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
24754 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
24755 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
24756 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
24757 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
24758 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
24759 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
24761 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
24762 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
24763 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
24764 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
24765 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
24766 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
24767 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
24769 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
24770 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
24771 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
24772 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
24773 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
24774 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
24775 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
24777 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
24778 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
24779 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
24780 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
24781 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
24787 @subsection Emacs Lisp
24789 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
24790 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
24791 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
24792 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
24794 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
24795 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
24796 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
24797 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
24798 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
24799 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
24800 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
24803 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
24804 write the following:
24807 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
24810 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
24811 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
24812 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
24815 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
24816 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
24817 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
24818 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
24819 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
24821 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
24822 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
24823 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
24827 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
24831 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
24834 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
24835 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
24838 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
24841 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
24842 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
24845 @include gnus-faq.texi
24865 @c Local Variables:
24867 @c coding: iso-8859-1
24869 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
24870 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
24871 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
24872 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
24873 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref