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265 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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274 Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
276 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
277 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
278 are preserved on all copies.
280 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
281 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
282 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
283 permission notice identical to this one.
285 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
286 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
295 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
297 Copyright (C) 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
299 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
300 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
301 are preserved on all copies.
304 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
305 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
306 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
307 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
310 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
311 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
312 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
313 permission notice identical to this one.
315 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
316 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
324 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
327 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
328 Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
330 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
331 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
332 are preserved on all copies.
334 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
335 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
336 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
337 permission notice identical to this one.
339 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
340 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
349 @top The Gnus Newsreader
353 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
354 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
355 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
358 This manual corresponds to Gnus 5.8.7.
369 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
370 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
372 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
373 being accused of plagiarism:
375 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
376 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
377 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
378 can even read news with it!
380 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
381 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
382 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
383 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
384 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
390 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
391 * The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
392 * The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
393 * The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
394 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
395 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
396 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
397 * Various:: General purpose settings.
398 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
399 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
400 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
401 * Key Index:: Key Index.
404 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
408 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
409 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
410 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
411 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
412 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
413 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
414 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
415 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
416 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
417 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
418 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
422 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
423 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
424 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
428 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
429 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
430 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
431 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
432 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
433 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
434 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
435 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
436 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
437 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
438 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
439 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
440 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
441 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
442 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
443 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
444 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
448 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
449 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
450 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
454 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
455 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
456 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
457 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
458 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
462 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
463 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
464 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
465 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
469 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
470 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
471 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
472 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
473 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
474 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
475 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
476 * Threading:: How threads are made.
477 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
478 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
479 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
480 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
481 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
482 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
483 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
484 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
485 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
486 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
487 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
488 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
489 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
490 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
491 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
492 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
493 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
494 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
495 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
496 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
498 Summary Buffer Format
500 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
501 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
502 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
503 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
507 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
508 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
510 Reply, Followup and Post
512 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
513 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
514 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
515 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
519 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
520 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
521 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
525 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
526 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
527 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
531 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
532 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
534 Customizing Threading
536 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
537 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
538 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
539 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
543 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
544 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
545 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
546 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
547 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
548 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
552 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
553 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
554 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
558 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
559 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
560 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
561 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
562 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
563 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
564 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
565 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
567 Alternative Approaches
569 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
570 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
572 Various Summary Stuff
574 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
575 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
576 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
577 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
581 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
582 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
583 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
584 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
585 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
589 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
590 * Post:: Posting and following up.
591 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
592 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
593 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
594 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
595 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
596 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
600 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
601 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
602 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
603 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
604 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
605 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
606 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
610 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
611 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
612 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
613 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
614 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
615 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
616 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
620 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
621 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
625 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
626 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
627 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
628 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
629 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
630 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
631 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
632 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
633 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
634 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
635 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
636 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
637 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
641 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
642 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
643 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
645 Choosing a Mail Backend
647 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
648 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
649 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
650 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
651 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
652 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
656 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
657 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
658 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
659 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
663 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
664 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
665 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
666 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
667 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
668 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
672 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
676 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
677 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
678 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
682 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
683 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
684 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
688 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
689 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
693 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
694 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
695 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
696 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
697 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
698 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
699 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
700 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
701 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
705 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
706 * The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
707 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
711 * Group Agent Commands::
712 * Summary Agent Commands::
713 * Server Agent Commands::
717 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
718 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
719 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
720 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
721 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
722 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
723 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
724 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
725 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
726 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
727 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
728 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
729 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
730 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
731 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
732 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
736 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
737 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
738 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
739 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
743 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
744 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
745 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
749 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
750 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
751 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
752 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
753 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
754 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
755 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
756 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
757 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
758 * Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
759 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
760 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
761 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
762 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
763 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
764 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
765 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
766 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
770 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
771 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
772 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
773 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
774 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
778 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
779 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
780 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
781 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
785 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
786 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
787 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
788 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
789 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
793 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
794 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
795 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
796 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
797 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
798 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
799 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
800 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
804 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
805 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
806 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
807 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
808 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
809 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
810 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
811 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
812 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
813 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
817 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
818 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
819 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
820 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
824 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
825 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
826 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
827 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
831 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
832 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
833 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
834 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
835 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
836 * Group Info:: The group info format.
837 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
838 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
839 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
843 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
844 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
845 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
846 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
847 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
848 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
852 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
853 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
857 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
858 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
864 @chapter Starting Gnus
869 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
870 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
873 @findex gnus-other-frame
874 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
875 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
876 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
878 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
879 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
880 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
882 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
883 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
886 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
887 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
888 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
889 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
890 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
891 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
892 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
893 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
894 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
895 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
896 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
900 @node Finding the News
901 @section Finding the News
904 @vindex gnus-select-method
906 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
907 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
908 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
909 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
912 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
913 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
916 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
919 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
922 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
925 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
926 certainly be much faster.
928 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
930 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
931 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
932 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
933 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
934 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
935 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
937 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
938 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
939 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
940 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
942 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
943 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
944 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
945 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
946 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
947 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
948 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
949 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
950 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
953 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
955 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
956 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
957 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
958 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
959 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
960 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
962 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
964 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
965 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
966 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
967 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
968 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
969 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
972 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
973 would typically set this variable to
976 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
981 @section The First Time
982 @cindex first time usage
984 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
985 be subscribed by default.
987 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
988 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
989 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
990 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
993 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
994 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
995 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
997 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
998 help you with most common problems.
1000 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1001 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1005 @node The Server is Down
1006 @section The Server is Down
1007 @cindex server errors
1009 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1010 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1011 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1013 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1014 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1015 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1016 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1017 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1018 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1019 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1021 @findex gnus-no-server
1022 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1024 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1025 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1026 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1027 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1028 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1029 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1034 @section Slave Gnusae
1037 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1038 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1039 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1040 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1042 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1043 @code{.newsrc} file.
1045 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1046 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1047 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1048 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1049 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1050 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1051 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1053 Anyways, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1054 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1055 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1056 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1057 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1058 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1059 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1060 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1062 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1063 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1066 @node Fetching a Group
1067 @section Fetching a Group
1068 @cindex fetching a group
1070 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1071 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1072 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1073 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1074 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1075 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1081 @cindex subscription
1083 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1084 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1085 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1086 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1087 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1088 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1089 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1090 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the backends for new groups even
1091 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1094 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1095 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1096 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1100 @node Checking New Groups
1101 @subsection Checking New Groups
1103 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1104 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1105 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1106 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1107 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1108 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1109 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1110 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1111 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1112 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1114 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1115 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1116 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1117 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1118 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1119 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1120 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1121 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1122 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1123 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1124 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1126 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1127 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1128 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1129 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1130 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1131 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1134 @node Subscription Methods
1135 @subsection Subscription Methods
1137 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1138 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1139 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1141 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1142 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1144 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1148 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1149 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1150 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1151 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1152 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1154 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1155 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1156 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1157 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1159 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1160 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1161 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1163 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1164 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1165 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1166 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1167 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1168 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1169 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1170 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1171 up. Or something like that.
1173 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1174 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1175 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1176 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1177 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1179 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1180 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1181 Kill all new groups.
1183 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1184 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1185 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1186 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1187 topic parameter that looks like
1193 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1196 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1201 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1202 A closely related variable is
1203 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1204 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1205 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1206 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1209 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1210 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1211 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1212 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1215 @node Filtering New Groups
1216 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1218 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1219 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1220 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1223 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1226 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1227 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1228 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1229 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1230 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1231 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1232 subscribing these groups.
1233 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1234 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1236 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1237 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1238 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1239 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1240 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1241 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1242 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1243 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1245 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1246 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1247 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1248 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1249 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1250 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1251 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1252 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1253 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
1254 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
1256 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1257 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1260 @node Changing Servers
1261 @section Changing Servers
1262 @cindex changing servers
1264 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1265 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1266 very flaky and you want to use another.
1268 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1269 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1273 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1274 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1275 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1276 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1279 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1280 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1281 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1282 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1284 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1285 @findex gnus-change-server
1286 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1287 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1288 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1289 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1290 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1292 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1293 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1294 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1295 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1296 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1298 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1299 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1300 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1301 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1302 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1303 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1305 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1306 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1307 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1311 @section Startup Files
1312 @cindex startup files
1317 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1318 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1320 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1321 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1322 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1323 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1324 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1325 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1326 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1328 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1329 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1330 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1331 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1332 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1333 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1335 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1336 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1337 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1338 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1339 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1340 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1341 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1342 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1343 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1344 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1346 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1347 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1348 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1349 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1350 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1351 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1352 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1353 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1354 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1355 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1356 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1357 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1359 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1360 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1361 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1362 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1364 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1365 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1366 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1367 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1368 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1369 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1370 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1371 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1372 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1373 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1376 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1377 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1379 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1380 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1383 @vindex gnus-init-file
1384 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1385 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1386 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1387 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1388 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1389 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1390 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1391 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1392 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1398 @cindex dribble file
1401 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1402 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1403 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1404 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1405 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1408 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1409 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1412 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1413 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1414 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1416 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1417 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1418 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1419 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1420 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1421 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1423 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1424 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1425 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1428 @node The Active File
1429 @section The Active File
1431 @cindex ignored groups
1433 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1434 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1435 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1437 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1438 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1439 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1440 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1441 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1442 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1443 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1446 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1447 @c if you set it to anything else.
1449 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1451 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1452 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1453 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1455 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1456 you actually subscribe to.
1458 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1459 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1460 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1461 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1463 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1464 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1465 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1466 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1467 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1468 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1470 Some news servers (Leafnode and old versions of INN, for instance) do
1471 not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these servers, @code{nil}
1472 is probably the most efficient value for this variable.
1474 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1475 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1476 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1477 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1478 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1479 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1481 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1482 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1484 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1485 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1487 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1488 secondary select methods.
1491 @node Startup Variables
1492 @section Startup Variables
1496 @item gnus-load-hook
1497 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1498 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1499 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1500 times you start Gnus.
1502 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1503 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1504 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1506 @item gnus-startup-hook
1507 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1508 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1510 @item gnus-started-hook
1511 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1512 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1515 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1516 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1517 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1518 generating the group buffer.
1520 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1521 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1522 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1523 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1524 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1525 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1526 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1527 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1529 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1530 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1531 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1532 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1533 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1534 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1536 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1537 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1538 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1540 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1541 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1542 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1544 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1545 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1546 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1547 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1552 @node The Group Buffer
1553 @chapter The Group Buffer
1554 @cindex group buffer
1556 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1557 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1558 long as Gnus is active.
1562 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1563 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
1564 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1565 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1566 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1567 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1568 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1569 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1575 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1576 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1577 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1578 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1579 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1580 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1581 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1582 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1583 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1584 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1585 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1586 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1587 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1588 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1589 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1590 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1591 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1595 @node Group Buffer Format
1596 @section Group Buffer Format
1599 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1600 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1601 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1605 @node Group Line Specification
1606 @subsection Group Line Specification
1607 @cindex group buffer format
1609 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1610 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1612 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1615 25: news.announce.newusers
1616 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1621 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1622 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1623 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1624 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1626 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1627 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1628 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1629 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1630 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1631 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1633 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1635 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1636 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1637 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1638 never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1641 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1642 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1643 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1645 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1650 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1653 Whether the group is subscribed.
1656 Level of subscribedness.
1659 Number of unread articles.
1662 Number of dormant articles.
1665 Number of ticked articles.
1668 Number of read articles.
1671 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1672 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1675 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1678 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1687 Newsgroup description.
1690 @samp{m} if moderated.
1693 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1702 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1706 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1709 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1710 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1711 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1712 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1713 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1716 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1718 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1722 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1726 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1727 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1728 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1729 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1730 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1731 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1736 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1737 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1738 group, or a bogus native group.
1741 @node Group Modeline Specification
1742 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1743 @cindex group modeline
1745 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1746 The mode line can be changed by setting
1747 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1748 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1752 The native news server.
1754 The native select method.
1758 @node Group Highlighting
1759 @subsection Group Highlighting
1760 @cindex highlighting
1761 @cindex group highlighting
1763 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1764 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1765 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1766 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1767 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1769 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1773 (cond (window-system
1774 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1775 (defface my-group-face-1
1776 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1777 (defface my-group-face-2
1778 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1779 (defface my-group-face-3
1780 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1781 (defface my-group-face-4
1782 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1783 (defface my-group-face-5
1784 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1786 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1787 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1788 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1789 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1790 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1791 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1794 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1796 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1803 The number of unread articles in the group.
1807 Whether the group is a mail group.
1809 The level of the group.
1811 The score of the group.
1813 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1815 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1816 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1818 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1819 topic being inserted.
1822 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1823 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1824 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1826 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1827 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1828 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1829 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1830 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1833 @node Group Maneuvering
1834 @section Group Maneuvering
1835 @cindex group movement
1837 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1838 expected, hopefully.
1844 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1845 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1846 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1852 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1853 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1854 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1858 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1859 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1863 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1864 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1868 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1869 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1870 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1874 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1875 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1876 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1879 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1885 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1886 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1887 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1892 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1893 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1894 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1898 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1899 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1900 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1903 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1904 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1905 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1906 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1910 @node Selecting a Group
1911 @section Selecting a Group
1912 @cindex group selection
1917 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1918 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1919 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1920 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1921 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1922 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1923 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1924 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1925 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1926 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
1930 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1931 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1932 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1933 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1934 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1938 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1939 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1940 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1941 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1942 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1943 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1944 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1945 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
1946 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
1947 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
1950 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1951 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1952 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1953 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1954 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1957 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1958 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1959 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1960 doing any processing of its contents
1961 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1962 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1963 manner will have no permanent effects.
1967 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1968 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
1969 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1970 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
1971 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
1972 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
1973 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
1974 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
1977 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
1978 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
1979 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
1980 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
1985 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
1986 full summary buffer.
1989 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
1992 Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
1997 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
1998 be called to place point on a subject line, and/or select some article.
1999 Useful functions include:
2002 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-subject
2003 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article, but
2004 don't select the article.
2006 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
2007 Select the first unread article.
2009 @item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
2010 Select the highest-scored unread article.
2014 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2015 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
2016 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2020 @node Subscription Commands
2021 @section Subscription Commands
2022 @cindex subscription
2030 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2031 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2032 Toggle subscription to the current group
2033 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2039 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2040 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2041 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2042 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2048 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2049 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2050 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2056 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2057 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2060 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2061 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2062 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2063 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2064 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2070 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2071 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2075 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2076 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2079 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2080 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2081 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2082 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2083 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2084 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2085 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2086 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2087 @file{.newsrc} file.
2091 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2101 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2102 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2103 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2104 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2105 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2106 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2111 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2112 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2113 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2117 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2118 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2119 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2121 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2122 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2123 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2124 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2125 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2126 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2133 @section Group Levels
2137 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2138 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2139 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2140 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2141 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2143 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2149 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2150 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2151 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2152 prompted for a level.
2155 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2156 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2157 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2158 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2159 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2160 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2161 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2162 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2163 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2164 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2165 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2166 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2167 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2168 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2169 reasons of efficiency.
2171 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2172 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2174 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2175 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2176 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2178 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2179 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2180 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2181 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2182 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2183 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2184 relevant valid ranges.
2186 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2187 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2188 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2189 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2190 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2191 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2194 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2195 one with the best level.
2197 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2198 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2199 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2202 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2203 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2204 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2205 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2208 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2209 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2210 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2211 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2213 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2214 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2215 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2216 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2217 to 5. The default is 6.
2221 @section Group Score
2226 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2227 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2228 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2231 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2232 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2233 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2234 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2235 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2236 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2237 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2238 least significant part.))
2240 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2241 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2242 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2243 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2244 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2245 action after each summary exit, you can add
2246 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2247 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2248 slow things down somewhat.
2251 @node Marking Groups
2252 @section Marking Groups
2253 @cindex marking groups
2255 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2256 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2257 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2258 bidding on those groups.
2260 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2261 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2262 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2270 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2271 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2277 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2278 Remove the mark from the current group
2279 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2283 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2284 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2288 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2289 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2293 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2294 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2298 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2299 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2300 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2303 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2305 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2306 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2307 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2308 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2309 the command to be executed.
2312 @node Foreign Groups
2313 @section Foreign Groups
2314 @cindex foreign groups
2316 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2317 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2318 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2319 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2326 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2327 @cindex making groups
2328 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2329 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2330 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2334 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2335 @cindex renaming groups
2336 Rename the current group to something else
2337 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2338 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2344 @findex gnus-group-customize
2345 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2349 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2350 @cindex renaming groups
2351 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2352 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2356 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2357 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2358 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2362 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2363 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2364 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2368 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2370 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2371 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2376 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2377 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2381 @cindex (ding) archive
2382 @cindex archive group
2383 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2384 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2385 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2386 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2387 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2388 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2389 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2393 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2395 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2396 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2397 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2398 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2402 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2404 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2405 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2406 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2410 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2411 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2413 Make a group based on some file or other
2414 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2415 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2416 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
2417 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
2418 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{nsmail} and @code{forward}.
2419 If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2420 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2424 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2425 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2426 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2427 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2431 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2436 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2437 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2438 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2439 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2440 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
2441 @xref{Web Searches}.
2443 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
2444 to a particular group by using a match string like
2445 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
2448 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2449 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2450 This function will delete the current group
2451 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2452 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2453 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2454 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2455 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2459 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2460 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2461 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2465 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2466 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2467 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2470 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2473 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2474 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2475 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2476 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2477 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2478 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2482 @node Group Parameters
2483 @section Group Parameters
2484 @cindex group parameters
2486 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2487 Here's an example group parameter list:
2490 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2494 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2495 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2496 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2497 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2499 The following group parameters can be used:
2504 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2507 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2510 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2511 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2512 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2513 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2514 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2516 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2517 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2518 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2519 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2520 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2521 list address instead.
2525 Address used when doing a @kbd{a} in that group.
2528 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2531 It is totally ignored
2532 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2533 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2535 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2536 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2537 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2538 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2539 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2541 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2542 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2543 sending the message.
2547 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2548 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2549 of whether it has any unread articles.
2551 @item broken-reply-to
2552 @cindex broken-reply-to
2553 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2554 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2555 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2556 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2557 broken behavior. So there!
2561 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2562 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2566 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2567 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2568 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2573 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2574 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2575 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2576 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2577 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2578 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2579 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2583 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2584 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2585 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2588 @cindex total-expire
2589 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2590 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2591 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2592 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2597 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2598 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2599 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2600 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2601 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2602 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2605 @cindex score file group parameter
2606 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2607 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2608 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2611 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2612 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2613 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2614 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2617 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2618 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2619 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2620 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2623 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2624 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2628 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2631 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2636 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2637 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2638 Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2642 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2643 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2644 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2646 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2647 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2648 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2649 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2650 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2651 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2652 @code{eval}ed there.
2654 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2655 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2656 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2657 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2658 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2661 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2662 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2663 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2664 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2665 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2667 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2668 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2669 like this in the group parameters:
2674 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2679 Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group. You
2680 might also be interested in reading about topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
2684 @node Listing Groups
2685 @section Listing Groups
2686 @cindex group listing
2688 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2696 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2697 List all groups that have unread articles
2698 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2699 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2700 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2701 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2708 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2709 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2710 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2711 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2712 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2713 unsubscribed groups).
2717 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2718 List all unread groups on a specific level
2719 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2720 with no unread articles.
2724 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2725 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2726 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2727 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2732 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2733 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2737 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2738 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2739 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2743 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2744 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2748 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2749 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2750 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2751 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2752 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2753 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2754 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2755 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2759 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2760 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2761 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2765 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2766 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2767 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2771 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
2772 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
2776 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
2777 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
2781 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2782 @cindex visible group parameter
2783 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2784 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2785 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2786 get the same effect.
2788 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2789 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2790 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2791 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2792 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2795 @node Sorting Groups
2796 @section Sorting Groups
2797 @cindex sorting groups
2799 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2800 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2801 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2802 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2803 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2804 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2809 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2810 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2811 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2813 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2814 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2815 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2817 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2818 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2819 Sort by group level.
2821 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2822 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2823 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
2825 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2826 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2827 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2828 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
2830 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2831 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2832 Sort by number of unread articles.
2834 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2835 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2836 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2841 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2842 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2846 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2847 some sorting criteria:
2851 @kindex G S a (Group)
2852 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2853 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2854 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2857 @kindex G S u (Group)
2858 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2859 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2860 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2863 @kindex G S l (Group)
2864 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2865 Sort the group buffer by group level
2866 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2869 @kindex G S v (Group)
2870 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2871 Sort the group buffer by group score
2872 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2875 @kindex G S r (Group)
2876 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2877 Sort the group buffer by group rank
2878 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2881 @kindex G S m (Group)
2882 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2883 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2884 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2888 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
2889 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2891 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
2892 commands will sort in reverse order.
2894 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
2898 @kindex G P a (Group)
2899 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
2900 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
2901 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
2904 @kindex G P u (Group)
2905 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
2906 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
2907 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
2910 @kindex G P l (Group)
2911 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
2912 Sort the groups by group level
2913 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
2916 @kindex G P v (Group)
2917 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
2918 Sort the groups by group score
2919 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2922 @kindex G P r (Group)
2923 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
2924 Sort the groups by group rank
2925 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2928 @kindex G P m (Group)
2929 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
2930 Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
2931 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
2937 @node Group Maintenance
2938 @section Group Maintenance
2939 @cindex bogus groups
2944 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
2945 Find bogus groups and delete them
2946 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
2950 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
2951 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
2952 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
2953 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
2954 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
2958 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
2959 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
2960 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
2961 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
2964 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
2965 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
2966 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
2967 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
2972 @node Browse Foreign Server
2973 @section Browse Foreign Server
2974 @cindex foreign servers
2975 @cindex browsing servers
2980 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
2981 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
2982 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
2983 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
2986 @findex gnus-browse-mode
2987 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
2988 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
2989 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
2991 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
2996 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2997 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3001 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3002 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3005 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3006 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3007 Enter the current group and display the first article
3008 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3011 @kindex RET (Browse)
3012 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3013 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3017 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3018 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3019 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3025 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3026 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3030 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3031 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3032 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3037 @section Exiting Gnus
3038 @cindex exiting Gnus
3040 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3045 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3046 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3047 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3048 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3052 @findex gnus-group-exit
3053 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3054 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3058 @findex gnus-group-quit
3059 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3060 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3063 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3064 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3065 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3066 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3067 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3072 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3073 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3074 trying to customize meta-variables.
3079 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3080 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3081 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3087 @section Group Topics
3090 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3091 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3092 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3093 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3094 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3095 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3099 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3100 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
3111 2: alt.religion.emacs
3114 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3116 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3117 13: comp.sources.unix
3120 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3122 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3123 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3124 is a toggling command.)
3126 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3127 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
3128 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3129 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3132 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3133 the hook for the group mode:
3136 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3140 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3141 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3142 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3143 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3144 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3148 @node Topic Variables
3149 @subsection Topic Variables
3150 @cindex topic variables
3152 Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
3153 really neat, I think.
3155 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3156 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3157 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3170 Number of groups in the topic.
3172 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3174 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3177 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3178 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3179 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3182 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3183 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3185 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3186 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3187 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3190 @node Topic Commands
3191 @subsection Topic Commands
3192 @cindex topic commands
3194 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3195 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3196 definitions slightly.
3202 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3203 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3204 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3208 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3209 Move the current group to some other topic
3210 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3211 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3215 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3216 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3220 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3221 Copy the current group to some other topic
3222 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3223 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3227 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3228 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3229 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3230 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3231 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3232 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3233 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3236 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3237 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3241 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3242 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3243 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3247 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3248 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3249 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3253 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3254 Toggle hiding empty topics
3255 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3259 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3260 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3261 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3264 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3265 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3266 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3267 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3271 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3273 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3274 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3275 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3276 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3279 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3280 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3281 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3282 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3286 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3288 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3289 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3290 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3291 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3292 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3293 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3296 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3297 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3298 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the expiry
3299 process (if any) (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}).
3303 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3304 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3305 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3309 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3310 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3311 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3316 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3317 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3320 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3321 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3322 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3326 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3327 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3328 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3332 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3333 @cindex group parameters
3334 @cindex topic parameters
3336 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3337 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3343 @subsection Topic Sorting
3344 @cindex topic sorting
3346 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3352 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3353 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3354 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3355 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3358 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3359 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3360 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3361 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3364 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3365 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3366 Sort the current topic by group level
3367 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3370 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3371 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3372 Sort the current topic by group score
3373 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3376 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3377 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3378 Sort the current topic by group rank
3379 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3382 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3383 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3384 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
3385 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3389 @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
3392 @node Topic Topology
3393 @subsection Topic Topology
3394 @cindex topic topology
3397 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3403 2: alt.religion.emacs
3406 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3408 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3409 13: comp.sources.unix
3412 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3413 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3414 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3419 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3420 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3424 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3425 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3426 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3427 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3428 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3429 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3431 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3432 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3433 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3436 @node Topic Parameters
3437 @subsection Topic Parameters
3438 @cindex topic parameters
3440 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3441 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3442 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3444 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3449 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3450 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3451 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3456 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3457 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3458 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3459 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3465 2: alt.religion.emacs
3469 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3471 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3472 13: comp.sources.unix
3476 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3477 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3478 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3479 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3480 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3481 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3483 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3484 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3485 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3486 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3487 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3489 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3490 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3491 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3492 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3493 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3494 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3495 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3496 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3499 @node Misc Group Stuff
3500 @section Misc Group Stuff
3503 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3504 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3505 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3506 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3513 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3514 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3515 @xref{The Server Buffer}.
3519 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3520 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
3521 prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
3525 @findex gnus-group-mail
3526 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
3530 Variables for the group buffer:
3534 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3535 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3536 is called after the group buffer has been
3539 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3540 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3541 is called after the group buffer is
3542 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3545 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3546 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3547 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3548 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3550 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3551 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3552 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3553 whether they are empty or not.
3555 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3556 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3557 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3558 non-ASCII group names.
3562 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3563 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
3566 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3567 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3568 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
3569 It is used to show non-ASCII group names.
3573 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3574 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
3579 @node Scanning New Messages
3580 @subsection Scanning New Messages
3581 @cindex new messages
3582 @cindex scanning new news
3588 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
3589 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
3590 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
3591 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
3592 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
3593 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
3598 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
3599 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
3600 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
3601 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
3602 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
3603 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
3604 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
3606 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
3607 @cindex activating groups
3609 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
3610 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
3615 @findex gnus-group-restart
3616 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
3617 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
3618 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
3622 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
3623 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
3625 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
3626 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
3630 @node Group Information
3631 @subsection Group Information
3632 @cindex group information
3633 @cindex information on groups
3640 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
3641 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
3644 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
3645 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
3646 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
3647 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
3648 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
3649 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
3650 for fetching the file.
3652 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
3653 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
3657 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
3659 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
3660 @cindex describing groups
3661 @cindex group description
3662 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
3663 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
3664 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
3668 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
3669 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
3670 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
3677 @findex gnus-version
3678 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
3682 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
3683 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
3686 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
3689 @findex gnus-info-find-node
3690 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
3694 @node Group Timestamp
3695 @subsection Group Timestamp
3697 @cindex group timestamps
3699 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
3700 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
3701 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
3704 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
3707 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
3709 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
3710 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
3713 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3714 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
3717 This will result in lines looking like:
3720 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
3721 0: custom 19961002T012713
3724 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
3725 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
3729 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3730 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
3735 @subsection File Commands
3736 @cindex file commands
3742 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
3743 @vindex gnus-init-file
3744 @cindex reading init file
3745 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
3746 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
3750 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
3751 @cindex saving .newsrc
3752 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
3753 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
3754 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
3757 @c @kindex Z (Group)
3758 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
3759 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
3764 @node The Summary Buffer
3765 @chapter The Summary Buffer
3766 @cindex summary buffer
3768 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
3769 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
3771 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
3772 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
3774 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
3777 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
3778 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
3779 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3780 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3781 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3782 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3783 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3784 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3785 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3786 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3787 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3788 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3789 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3790 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3791 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3792 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3793 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
3794 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
3795 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3796 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3797 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3798 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3799 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3800 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3801 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3802 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
3803 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3804 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3808 @node Summary Buffer Format
3809 @section Summary Buffer Format
3810 @cindex summary buffer format
3814 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
3815 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
3816 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
3822 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3823 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
3824 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3825 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3828 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3829 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3830 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3831 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3832 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3833 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
3834 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3835 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
3836 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
3837 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
3838 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
3841 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
3842 'mail-extract-address-components)
3845 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3846 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3847 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3848 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
3851 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3852 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
3854 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3855 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
3856 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
3857 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
3858 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3860 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
3862 The following format specification characters are understood:
3868 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
3869 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
3871 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
3872 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
3873 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
3875 Full @code{From} header.
3877 The name (from the @code{From} header).
3879 The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
3880 (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
3882 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
3883 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
3884 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
3885 may be more thorough.
3887 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
3890 Number of lines in the article.
3892 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported in some
3893 methods (like nnfolder).
3895 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3897 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
3898 pushes everything after it off the screen).
3900 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
3901 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3903 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
3904 for adopted articles.
3906 One space for each thread level.
3908 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
3913 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
3914 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
3918 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
3920 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
3921 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
3922 default level. If the difference between
3923 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
3924 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
3932 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
3934 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
3940 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
3941 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
3943 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
3944 article has any children.
3950 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
3951 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
3952 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
3953 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
3954 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
3955 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
3958 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
3959 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
3960 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
3961 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
3962 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
3963 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
3965 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
3966 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
3968 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
3971 @node To From Newsgroups
3972 @subsection To From Newsgroups
3976 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
3977 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
3978 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
3979 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
3980 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
3984 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
3985 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
3986 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
3990 (setq gnus-extra-headers
3991 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
3994 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
3995 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
3998 @findex gnus-extra-header
3999 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4000 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4001 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4004 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4008 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4009 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4010 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4011 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4012 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4013 headers are used instead.
4017 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4018 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4019 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4020 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4023 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4024 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4025 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4026 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4028 In summary, you'd typically do something like the following:
4031 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4033 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4034 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4035 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
4036 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4040 Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4041 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4048 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4049 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4052 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4053 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4055 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4056 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4057 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4058 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4060 Here are the elements you can play with:
4066 Unprefixed group name.
4068 Current article number.
4070 Current article score.
4074 Number of unread articles in this group.
4076 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4079 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4080 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4081 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4082 and no unselected ones.
4084 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4085 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4087 Subject of the current article.
4089 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4091 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4093 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4095 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4097 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4099 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4103 @node Summary Highlighting
4104 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4108 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4109 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4110 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4111 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4112 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4114 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4115 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4116 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4117 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4119 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4120 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4121 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4122 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4124 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4125 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4126 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4127 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4128 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4129 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4132 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4133 ((> score default) . bold))
4135 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4136 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4140 @node Summary Maneuvering
4141 @section Summary Maneuvering
4142 @cindex summary movement
4144 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4145 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4147 None of these commands select articles.
4152 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4153 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4154 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4155 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4156 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4160 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4161 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4162 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4163 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4164 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4169 @kindex G j (Summary)
4170 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4171 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4172 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4175 @kindex G g (Summary)
4176 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4177 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4178 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4181 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4182 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4183 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4184 to the group buffer.
4186 Variables related to summary movement:
4190 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4191 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4192 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4193 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4194 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4195 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4196 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4197 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
4198 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
4199 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
4200 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
4201 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
4202 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
4203 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
4205 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4206 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4207 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4208 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4209 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4210 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4211 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4213 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4215 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4216 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4217 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4218 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4219 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4221 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4222 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4223 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4224 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4225 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4226 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4227 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4228 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4231 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4232 the given number of lines from the top.
4237 @node Choosing Articles
4238 @section Choosing Articles
4239 @cindex selecting articles
4242 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4243 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4247 @node Choosing Commands
4248 @subsection Choosing Commands
4250 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4251 and they all select and display an article.
4255 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4256 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4257 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4258 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4263 @kindex G n (Summary)
4264 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4265 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4266 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4271 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4272 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4273 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4278 @kindex G N (Summary)
4279 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4280 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4285 @kindex G P (Summary)
4286 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4287 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4290 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4291 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4292 Go to the next article with the same subject
4293 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4296 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4297 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4298 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4299 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4303 @kindex G f (Summary)
4305 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4306 Go to the first unread article
4307 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4311 @kindex G b (Summary)
4313 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4314 Go to the article with the highest score
4315 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
4320 @kindex G l (Summary)
4321 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4322 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4325 @kindex G o (Summary)
4326 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4328 @cindex article history
4329 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4330 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4331 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4332 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4333 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4334 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4338 @node Choosing Variables
4339 @subsection Choosing Variables
4341 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4344 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4345 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4346 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4347 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4348 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4349 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4351 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4352 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4353 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4354 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4356 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4357 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4358 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4359 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4360 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4361 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4362 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4363 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4364 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4365 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4366 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4367 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4368 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4369 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4374 @node Paging the Article
4375 @section Scrolling the Article
4376 @cindex article scrolling
4381 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4382 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4383 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4384 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4385 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4388 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4389 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4390 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4393 @kindex RET (Summary)
4394 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4395 Scroll the current article one line forward
4396 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4399 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4400 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4401 Scroll the current article one line backward
4402 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4406 @kindex A g (Summary)
4408 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4409 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4410 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4411 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4412 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4413 the way it came from the server.
4415 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
4416 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
4417 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
4420 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4425 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
4430 @kindex A < (Summary)
4431 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
4432 Scroll to the beginning of the article
4433 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
4438 @kindex A > (Summary)
4439 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
4440 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
4444 @kindex A s (Summary)
4446 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
4447 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
4448 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
4452 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
4453 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
4458 @node Reply Followup and Post
4459 @section Reply, Followup and Post
4462 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
4463 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
4464 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
4465 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
4469 @node Summary Mail Commands
4470 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
4472 @cindex composing mail
4474 Commands for composing a mail message:
4480 @kindex S r (Summary)
4482 @findex gnus-summary-reply
4483 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
4484 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
4485 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
4486 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
4491 @kindex S R (Summary)
4492 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
4493 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
4494 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
4495 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
4496 command uses the process/prefix convention.
4499 @kindex S w (Summary)
4500 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
4501 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
4502 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
4503 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4504 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
4507 @kindex S W (Summary)
4508 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4509 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
4510 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4511 the process/prefix convention.
4515 @kindex S o m (Summary)
4516 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
4517 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
4518 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
4519 Forward the current article to some other person
4520 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
4521 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
4522 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
4523 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, foward message
4524 as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
4525 forward as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 4, foward message
4526 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
4527 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
4528 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 MIME section.
4533 @kindex S m (Summary)
4534 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
4535 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
4536 Send a mail to some other person
4537 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
4540 @kindex S D b (Summary)
4541 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
4542 @cindex bouncing mail
4543 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
4544 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
4545 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
4546 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
4547 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
4548 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
4549 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
4550 very well fail, though.
4553 @kindex S D r (Summary)
4554 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
4555 Not to be confused with the previous command,
4556 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
4557 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
4558 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
4559 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
4560 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
4561 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
4562 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
4564 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
4565 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
4566 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
4567 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
4568 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
4570 This command understands the process/prefix convention
4571 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4574 @kindex S O m (Summary)
4575 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
4576 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
4577 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
4578 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4581 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
4582 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
4583 @cindex crossposting
4584 @cindex excessive crossposting
4585 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
4586 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
4588 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
4589 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
4590 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
4591 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
4592 command understands the process/prefix convention
4593 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
4597 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4600 @node Summary Post Commands
4601 @subsection Summary Post Commands
4603 @cindex composing news
4605 Commands for posting a news article:
4611 @kindex S p (Summary)
4612 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
4613 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
4614 Post an article to the current group
4615 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
4620 @kindex S f (Summary)
4621 @findex gnus-summary-followup
4622 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
4623 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
4627 @kindex S F (Summary)
4629 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
4630 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
4631 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
4632 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
4633 process/prefix convention.
4636 @kindex S n (Summary)
4637 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
4638 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4639 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
4642 @kindex S N (Summary)
4643 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
4644 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4645 message through mail and include the original message
4646 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
4647 the process/prefix convention.
4650 @kindex S o p (Summary)
4651 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
4652 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
4653 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
4654 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
4655 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
4656 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
4657 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, foward message
4658 as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
4659 forward as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 4, foward message
4660 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
4661 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
4662 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 MIME section.
4665 @kindex S O p (Summary)
4666 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
4668 @cindex making digests
4669 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
4670 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
4671 process/prefix convention.
4674 @kindex S u (Summary)
4675 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
4676 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
4677 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
4678 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
4681 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4684 @node Summary Message Commands
4685 @subsection Summary Message Commands
4689 @kindex S y (Summary)
4690 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
4691 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
4692 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
4693 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
4694 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4699 @node Canceling and Superseding
4700 @subsection Canceling Articles
4701 @cindex canceling articles
4702 @cindex superseding articles
4704 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
4705 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
4707 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
4709 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
4711 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
4712 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
4713 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
4714 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
4715 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
4716 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4718 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
4719 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
4722 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
4723 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
4724 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
4726 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
4727 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
4728 your original article.
4730 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
4732 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
4733 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
4734 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
4737 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
4738 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
4739 have posted almost the same article twice.
4741 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
4742 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
4743 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
4744 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
4745 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
4746 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
4747 header by substituting one of those words for the word
4748 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
4749 you would do normally. The previous article will be
4750 canceled/superseded.
4752 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
4755 @node Marking Articles
4756 @section Marking Articles
4757 @cindex article marking
4758 @cindex article ticking
4761 There are several marks you can set on an article.
4763 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
4764 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
4765 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
4767 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
4770 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
4771 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
4772 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
4776 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
4780 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
4781 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
4782 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
4786 @node Unread Articles
4787 @subsection Unread Articles
4789 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
4794 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
4795 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
4797 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
4798 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
4799 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
4800 tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
4801 article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
4805 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
4806 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
4808 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
4809 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
4810 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
4813 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
4814 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
4816 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
4821 @subsection Read Articles
4822 @cindex expirable mark
4824 All the following marks mark articles as read.
4829 @vindex gnus-del-mark
4830 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
4831 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
4834 @vindex gnus-read-mark
4835 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
4838 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
4839 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
4840 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
4843 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
4844 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
4847 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
4848 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
4851 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
4852 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
4855 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
4856 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
4859 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
4860 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
4863 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
4864 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
4867 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
4868 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
4872 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
4873 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
4874 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
4878 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
4879 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
4881 One more special mark, though:
4885 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
4886 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
4888 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
4889 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
4890 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
4891 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
4897 @subsection Other Marks
4898 @cindex process mark
4901 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
4907 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
4908 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
4909 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
4910 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
4911 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
4914 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
4915 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
4916 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
4917 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
4920 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
4921 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
4922 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
4925 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
4926 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
4927 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
4928 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
4931 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
4932 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
4933 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
4934 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
4935 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
4938 @vindex gnus-process-mark
4939 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
4940 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
4941 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
4942 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
4943 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
4947 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
4948 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
4949 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
4951 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
4952 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
4953 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
4957 @subsection Setting Marks
4958 @cindex setting marks
4960 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
4965 @kindex M c (Summary)
4966 @kindex M-u (Summary)
4967 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
4968 @cindex mark as unread
4969 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
4970 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
4976 @kindex M t (Summary)
4977 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
4978 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
4979 @xref{Article Caching}.
4984 @kindex M ? (Summary)
4985 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
4986 Mark the current article as dormant
4987 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
4991 @kindex M d (Summary)
4993 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
4994 Mark the current article as read
4995 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
4999 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5000 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5001 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5006 @kindex M k (Summary)
5007 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5008 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5009 and then select the next unread article
5010 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5014 @kindex M K (Summary)
5015 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5016 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5017 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5018 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5021 @kindex M C (Summary)
5022 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5023 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5024 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5027 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5028 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5029 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5030 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5033 @kindex M H (Summary)
5034 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5035 Catchup the current group to point
5036 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5039 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5040 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5041 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5042 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5045 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5046 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5047 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5048 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5052 @kindex M e (Summary)
5054 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5055 Mark the current article as expirable
5056 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5059 @kindex M b (Summary)
5060 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5061 Set a bookmark in the current article
5062 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5065 @kindex M B (Summary)
5066 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5067 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5068 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5071 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5072 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5073 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5074 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5077 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5078 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5079 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5080 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5083 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5084 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5085 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5086 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5087 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5090 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5091 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5092 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5093 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5094 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5095 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5096 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5097 The default is @code{t}.
5100 @node Generic Marking Commands
5101 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5103 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5104 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5105 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5106 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5107 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5110 Multiply these five behaviours with five different marking commands, and
5111 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5114 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5115 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5116 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5117 to list in this manual.
5119 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5120 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5121 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5122 article, you could say something like:
5125 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5126 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5127 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5133 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5134 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5138 @node Setting Process Marks
5139 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5140 @cindex setting process marks
5147 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5148 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5149 Mark the current article with the process mark
5150 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5151 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5155 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5156 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5157 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5158 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5161 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5162 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5163 Remove the process mark from all articles
5164 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5167 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5168 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5169 Invert the list of process marked articles
5170 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5173 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5174 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5175 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5176 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5179 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5180 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5181 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5182 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5185 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5186 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5187 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5190 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5191 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5192 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5193 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5196 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5197 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5198 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5199 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5202 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5203 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5204 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5205 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5208 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5209 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5210 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5213 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5214 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5215 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5216 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5219 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5220 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5221 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5224 @kindex M P b (Summary)
5225 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5226 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
5227 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5230 @kindex M P k (Summary)
5231 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
5232 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
5233 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
5236 @kindex M P y (Summary)
5237 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
5238 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
5239 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
5242 @kindex M P w (Summary)
5243 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
5244 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
5245 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
5254 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
5255 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
5256 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
5259 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
5260 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
5261 additional articles.
5267 @kindex / / (Summary)
5268 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
5269 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
5270 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
5273 @kindex / a (Summary)
5274 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
5275 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
5276 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
5279 @kindex / x (Summary)
5280 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
5281 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
5282 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
5283 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}).
5287 @kindex / u (Summary)
5289 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
5290 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
5291 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
5292 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
5293 dormant articles will also be excluded.
5296 @kindex / m (Summary)
5297 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
5298 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
5299 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
5302 @kindex / t (Summary)
5303 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
5304 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
5305 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
5306 articles younger than that number of days.
5309 @kindex / n (Summary)
5310 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
5311 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
5312 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
5313 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5316 @kindex / w (Summary)
5317 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
5318 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
5319 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
5323 @kindex / v (Summary)
5324 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
5325 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
5326 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
5330 @kindex M S (Summary)
5331 @kindex / E (Summary)
5332 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
5333 Include all expunged articles in the limit
5334 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
5337 @kindex / D (Summary)
5338 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
5339 Include all dormant articles in the limit
5340 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
5343 @kindex / * (Summary)
5344 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
5345 Include all cached articles in the limit
5346 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
5349 @kindex / d (Summary)
5350 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
5351 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
5352 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
5355 @kindex / M (Summary)
5356 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
5357 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
5360 @kindex / T (Summary)
5361 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
5362 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
5365 @kindex / c (Summary)
5366 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
5367 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
5368 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
5371 @kindex / C (Summary)
5372 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
5373 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
5374 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
5375 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
5383 @cindex article threading
5385 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
5386 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
5387 hierarchical fashion.
5389 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
5390 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
5391 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
5392 or simply missing. Weird news propagation excarcerbates the problem,
5393 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
5394 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
5395 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
5397 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
5401 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
5404 A tree-like article structure.
5407 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
5410 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
5411 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
5412 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
5413 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
5414 called loose threads.
5416 @item thread gathering
5417 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
5419 @item sparse threads
5420 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
5421 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
5427 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
5428 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
5432 @node Customizing Threading
5433 @subsection Customizing Threading
5434 @cindex customizing threading
5437 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
5438 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
5439 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
5440 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
5445 @subsubsection Loose Threads
5448 @cindex loose threads
5451 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
5452 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
5453 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
5454 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
5455 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
5456 read or killed the root in a previous session.
5458 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
5459 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
5460 There are four possible values:
5464 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
5465 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
5466 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5467 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5468 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5473 @cindex adopting articles
5478 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
5479 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
5480 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
5481 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
5484 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
5485 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
5486 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
5487 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
5488 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
5489 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
5490 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
5493 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
5494 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
5495 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
5499 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
5500 display them after one another.
5503 Don't gather loose threads.
5506 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5507 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5508 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
5509 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
5510 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
5511 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
5512 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
5513 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
5514 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
5515 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
5516 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
5518 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
5519 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
5520 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
5523 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5524 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5525 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
5526 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
5527 simplification is used.
5529 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5530 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5531 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
5532 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
5534 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
5536 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5542 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
5543 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
5544 "answer" "reference" "announce"
5545 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
5550 (mapconcat 'identity
5551 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
5553 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
5556 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
5559 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5560 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5561 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
5562 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
5563 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
5564 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
5566 Useful functions to put in this list include:
5569 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
5570 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
5571 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
5573 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5574 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5577 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
5578 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
5579 Remove excessive whitespace.
5582 You may also write your own functions, of course.
5585 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5586 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5587 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
5588 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
5589 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
5590 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
5591 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
5592 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
5594 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5595 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5596 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
5597 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
5598 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
5599 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
5600 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
5601 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
5602 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
5606 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5607 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5608 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
5609 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
5611 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5612 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5613 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
5616 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
5620 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5621 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
5627 @node Filling In Threads
5628 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
5631 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
5632 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
5633 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
5634 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
5635 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
5636 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
5637 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
5638 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
5639 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
5640 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
5641 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
5642 expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
5644 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
5645 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
5646 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
5648 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
5649 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
5650 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
5651 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
5652 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
5653 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
5654 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
5655 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
5656 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
5657 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
5658 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
5659 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
5660 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
5661 @code{nil} by default.
5666 @node More Threading
5667 @subsubsection More Threading
5670 @item gnus-show-threads
5671 @vindex gnus-show-threads
5672 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
5673 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
5674 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
5675 slower and more awkward.
5677 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5678 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5679 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
5682 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
5683 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
5684 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
5685 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
5686 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
5687 threads are expunged.
5689 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
5690 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
5691 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
5694 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5695 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5696 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
5697 this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
5698 is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
5701 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
5702 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
5703 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
5706 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5707 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5708 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
5709 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
5710 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
5711 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
5712 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
5713 Setting this variable to an alternate value
5714 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
5715 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
5716 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
5721 @node Low-Level Threading
5722 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
5726 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
5727 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
5728 Hook run before parsing any headers.
5730 @item gnus-alter-header-function
5731 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
5732 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
5733 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
5734 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
5735 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
5736 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
5737 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
5738 meaningful. Here's one example:
5741 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
5743 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
5744 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
5746 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
5748 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
5755 @node Thread Commands
5756 @subsection Thread Commands
5757 @cindex thread commands
5763 @kindex T k (Summary)
5764 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
5765 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
5766 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
5767 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
5768 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
5773 @kindex T l (Summary)
5774 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
5775 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
5776 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
5777 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
5780 @kindex T i (Summary)
5781 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
5782 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
5783 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
5786 @kindex T # (Summary)
5787 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5788 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
5789 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5792 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
5793 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5794 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
5795 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5798 @kindex T T (Summary)
5799 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
5800 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
5803 @kindex T s (Summary)
5804 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
5805 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
5806 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
5809 @kindex T h (Summary)
5810 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
5811 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
5814 @kindex T S (Summary)
5815 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
5816 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
5819 @kindex T H (Summary)
5820 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
5821 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
5824 @kindex T t (Summary)
5825 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
5826 Re-thread the current article's thread
5827 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
5828 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
5831 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
5832 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
5833 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
5834 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
5838 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
5839 understand the numeric prefix.
5844 @kindex T n (Summary)
5846 @kindex M-C-n (Summary)
5848 @kindex M-down (Summary)
5849 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
5850 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
5853 @kindex T p (Summary)
5855 @kindex M-C-p (Summary)
5857 @kindex M-up (Summary)
5858 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
5859 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
5862 @kindex T d (Summary)
5863 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
5864 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
5867 @kindex T u (Summary)
5868 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
5869 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
5872 @kindex T o (Summary)
5873 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
5874 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
5877 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
5878 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
5879 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
5880 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
5881 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
5882 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
5883 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
5884 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
5885 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
5886 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
5887 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
5888 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
5895 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
5896 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
5897 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
5898 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
5899 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
5900 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
5901 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
5902 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
5903 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
5904 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
5905 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
5907 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
5908 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
5909 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
5910 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
5911 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
5913 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
5914 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
5915 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
5917 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
5918 last function in the list. You should probably always include
5919 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
5920 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
5921 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
5922 ascending article order.
5924 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
5925 by number, you could do something like:
5928 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
5929 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
5930 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
5931 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
5934 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
5935 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
5936 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
5937 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
5938 which the articles arrived.
5940 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
5944 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
5946 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
5947 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
5950 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
5951 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
5952 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
5953 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
5956 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
5957 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
5958 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
5959 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
5960 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
5961 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
5962 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
5963 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
5964 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
5965 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
5966 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
5967 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
5968 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
5970 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
5974 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
5975 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
5976 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
5981 @node Asynchronous Fetching
5982 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
5983 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
5984 @cindex article pre-fetch
5987 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
5988 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
5989 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
5990 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
5991 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
5993 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
5994 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
5996 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
5997 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
5998 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
5999 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6000 connection is blocked.
6002 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6003 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6004 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6005 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
6007 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6008 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6009 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6010 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6013 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6016 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6017 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6018 happen automatically.
6020 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6021 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6022 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6023 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
6024 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
6025 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6026 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6028 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6029 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6030 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6031 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6032 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6033 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6034 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6035 data structure as the only parameter.
6037 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6040 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6041 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6042 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6043 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6046 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6049 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6050 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
6051 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6053 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6054 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6055 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6056 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6060 Remove articles when they are read.
6063 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6066 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6068 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6069 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6070 @c from the next group.
6073 @node Article Caching
6074 @section Article Caching
6075 @cindex article caching
6078 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6079 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6080 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6081 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6082 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6084 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6086 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6087 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6088 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6089 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6090 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6091 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6092 cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
6093 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6095 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6096 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6097 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6098 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6099 as dormant, and don't worry.
6101 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6103 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6104 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6105 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6106 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6107 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6108 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6109 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6110 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6111 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6112 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6114 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6115 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6116 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6117 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6118 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6119 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6120 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6121 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6122 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6123 not then be downloaded by this command.
6125 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6126 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6127 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6128 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6129 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6130 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6132 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6133 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6134 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6135 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6136 variables, the group is not cached.
6138 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6139 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6140 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6141 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6142 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6143 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
6144 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6145 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6146 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
6150 @node Persistent Articles
6151 @section Persistent Articles
6152 @cindex persistent articles
6154 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
6155 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
6156 useful in my opinion.
6158 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
6159 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
6160 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
6161 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
6162 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
6163 the expiry going on at the news server.
6165 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
6166 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
6167 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
6173 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
6174 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
6177 @kindex M-* (Summary)
6178 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
6179 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
6180 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
6184 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
6186 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
6187 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
6188 interested in persistent articles:
6191 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
6195 @node Article Backlog
6196 @section Article Backlog
6198 @cindex article backlog
6200 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
6201 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
6202 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
6203 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
6204 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
6205 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
6206 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
6207 increase memory usage some.
6209 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
6210 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
6211 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
6212 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
6213 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
6214 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
6215 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
6217 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
6220 @node Saving Articles
6221 @section Saving Articles
6222 @cindex saving articles
6224 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
6225 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
6226 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
6227 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
6228 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
6230 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
6231 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
6232 unwanted headers before saving the article.
6234 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
6235 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
6236 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
6237 deleted before saving.
6243 @kindex O o (Summary)
6245 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
6246 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
6247 Save the current article using the default article saver
6248 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
6251 @kindex O m (Summary)
6252 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
6253 Save the current article in mail format
6254 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
6257 @kindex O r (Summary)
6258 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
6259 Save the current article in rmail format
6260 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
6263 @kindex O f (Summary)
6264 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
6265 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
6266 Save the current article in plain file format
6267 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
6270 @kindex O F (Summary)
6271 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
6272 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
6273 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
6276 @kindex O b (Summary)
6277 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
6278 Save the current article body in plain file format
6279 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
6282 @kindex O h (Summary)
6283 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
6284 Save the current article in mh folder format
6285 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
6288 @kindex O v (Summary)
6289 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
6290 Save the current article in a VM folder
6291 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
6294 @kindex O p (Summary)
6295 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
6296 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
6297 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
6300 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
6301 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
6302 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
6303 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
6304 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
6305 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
6306 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
6307 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
6308 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
6309 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
6310 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
6311 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
6315 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
6316 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
6317 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
6318 functions below, or you can create your own.
6322 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6323 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6324 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
6325 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6326 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
6327 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6328 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6330 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6331 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6332 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
6333 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
6334 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6335 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6337 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
6338 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
6339 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
6340 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6341 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
6342 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6343 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6345 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6346 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6347 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
6348 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6349 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6351 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6352 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6353 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
6354 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
6355 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
6358 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
6359 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
6360 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
6361 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
6362 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
6364 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6365 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6366 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
6367 reader to use this setting.
6370 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
6371 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
6372 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
6373 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
6376 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
6377 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
6378 available functions that generate names:
6382 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
6383 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
6384 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6386 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
6387 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6388 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6390 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
6391 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
6392 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6394 @item gnus-plain-save-name
6395 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6396 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6399 @vindex gnus-split-methods
6400 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
6401 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
6402 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
6403 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
6407 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
6408 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
6409 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
6410 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
6413 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
6414 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
6415 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
6416 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
6417 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
6418 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
6419 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
6420 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
6421 called returns a string or a list of strings.
6423 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
6424 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
6425 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
6426 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
6428 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
6429 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
6430 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
6433 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
6434 lots of mail groups called things like
6435 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
6436 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
6437 following will do just that:
6440 (defun my-save-name (group)
6441 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
6442 (substring group (match-end 0))))
6444 (setq gnus-split-methods
6445 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
6450 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6451 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
6452 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
6453 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
6454 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
6455 all the files in the top level directory
6456 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
6457 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
6458 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
6459 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
6461 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
6462 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
6463 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
6464 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
6465 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
6468 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
6472 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
6473 (setq gnus-default-article-saver 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
6476 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
6477 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
6478 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
6479 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
6482 @node Decoding Articles
6483 @section Decoding Articles
6484 @cindex decoding articles
6486 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
6487 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
6490 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
6491 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
6492 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
6493 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
6494 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
6495 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
6499 @cindex article series
6500 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
6501 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
6502 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
6503 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
6504 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
6506 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
6507 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
6508 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
6510 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
6511 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
6512 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
6514 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
6515 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
6516 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
6519 @node Uuencoded Articles
6520 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
6522 @cindex uuencoded articles
6527 @kindex X u (Summary)
6528 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
6529 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
6530 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
6533 @kindex X U (Summary)
6534 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
6535 Uudecodes and saves the current series
6536 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6539 @kindex X v u (Summary)
6540 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
6541 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
6544 @kindex X v U (Summary)
6545 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
6546 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
6547 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
6551 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
6552 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
6553 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
6554 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
6555 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6557 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
6558 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
6559 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
6560 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
6563 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
6564 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
6565 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
6566 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
6567 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
6568 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
6572 @node Shell Archives
6573 @subsection Shell Archives
6575 @cindex shell archives
6576 @cindex shared articles
6578 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
6579 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
6580 some commands to deal with these:
6585 @kindex X s (Summary)
6586 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
6587 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
6590 @kindex X S (Summary)
6591 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
6592 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
6595 @kindex X v s (Summary)
6596 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
6597 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
6600 @kindex X v S (Summary)
6601 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
6602 Unshars, views and saves the current series
6603 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
6607 @node PostScript Files
6608 @subsection PostScript Files
6614 @kindex X p (Summary)
6615 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
6616 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
6619 @kindex X P (Summary)
6620 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
6621 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
6622 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
6625 @kindex X v p (Summary)
6626 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
6627 View the current PostScript series
6628 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
6631 @kindex X v P (Summary)
6632 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
6633 View and save the current PostScript series
6634 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
6639 @subsection Other Files
6643 @kindex X o (Summary)
6644 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
6645 Save the current series
6646 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
6649 @kindex X b (Summary)
6650 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
6651 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
6652 doesn't really work yet.
6656 @node Decoding Variables
6657 @subsection Decoding Variables
6659 Adjective, not verb.
6662 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
6663 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
6664 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
6668 @node Rule Variables
6669 @subsubsection Rule Variables
6670 @cindex rule variables
6672 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
6673 variables are of the form
6676 (list '(regexp1 command2)
6683 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6684 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6686 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
6687 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
6690 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6691 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
6694 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6695 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6696 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
6697 user and default view rules.
6699 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6700 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6701 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
6706 @node Other Decode Variables
6707 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
6710 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6712 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6713 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
6714 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
6715 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
6716 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
6720 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
6721 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
6724 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
6725 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
6726 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
6729 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6730 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6731 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
6732 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
6733 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
6736 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6737 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6738 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
6740 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6741 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6742 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
6743 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
6744 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
6747 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6748 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6749 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
6751 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6752 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6753 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
6754 looking for files to display.
6756 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
6757 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
6758 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
6761 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6762 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6763 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
6766 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6767 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6768 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
6771 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6772 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6773 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
6776 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6777 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6778 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
6779 decoded articles as unread.
6781 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6782 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6783 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
6784 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
6786 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6787 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6788 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
6790 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6791 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6793 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
6794 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
6795 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
6796 @code{metamail} for viewing.
6798 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6799 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6800 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
6801 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
6802 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
6803 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
6804 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
6805 simply dropped them.
6810 @node Uuencoding and Posting
6811 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
6815 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6816 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6817 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
6818 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
6819 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
6820 for you when you post the article.
6822 @item gnus-uu-post-length
6823 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
6824 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
6825 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
6827 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
6828 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
6829 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
6830 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
6831 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
6832 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
6833 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
6835 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
6836 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
6837 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
6838 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
6839 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
6840 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
6841 Default is @code{t}.
6847 @subsection Viewing Files
6848 @cindex viewing files
6849 @cindex pseudo-articles
6851 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
6852 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
6853 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
6854 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
6855 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
6856 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
6857 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
6859 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
6860 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
6861 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
6862 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
6864 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
6865 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
6866 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
6868 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
6869 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
6870 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
6871 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
6872 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
6874 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
6875 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
6876 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
6877 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
6878 a list of parameters to that command.
6880 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
6881 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
6882 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
6884 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
6885 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
6886 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
6889 @node Article Treatment
6890 @section Article Treatment
6892 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
6893 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
6894 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
6895 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
6896 these articles easier.
6899 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
6900 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
6901 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
6902 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
6903 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
6904 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
6905 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
6906 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
6910 @node Article Highlighting
6911 @subsection Article Highlighting
6912 @cindex highlighting
6914 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
6915 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
6920 @kindex W H a (Summary)
6921 @findex gnus-article-highlight
6922 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
6923 Do much highlighting of the current article
6924 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
6925 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
6928 @kindex W H h (Summary)
6929 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
6930 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
6931 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
6932 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
6933 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
6934 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
6935 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
6936 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
6937 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
6938 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
6939 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
6942 @kindex W H c (Summary)
6943 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
6944 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
6946 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
6949 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
6951 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
6952 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
6953 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
6955 @item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
6956 @vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
6957 Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
6959 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
6960 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
6961 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
6963 @item gnus-cite-face-list
6964 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
6965 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
6966 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
6967 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
6968 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
6970 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
6971 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
6972 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
6974 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
6975 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
6976 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
6978 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
6979 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
6980 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
6981 that it's a citation.
6983 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
6984 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
6985 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
6987 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
6988 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
6989 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
6991 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
6992 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
6993 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
6994 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7000 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7001 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7002 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7003 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7004 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7005 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7006 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7007 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7012 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7015 @node Article Fontisizing
7016 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7018 @cindex article emphasis
7020 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7021 @kindex W e (Summary)
7022 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7023 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7024 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7025 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7027 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7028 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7029 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7030 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7031 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7032 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7033 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7034 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7038 (setq gnus-article-emphasis
7039 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7040 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7049 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7050 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7051 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7052 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7053 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7054 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7055 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7056 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7057 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7058 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7059 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7060 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7061 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7063 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7064 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7065 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7069 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7072 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7074 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7075 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7076 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7077 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7079 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7082 @node Article Hiding
7083 @subsection Article Hiding
7084 @cindex article hiding
7086 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7087 too much cruft in most articles.
7092 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7093 @findex gnus-article-hide
7094 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7095 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7096 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7099 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7100 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
7101 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7105 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7106 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7107 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7108 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7111 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7112 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7113 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
7117 @kindex W W l (Summary)
7118 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
7119 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7120 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}.
7121 These are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of
7122 all @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any
7123 leading @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping.
7127 @item gnus-list-identifiers
7128 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7129 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
7130 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
7135 @kindex W W p (Summary)
7136 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
7137 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7138 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
7139 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
7140 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
7141 articles that have signatures in them do:
7143 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
7145 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
7147 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
7148 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
7150 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7153 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
7158 @kindex W W P (Summary)
7159 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
7160 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
7161 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
7164 @kindex W W B (Summary)
7165 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
7168 @cindex stripping advertisments
7169 @cindex advertisments
7170 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
7171 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
7172 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
7173 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
7174 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
7175 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
7176 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
7177 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
7178 signature should be removed.
7181 @kindex W W c (Summary)
7182 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
7183 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
7184 customizing the hiding:
7188 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7189 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7190 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7191 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7192 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
7193 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
7194 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
7199 Starting point of the hidden text.
7201 Ending point of the hidden text.
7203 Number of characters in the hidden region.
7205 Number of lines of hidden text.
7208 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
7209 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
7210 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
7211 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
7212 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
7217 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
7218 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
7220 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
7221 following two variables:
7224 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7225 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7226 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
7227 50), hide the cited text.
7229 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7230 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7231 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
7236 @kindex W W C (Summary)
7237 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
7238 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
7239 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
7240 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
7241 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
7245 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
7246 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
7247 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
7249 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
7250 citation customization.
7252 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
7256 @node Article Washing
7257 @subsection Article Washing
7259 @cindex article washing
7261 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
7262 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
7264 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
7265 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
7271 @kindex W l (Summary)
7272 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
7273 Remove page breaks from the current article
7274 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
7278 @kindex W r (Summary)
7279 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
7280 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
7281 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
7282 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
7283 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
7284 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
7286 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
7287 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
7288 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
7289 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
7292 @kindex W t (Summary)
7293 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
7294 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
7295 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
7298 @kindex W v (Summary)
7299 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
7300 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
7301 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
7304 @kindex W o (Summary)
7305 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
7306 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
7309 @kindex W d (Summary)
7310 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
7311 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
7313 @cindex M******** sm*rtq**t*s
7315 Treat M******** sm*rtq**t*s according to
7316 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
7317 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
7318 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
7322 @kindex W w (Summary)
7323 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
7324 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
7326 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
7330 @kindex W Q (Summary)
7331 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
7332 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
7335 @kindex W C (Summary)
7336 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
7337 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
7338 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
7341 @kindex W c (Summary)
7342 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
7343 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
7344 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
7345 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
7346 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
7349 @kindex W q (Summary)
7350 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
7351 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
7352 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
7353 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
7354 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
7355 readable to me. Note that the this is usually done automatically by
7356 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
7357 header that says that this encoding has been done.
7360 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
7361 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
7362 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
7363 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
7364 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that the this is usually done
7365 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
7366 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
7370 @kindex W Z (Summary)
7371 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
7372 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
7373 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
7374 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
7377 @kindex W h (Summary)
7378 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
7379 Treat HTML (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}).
7380 Note that the this is usually done automatically by Gnus if the message
7381 in question has a @code{Content-Type} header that says that this type
7385 @kindex W f (Summary)
7387 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
7388 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
7389 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
7390 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
7396 Look for and display any X-Face headers
7397 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
7398 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
7399 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
7400 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
7401 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
7402 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
7403 The default action under Emacs is to fork off the @code{display}
7404 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For the
7405 @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
7406 like `compface' or `faces-xface' on a GNU/Linux system.}
7407 to view the face. Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image
7408 support, the default action is to display the face before the
7409 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
7410 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
7411 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
7412 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
7413 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
7414 like @code{netpbm} or @code{libgr-progs}.}) If you
7415 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
7419 @kindex W b (Summary)
7420 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
7421 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
7422 @xref{Article Buttons}.
7425 @kindex W B (Summary)
7426 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
7427 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
7428 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
7431 @kindex W W H (Summary)
7432 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
7433 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
7434 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
7437 @kindex W E l (Summary)
7438 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
7439 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
7440 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
7443 @kindex W E m (Summary)
7444 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
7445 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
7446 lines with a single empty line.
7447 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
7450 @kindex W E t (Summary)
7451 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
7452 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
7453 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
7456 @kindex W E a (Summary)
7457 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
7458 Do all the three commands above
7459 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
7462 @kindex W E A (Summary)
7463 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
7464 Remove all blank lines
7465 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
7468 @kindex W E s (Summary)
7469 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
7470 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
7471 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
7474 @kindex W E e (Summary)
7475 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
7476 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
7477 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
7481 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
7484 @node Article Buttons
7485 @subsection Article Buttons
7488 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
7489 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
7490 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
7491 button on these references.
7493 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
7494 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
7495 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
7500 @item gnus-button-alist
7501 @vindex gnus-button-alist
7502 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
7505 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7511 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
7512 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
7513 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
7516 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
7517 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
7518 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
7521 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
7522 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
7523 avoid false matches.
7526 This function will be called when you click on this button.
7529 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
7530 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
7534 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
7537 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
7540 @item gnus-header-button-alist
7541 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
7542 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
7543 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
7544 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
7547 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7550 @var{header} is a regular expression.
7552 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
7553 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
7554 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
7555 default values of the variables above.
7557 @item gnus-article-button-face
7558 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
7559 Face used on buttons.
7561 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
7562 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
7563 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
7567 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
7571 @subsection Article Date
7573 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
7574 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
7575 when the article was sent.
7580 @kindex W T u (Summary)
7581 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
7582 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
7583 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
7586 @kindex W T i (Summary)
7587 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
7589 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
7590 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
7593 @kindex W T l (Summary)
7594 @findex gnus-article-date-local
7595 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
7598 @kindex W T s (Summary)
7599 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
7600 @findex gnus-article-date-user
7601 @findex format-time-string
7602 Display the date using a user-defined format
7603 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
7604 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
7605 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
7606 for a list of possible format specs.
7609 @kindex W T e (Summary)
7610 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
7611 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
7612 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
7613 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
7614 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
7617 X-Sent: 9 years, 6 weeks, 4 days, 9 hours, 3 minutes, 28 seconds ago
7620 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
7621 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
7624 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
7625 into wonderful absurdities.
7627 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
7630 (gnus-start-date-timer)
7633 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
7634 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
7638 @kindex W T o (Summary)
7639 @findex gnus-article-date-original
7640 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
7641 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
7642 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
7643 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
7644 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
7648 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
7649 preferred format automatically.
7652 @node Article Signature
7653 @subsection Article Signature
7655 @cindex article signature
7657 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7658 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
7659 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
7660 that says what is to be considered a signature is
7661 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
7662 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
7663 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
7664 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
7665 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
7668 (setq gnus-signature-separator
7669 '("^-- $" ; The standard
7670 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
7671 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
7672 ; line of dashes. Shame!
7673 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
7674 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
7675 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
7678 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
7681 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
7682 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
7683 signature when displaying articles.
7687 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
7690 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
7693 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
7694 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
7696 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
7697 in question is not a signature.
7700 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
7701 listed above. Here's an example:
7704 (setq gnus-signature-limit
7705 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
7708 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
7709 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
7710 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
7711 signature after all.
7714 @node Article Miscellania
7715 @subsection Article Miscellania
7719 @kindex A t (Summary)
7720 @findex gnus-article-babel
7721 Translate the article from one language to another
7722 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
7728 @section @sc{mime} Commands
7729 @cindex MIME decoding
7731 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
7732 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
7738 @kindex K v (Summary)
7739 View the @sc{mime} part.
7742 @kindex K o (Summary)
7743 Save the @sc{mime} part.
7746 @kindex K c (Summary)
7747 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
7750 @kindex K e (Summary)
7751 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
7754 @kindex K i (Summary)
7755 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
7758 @kindex K | (Summary)
7759 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
7762 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
7767 @kindex K b (Summary)
7768 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
7769 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
7773 @kindex K m (Summary)
7774 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
7775 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
7776 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
7777 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
7778 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
7781 @kindex X m (Summary)
7782 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
7783 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
7784 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
7785 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7788 @kindex M-t (Summary)
7789 @findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
7790 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
7791 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
7794 @kindex W M w (Summary)
7795 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
7796 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
7799 @kindex W M c (Summary)
7800 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
7801 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
7803 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
7804 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
7805 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
7806 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
7807 MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
7808 the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
7811 @kindex W M v (Summary)
7812 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
7813 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
7820 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
7821 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
7822 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
7823 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
7826 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
7829 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
7833 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
7834 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
7835 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
7836 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
7837 displayed. The default value is @code{(".*/.*")}.
7839 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
7840 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
7841 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
7842 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
7843 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
7844 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
7845 save all jpegs into some directory).
7847 Here's an example function the does the latter:
7850 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
7851 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
7853 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
7854 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
7855 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
7856 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
7857 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
7860 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
7861 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
7862 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
7871 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
7872 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
7873 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
7874 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
7875 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
7876 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
7877 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
7879 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
7880 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
7881 variable, which is an alist of regexps (to match group names) and
7882 default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
7884 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
7885 aren't. These blitely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1} even
7886 if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
7887 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
7888 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be set
7889 on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
7890 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit)}, which is
7891 something some agents insist on having in there.
7893 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
7894 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
7895 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
7896 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
7897 quoted-printable header encoding.
7899 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
7900 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
7901 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
7905 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
7908 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
7909 means encode all charsets),
7911 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
7912 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
7913 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
7920 @cindex coding system aliases
7921 @cindex preferred charset
7923 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
7925 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
7926 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
7929 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
7930 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
7933 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
7934 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
7936 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
7939 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
7942 This will almost do the right thing.
7944 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
7948 (codepage-setup 1251)
7949 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
7953 @node Article Commands
7954 @section Article Commands
7961 @kindex A P (Summary)
7962 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
7963 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
7964 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
7965 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
7966 run just before printing the buffer.
7971 @node Summary Sorting
7972 @section Summary Sorting
7973 @cindex summary sorting
7975 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
7976 can't really see why you'd want that.
7981 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
7982 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
7983 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
7986 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
7987 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
7988 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
7991 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
7992 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
7993 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
7996 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
7997 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
7998 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
8001 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
8002 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
8003 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
8006 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
8007 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
8008 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
8011 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
8012 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
8013 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
8016 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
8017 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
8018 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
8019 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
8020 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
8024 @node Finding the Parent
8025 @section Finding the Parent
8026 @cindex parent articles
8027 @cindex referring articles
8032 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
8033 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
8034 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
8035 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
8036 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
8037 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
8038 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
8039 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
8040 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
8042 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
8043 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
8044 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
8045 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
8046 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
8050 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
8051 @kindex A R (Summary)
8052 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
8053 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
8056 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
8057 @kindex A T (Summary)
8058 Display the full thread where the current article appears
8059 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
8060 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
8061 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
8062 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
8063 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
8064 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
8066 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
8067 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
8068 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
8069 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
8070 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
8071 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
8074 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
8075 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
8077 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
8078 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
8079 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
8080 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
8081 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
8082 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
8083 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
8086 The current select method will be used when fetching by
8087 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
8088 by giving this command a prefix.
8090 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
8091 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
8092 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
8093 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
8094 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
8095 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
8098 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
8099 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
8100 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
8103 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
8104 then ask Deja if that fails:
8107 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
8109 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
8112 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
8113 not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
8114 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
8115 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
8116 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
8117 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
8120 @node Alternative Approaches
8121 @section Alternative Approaches
8123 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
8124 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
8127 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
8128 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
8133 @subsection Pick and Read
8134 @cindex pick and read
8136 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
8137 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
8138 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
8139 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
8141 @findex gnus-pick-mode
8142 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
8143 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
8144 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
8145 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
8146 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
8148 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
8153 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
8154 Pick the article or thread on the current line
8155 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8156 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
8157 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
8158 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
8159 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
8160 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
8163 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
8164 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
8165 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
8166 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
8170 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
8171 Unpick the thread or article
8172 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8173 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
8174 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
8175 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
8176 the thread or article at that line.
8180 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
8181 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
8182 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
8183 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
8184 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
8185 will still be visible when you are reading.
8189 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
8190 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
8191 which is mapped to the same function
8192 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
8194 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
8197 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
8200 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
8201 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
8203 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
8204 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
8205 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
8207 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
8208 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
8209 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
8210 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
8211 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
8212 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
8213 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
8217 @subsection Binary Groups
8218 @cindex binary groups
8220 @findex gnus-binary-mode
8221 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
8222 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
8223 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
8224 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
8225 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
8226 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
8229 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
8230 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
8231 command, when you have turned on this mode
8232 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
8234 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
8235 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
8239 @section Tree Display
8242 @vindex gnus-use-trees
8243 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
8244 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
8245 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
8248 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
8251 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
8252 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
8253 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
8255 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8256 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8257 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
8258 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
8259 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
8261 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
8262 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
8263 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
8264 default is @code{modeline}.
8266 @item gnus-tree-line-format
8267 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
8268 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
8269 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
8270 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
8271 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
8272 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
8278 The name of the poster.
8280 The @code{From} header.
8282 The number of the article.
8284 The opening bracket.
8286 The closing bracket.
8291 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
8293 Variables related to the display are:
8296 @item gnus-tree-brackets
8297 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
8298 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
8299 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
8300 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
8301 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
8303 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8304 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8305 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
8306 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
8310 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
8311 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
8312 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
8313 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
8314 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
8315 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
8316 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
8317 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
8318 other windows displayed next to it.
8320 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
8321 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
8322 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8323 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
8324 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
8325 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
8326 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
8330 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
8333 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
8343 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
8347 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
8348 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
8350 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
8352 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
8357 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
8358 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
8359 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
8362 (setq gnus-use-trees t
8363 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8364 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
8365 (gnus-add-configuration
8369 (summary 0.75 point)
8374 @xref{Windows Configuration}.
8377 @node Mail Group Commands
8378 @section Mail Group Commands
8379 @cindex mail group commands
8381 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
8382 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
8384 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
8385 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8390 @kindex B e (Summary)
8391 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
8392 Expire all expirable articles in the group
8393 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
8396 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
8397 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
8398 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
8399 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
8400 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
8401 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
8404 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
8405 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
8406 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
8407 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
8408 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
8409 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
8412 @kindex B m (Summary)
8414 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
8415 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
8416 Move the article from one mail group to another
8417 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8418 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8421 @kindex B c (Summary)
8423 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
8424 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
8425 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
8426 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8427 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8430 @kindex B B (Summary)
8431 @cindex crosspost mail
8432 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
8433 Crosspost the current article to some other group
8434 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
8435 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
8436 be properly updated.
8439 @kindex B i (Summary)
8440 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
8441 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
8442 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
8443 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
8446 @kindex B r (Summary)
8447 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
8448 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
8449 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
8450 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
8451 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
8452 Marks will be preserved if @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
8453 (which is the default).
8457 @kindex B w (Summary)
8459 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
8460 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
8461 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
8462 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
8463 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
8464 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
8467 @kindex B q (Summary)
8468 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
8469 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
8470 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
8471 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
8474 @kindex B t (Summary)
8475 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
8476 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
8477 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
8480 @kindex B p (Summary)
8481 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
8482 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
8483 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
8484 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
8485 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
8486 article from your news server (or rather, from
8487 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
8488 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
8489 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
8490 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
8491 just not have arrived yet.
8495 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
8496 @cindex moving articles
8497 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
8498 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
8499 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
8500 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
8501 suggestions you find reasonable.
8504 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
8505 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
8506 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
8507 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
8511 @node Various Summary Stuff
8512 @section Various Summary Stuff
8515 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
8516 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
8517 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
8518 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
8522 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
8523 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
8524 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
8526 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
8527 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
8528 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
8529 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
8530 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
8531 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
8534 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8535 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8536 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
8537 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
8538 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
8540 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8541 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8542 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
8545 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8546 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8547 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
8548 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
8549 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
8550 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
8551 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
8552 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
8553 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
8554 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
8556 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8557 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8558 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
8559 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
8560 list of articles to be selected.
8562 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
8563 the list in one particular group:
8566 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
8567 (if (string= group "some.group")
8568 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
8575 @node Summary Group Information
8576 @subsection Summary Group Information
8581 @kindex H f (Summary)
8582 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
8583 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
8584 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
8585 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
8586 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
8587 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
8588 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
8589 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
8590 be used for fetching the file.
8593 @kindex H d (Summary)
8594 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
8595 Give a brief description of the current group
8596 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
8597 rereading the description from the server.
8600 @kindex H h (Summary)
8601 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
8602 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
8603 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
8606 @kindex H i (Summary)
8607 @findex gnus-info-find-node
8608 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
8612 @node Searching for Articles
8613 @subsection Searching for Articles
8618 @kindex M-s (Summary)
8619 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
8620 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
8621 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
8624 @kindex M-r (Summary)
8625 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
8626 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
8627 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
8631 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
8632 This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
8633 match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
8634 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If given a prefix, search
8638 @kindex M-& (Summary)
8639 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
8640 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
8641 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
8644 @node Summary Generation Commands
8645 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
8650 @kindex Y g (Summary)
8651 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
8652 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
8655 @kindex Y c (Summary)
8656 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
8657 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
8658 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
8663 @node Really Various Summary Commands
8664 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
8670 @kindex C-d (Summary)
8671 @kindex A D (Summary)
8672 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
8673 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
8674 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
8675 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
8676 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
8677 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
8678 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
8679 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
8683 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
8684 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
8685 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
8686 several documents into one biiig group
8687 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
8688 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
8689 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
8690 command understands the process/prefix convention
8691 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8694 @kindex C-t (Summary)
8695 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
8696 Toggle truncation of summary lines
8697 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
8698 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
8699 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
8703 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
8704 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
8705 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
8708 @kindex M-C-e (Summary)
8709 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
8710 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8711 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
8714 @kindex M-C-a (Summary)
8715 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
8716 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8717 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
8722 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
8723 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
8724 @cindex summary exit
8725 @cindex exiting groups
8727 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
8728 group and return you to the group buffer.
8734 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
8736 @findex gnus-summary-exit
8737 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
8738 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
8739 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
8740 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
8741 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
8742 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
8743 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
8744 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
8745 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
8746 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
8750 @kindex Z E (Summary)
8752 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
8753 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
8754 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
8758 @kindex Z c (Summary)
8760 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
8761 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
8762 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
8763 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
8766 @kindex Z C (Summary)
8767 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
8768 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
8769 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
8772 @kindex Z n (Summary)
8773 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
8774 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
8775 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
8778 @kindex Z R (Summary)
8779 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
8780 Exit this group, and then enter it again
8781 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
8782 all articles, both read and unread.
8786 @kindex Z G (Summary)
8787 @kindex M-g (Summary)
8788 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
8789 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
8790 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
8791 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
8792 articles, both read and unread.
8795 @kindex Z N (Summary)
8796 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
8797 Exit the group and go to the next group
8798 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
8801 @kindex Z P (Summary)
8802 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
8803 Exit the group and go to the previous group
8804 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
8807 @kindex Z s (Summary)
8808 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
8809 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
8810 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
8811 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
8812 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
8815 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
8816 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
8817 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
8818 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
8820 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
8821 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
8822 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
8823 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
8824 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
8825 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
8826 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
8827 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
8828 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
8829 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
8830 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
8831 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
8833 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
8835 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
8836 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
8837 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
8838 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
8839 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
8840 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
8841 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
8842 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
8843 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
8846 @node Crosspost Handling
8847 @section Crosspost Handling
8851 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
8852 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
8853 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
8854 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
8855 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
8856 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
8859 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
8860 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
8861 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
8862 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
8863 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
8865 @cindex cross-posting
8868 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
8869 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
8870 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
8871 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
8872 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
8873 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
8874 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
8875 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
8876 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
8877 the cross reference mechanism.
8879 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
8880 @cindex overview.fmt
8881 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
8882 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
8883 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
8884 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
8885 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
8886 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
8889 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
8890 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
8891 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
8896 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
8899 @node Duplicate Suppression
8900 @section Duplicate Suppression
8902 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
8903 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
8904 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
8905 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
8910 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
8911 is evil and not very common.
8914 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
8915 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
8918 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
8919 different @sc{nntp} servers.
8922 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
8925 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
8926 well, but these four are the most common situations.
8928 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
8929 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
8930 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
8931 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
8932 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
8933 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
8934 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
8937 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
8938 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
8939 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
8940 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
8941 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
8945 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
8946 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
8947 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
8949 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
8950 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
8951 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
8952 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
8953 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
8954 session are suppressed.
8956 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
8957 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
8958 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
8959 suppression list. The default is 10000.
8961 @item gnus-duplicate-file
8962 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
8963 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
8964 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
8967 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
8968 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
8969 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
8970 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
8971 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
8972 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
8973 to you to figure out, I think.
8976 @node The Article Buffer
8977 @chapter The Article Buffer
8978 @cindex article buffer
8980 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
8981 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
8982 tell Gnus otherwise.
8985 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
8986 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
8987 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
8988 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
8989 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
8993 @node Hiding Headers
8994 @section Hiding Headers
8995 @cindex hiding headers
8996 @cindex deleting headers
8998 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
8999 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
9001 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
9002 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
9003 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
9004 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
9005 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
9006 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
9007 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
9008 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
9009 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
9011 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
9015 @item gnus-visible-headers
9016 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
9017 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
9018 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
9019 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
9021 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
9022 the article and the subject, you'd say:
9025 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
9028 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9031 @item gnus-ignored-headers
9032 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
9033 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
9034 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
9035 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
9036 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
9038 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
9039 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
9042 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
9045 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9048 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
9049 variable will have no effect.
9053 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
9054 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
9055 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
9056 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
9057 the headers are to be displayed.
9059 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
9060 and then the subject, you might say something like:
9063 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
9066 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
9067 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
9069 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
9070 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
9071 You can hide further boring headers by setting
9072 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-header} to @code{head}. What this function
9073 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
9074 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
9075 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
9078 These conditions are:
9081 Remove all empty headers.
9083 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
9084 @code{Newsgroups} header.
9086 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
9089 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
9092 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
9095 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
9097 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
9100 To include the four three elements, you could say something like;
9103 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
9104 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
9107 This is also the default value for this variable.
9111 @section Using @sc{mime}
9114 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
9115 while people stand around yawning.
9117 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
9118 while all newsreaders die of fear.
9120 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
9121 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
9122 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
9124 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
9125 @findex gnus-display-mime
9126 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
9127 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
9128 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
9129 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
9131 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
9135 @findex gnus-article-press-button
9137 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
9138 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
9139 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}).
9141 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
9142 @item M-RET (Article)
9144 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
9145 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
9147 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
9149 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
9150 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
9152 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
9154 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
9155 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}).
9157 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
9159 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
9160 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
9162 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
9164 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
9166 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
9168 Insert the raw contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
9169 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}).
9173 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
9174 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs MIME
9177 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
9178 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
9179 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
9180 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
9181 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
9182 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
9183 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
9184 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
9185 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
9187 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
9189 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
9192 @node Customizing Articles
9193 @section Customizing Articles
9194 @cindex article customization
9196 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
9197 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
9198 called automatically when you select the articles.
9200 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
9201 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
9202 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
9203 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
9205 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
9206 for sensible values.
9210 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
9213 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
9216 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
9219 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
9222 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
9226 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
9227 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
9228 regexps in the list.
9231 A list where the first element is not a string:
9233 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
9234 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
9235 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
9239 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
9244 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
9245 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
9246 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
9247 considered to contain just a single part.
9249 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
9250 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
9251 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
9252 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
9253 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
9254 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
9255 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
9257 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
9258 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
9259 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
9260 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
9263 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last)
9264 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
9265 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
9266 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
9267 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
9268 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
9269 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
9270 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
9271 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
9272 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
9273 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
9274 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
9275 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
9276 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
9277 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
9278 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
9279 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
9280 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
9281 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
9282 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
9283 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
9284 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
9285 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
9286 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
9287 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
9288 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
9289 @item gnus-treat-display-picons (head)
9290 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
9291 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
9292 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
9293 @item gnus-treat-translate
9296 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
9297 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
9298 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
9299 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
9300 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
9304 @node Article Keymap
9305 @section Article Keymap
9307 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
9308 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
9309 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
9310 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
9313 A few additional keystrokes are available:
9318 @kindex SPACE (Article)
9319 @findex gnus-article-next-page
9320 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
9323 @kindex DEL (Article)
9324 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
9325 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
9328 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
9329 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
9330 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
9331 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
9332 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
9335 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
9336 @findex gnus-article-mail
9337 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
9338 given a prefix, include the mail.
9342 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
9343 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
9344 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
9348 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
9349 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
9350 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
9353 @kindex TAB (Article)
9354 @findex gnus-article-next-button
9355 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
9356 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
9359 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
9360 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
9361 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
9367 @section Misc Article
9371 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
9372 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
9373 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
9374 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
9377 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
9378 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
9380 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
9381 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
9383 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
9384 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
9385 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
9386 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
9387 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
9388 the contents of the article buffer.
9390 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
9391 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
9392 Hook called in article mode buffers.
9394 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9395 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9396 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
9397 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
9399 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
9400 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
9401 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
9402 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
9403 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
9408 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
9409 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
9412 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
9415 @vindex gnus-break-pages
9417 @item gnus-break-pages
9418 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
9419 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
9420 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
9421 paging will not be done.
9423 @item gnus-page-delimiter
9424 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
9425 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
9430 @node Composing Messages
9431 @chapter Composing Messages
9432 @cindex composing messages
9435 @cindex sending mail
9440 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
9441 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
9442 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
9443 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The
9444 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
9445 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
9448 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
9449 * Post:: Posting and following up.
9450 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
9451 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
9452 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
9453 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
9454 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
9455 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
9458 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
9459 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
9465 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
9468 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
9469 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
9470 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
9471 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
9473 @item gnus-add-to-list
9474 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
9475 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
9476 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
9478 @item message-send-mail-partially-limit
9479 @vindex message-send-mail-partially-limit
9480 The limitation of messages sent as message/partial.
9481 The lower bound of message size in characters, beyond which the message
9482 should be sent in several parts. If it is nil, the size is unlimited.
9490 Variables for composing news articles:
9493 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
9494 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
9495 Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
9496 sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
9497 user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
9498 dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to send the
9499 same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
9500 history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
9501 this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want Gnus to keep a history
9504 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
9505 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
9506 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
9507 file. It is 1000 by default.
9512 @node Posting Server
9513 @section Posting Server
9515 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
9516 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
9518 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
9520 @vindex gnus-post-method
9522 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will use the same native
9523 server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
9524 reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
9525 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
9526 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
9529 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
9532 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
9533 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
9534 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
9535 the ``current'' server for posting.
9537 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
9538 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
9540 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
9541 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
9544 Finally, if you want to always post using the same select method as
9545 you're reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
9546 groups from different private servers), you can set this variable to
9551 @section Mail and Post
9553 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
9557 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
9558 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
9559 @cindex mailing lists
9561 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
9562 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
9563 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
9564 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
9565 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
9566 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
9567 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
9568 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
9569 still a pain, though.
9573 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
9574 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
9575 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
9578 @findex ispell-message
9580 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
9583 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
9584 you're in, you could say something like the following:
9587 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
9590 ((string-match "^de\\." gnus-newsgroup-name)
9591 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
9593 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
9596 Modify to suit your needs.
9599 @node Archived Messages
9600 @section Archived Messages
9601 @cindex archived messages
9602 @cindex sent messages
9604 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
9605 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
9606 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
9607 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
9610 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
9611 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
9612 use to store sent messages. The default is:
9616 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
9617 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
9618 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
9619 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
9622 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
9623 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method
9624 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
9625 directory chosen, you could say something like:
9628 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
9629 '(nnfolder "archive"
9630 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
9631 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
9632 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
9635 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
9637 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
9638 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
9639 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
9641 This variable can be used to do the following:
9645 Messages will be saved in that group.
9646 @item a list of strings
9647 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
9648 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
9649 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
9651 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
9656 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
9658 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
9661 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
9663 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
9666 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
9668 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9669 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
9670 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
9671 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
9676 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9677 '((if (message-news-p)
9682 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
9683 messages in one file per month:
9686 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9687 '((if (message-news-p)
9689 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
9692 (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
9693 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
9695 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
9696 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
9697 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
9698 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
9699 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
9700 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
9701 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
9702 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
9703 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
9704 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
9706 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
9707 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
9708 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
9709 this will disable archiving.
9712 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
9713 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
9714 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
9715 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
9716 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
9719 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
9720 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
9721 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
9724 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
9725 but the latter is the preferred method.
9729 @node Posting Styles
9730 @section Posting Styles
9731 @cindex posting styles
9734 All them variables, they make my head swim.
9736 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
9737 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
9738 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
9741 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
9742 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
9743 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
9744 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
9745 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
9750 (signature "Peace and happiness")
9751 (organization "What me?"))
9753 (signature "Death to everybody"))
9754 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
9755 (organization "Emacs is it")))
9758 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
9759 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
9760 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
9761 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
9762 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
9763 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
9764 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
9765 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
9767 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
9768 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
9769 If it is the symbol @code{header}, then Gnus will look for header that
9770 match the next element in the match, and compare that to the last header
9771 in the match. If it's a function symbol, that function will be called
9772 with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
9773 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
9774 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
9777 Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
9778 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} . @var{value})} pair. The
9779 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
9780 @code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
9781 attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
9782 a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
9783 article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed.
9784 If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the
9785 result is thrown away.
9787 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
9788 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
9789 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
9790 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
9791 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
9792 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable.
9794 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
9795 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
9796 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
9798 @findex message-mail-p
9799 @findex message-news-p
9801 So here's a new example:
9804 (setq gnus-posting-styles
9806 (signature-file "~/.signature")
9808 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
9809 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
9811 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
9812 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
9813 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
9815 (signature my-news-signature))
9816 (header "From.*To" "larsi.*org"
9817 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
9818 ((posting-from-work-p)
9819 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
9820 (address "user@@bar.foo")
9821 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
9822 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
9824 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
9832 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
9833 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
9834 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
9835 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
9836 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
9838 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
9839 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
9840 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
9841 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
9842 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
9846 @vindex nndraft-directory
9847 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
9848 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
9849 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
9850 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
9851 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
9852 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
9854 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
9855 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
9858 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
9859 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
9860 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
9861 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
9862 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
9863 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
9864 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
9865 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
9866 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
9867 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
9868 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
9869 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
9870 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
9871 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
9873 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
9874 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
9875 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
9877 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
9879 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
9880 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
9881 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
9883 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
9886 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
9887 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
9888 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
9889 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
9890 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
9891 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
9892 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
9895 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
9896 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
9897 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
9900 @node Rejected Articles
9901 @section Rejected Articles
9902 @cindex rejected articles
9904 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
9905 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
9906 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
9907 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
9909 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
9910 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
9911 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
9912 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
9913 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
9915 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
9916 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
9917 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
9920 @node Select Methods
9921 @chapter Select Methods
9922 @cindex foreign groups
9923 @cindex select methods
9925 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
9926 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
9927 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
9928 personal mail group.
9930 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
9931 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
9932 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
9933 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
9934 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
9935 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
9937 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
9938 we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
9940 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
9943 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
9944 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
9945 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
9946 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
9947 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
9949 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
9952 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
9953 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
9954 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
9955 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
9956 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
9957 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
9958 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
9962 @node The Server Buffer
9963 @section The Server Buffer
9965 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
9966 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
9967 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
9968 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
9969 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
9970 backend represents a virtual server.
9972 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
9973 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
9974 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
9975 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
9977 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
9978 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
9979 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
9980 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
9981 Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
9982 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
9983 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
9985 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
9986 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
9989 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
9990 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
9991 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
9992 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
9993 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
9994 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
9995 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
9998 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
9999 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
10002 @node Server Buffer Format
10003 @subsection Server Buffer Format
10004 @cindex server buffer format
10006 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
10007 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
10008 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
10009 variable, with some simple extensions:
10014 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
10017 The name of this server.
10020 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
10023 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
10026 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
10027 The mode line can also be customized by using the
10028 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
10029 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
10039 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
10042 @node Server Commands
10043 @subsection Server Commands
10044 @cindex server commands
10050 @findex gnus-server-add-server
10051 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
10055 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
10056 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
10059 @kindex SPACE (Server)
10060 @findex gnus-server-read-server
10061 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
10065 @findex gnus-server-exit
10066 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
10070 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
10071 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
10075 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
10076 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
10080 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
10081 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
10085 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
10086 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
10090 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
10091 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
10092 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
10097 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
10098 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
10099 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
10100 a mail backend that has gotten out of synch.
10105 @node Example Methods
10106 @subsection Example Methods
10108 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
10111 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
10114 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
10120 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
10121 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
10124 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
10125 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
10127 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
10128 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
10132 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
10135 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
10136 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
10138 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
10139 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
10140 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
10144 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
10147 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
10150 Here's the method for a public spool:
10154 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
10155 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
10158 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
10159 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
10160 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
10161 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
10162 should probably look something like this:
10166 (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
10167 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
10168 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
10169 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
10170 ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
10173 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
10174 compressed connection over the modem line, you could create a virtual
10175 server that would look something like this:
10179 (nntp-address "copper.uio.no")
10180 (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh")
10181 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
10182 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
10183 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
10184 ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp")))
10187 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
10188 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
10189 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
10190 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
10193 @node Creating a Virtual Server
10194 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
10196 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
10197 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
10199 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
10200 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
10201 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
10203 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
10205 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
10206 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
10207 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
10208 will contain the following:
10218 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
10219 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
10220 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
10223 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
10224 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
10225 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
10228 @node Server Variables
10229 @subsection Server Variables
10231 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
10232 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
10233 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
10234 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
10235 won't change the "derived" variables.
10237 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
10238 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
10239 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
10240 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
10241 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
10242 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
10243 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
10244 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
10245 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
10249 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
10250 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
10251 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
10255 @node Servers and Methods
10256 @subsection Servers and Methods
10258 Wherever you would normally use a select method
10259 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
10260 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
10261 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
10265 @node Unavailable Servers
10266 @subsection Unavailable Servers
10268 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
10269 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
10270 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
10271 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
10272 actually the case or not.
10274 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
10275 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
10276 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
10277 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
10278 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
10279 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
10280 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
10281 it will regard that server as ``down''.
10283 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
10284 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
10286 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
10287 with the following commands:
10293 @findex gnus-server-open-server
10294 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
10295 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
10299 @findex gnus-server-close-server
10300 Close the connection (if any) to the server
10301 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
10305 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
10306 Mark the current server as unreachable
10307 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
10310 @kindex M-o (Server)
10311 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
10312 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
10313 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
10316 @kindex M-c (Server)
10317 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
10318 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
10319 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
10323 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
10324 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
10325 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
10331 @section Getting News
10332 @cindex reading news
10333 @cindex news backends
10335 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
10336 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
10337 or it can read from a local spool.
10340 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
10341 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
10346 @subsection @sc{nntp}
10349 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
10350 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
10351 server as the, uhm, address.
10353 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
10354 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
10355 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
10356 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
10358 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
10359 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
10360 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
10362 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
10367 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
10368 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
10369 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
10371 @cindex authentification
10372 @cindex nntp authentification
10373 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10374 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
10375 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
10376 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
10377 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
10378 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
10379 present in this hook.
10381 @item nntp-authinfo-function
10382 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
10383 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10384 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
10385 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
10386 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
10387 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
10388 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
10389 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
10390 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
10391 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
10392 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
10396 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
10399 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs. The
10400 valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
10401 @samp{default}, @samp{port} and @samp{force}. (The latter is not a
10402 valid @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} token, which is almost the only way the
10403 @file{.authinfo} file format deviates from the @file{.netrc} file
10408 Here's an example file:
10411 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
10412 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
10415 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
10416 have to be first, for instance.
10418 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
10419 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
10420 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
10421 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
10422 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
10423 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
10424 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
10426 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
10427 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
10433 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
10434 previously mentioned.
10436 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
10438 @item nntp-server-action-alist
10439 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
10440 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
10441 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
10442 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
10445 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
10446 '(("innd" (ding))))
10449 You probably don't want to do that, though.
10451 The default value is
10454 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
10455 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
10458 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
10459 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
10461 @item nntp-maximum-request
10462 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
10463 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
10464 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
10465 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
10466 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
10467 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
10468 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
10470 @item nntp-connection-timeout
10471 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
10472 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
10473 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
10474 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
10475 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
10476 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
10477 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
10478 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
10479 no timeouts are done.
10481 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
10482 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
10483 @c @cindex PPP connections
10484 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
10485 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
10486 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
10487 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
10488 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
10489 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
10490 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
10491 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
10492 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
10493 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
10495 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
10496 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
10497 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
10498 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
10499 @c described above.
10501 @item nntp-server-hook
10502 @vindex nntp-server-hook
10503 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
10506 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
10507 @findex nntp-open-telnet
10508 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
10509 @item nntp-open-connection-function
10510 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
10511 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Four pre-made
10512 functions are supplied:
10515 @item nntp-open-network-stream
10516 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
10519 @item nntp-open-rlogin
10520 Does an @samp{rlogin} on the
10521 remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
10524 @code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
10528 @item nntp-rlogin-program
10529 @vindex nntp-rlogin-program
10530 Program used to log in on remote machines. The default is @samp{rsh},
10531 but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
10533 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
10534 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
10535 This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
10537 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
10538 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
10539 User name on the remote system.
10543 @item nntp-open-telnet
10544 Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
10545 to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
10547 @code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
10550 @item nntp-telnet-command
10551 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
10552 Command used to start @code{telnet}.
10554 @item nntp-telnet-switches
10555 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
10556 List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
10558 @item nntp-telnet-user-name
10559 @vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
10560 User name for log in on the remote system.
10562 @item nntp-telnet-passwd
10563 @vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
10564 Password to use when logging in.
10566 @item nntp-telnet-parameters
10567 @vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
10568 A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
10571 @item nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
10572 @vindex nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
10573 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the remote machine. The default is
10574 @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
10576 @item nntp-open-telnet-envuser
10577 @vindex nntp-open-telnet-envuser
10578 If non-@code{nil}, the @code{telnet} session (client and server both)
10579 will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for login name.
10580 This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
10584 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
10585 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
10586 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
10587 you must have SSLay installed
10588 (@file{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
10589 @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distributeion, for instance). You then
10590 define a server as follows:
10593 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
10595 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
10597 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
10598 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
10599 (nntp-port-number "snews")
10600 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
10605 @item nntp-end-of-line
10606 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
10607 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
10608 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
10609 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
10611 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
10612 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
10613 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
10617 @vindex nntp-address
10618 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
10620 @item nntp-port-number
10621 @vindex nntp-port-number
10622 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
10625 @item nntp-buggy-select
10626 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
10627 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
10629 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
10630 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
10631 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
10632 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
10635 @item nntp-xover-commands
10636 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
10639 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
10640 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
10644 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
10645 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
10646 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
10647 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
10648 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
10649 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
10650 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
10651 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
10652 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
10653 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
10654 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
10656 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
10657 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
10658 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
10660 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10661 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10662 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
10663 server closes connection.
10665 @item nntp-record-commands
10666 @vindex nntp-record-commands
10667 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
10668 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestep) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
10669 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
10670 that doesn't seem to work.
10676 @subsection News Spool
10680 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
10681 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
10682 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
10685 Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
10686 anything else) as the address.
10688 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
10689 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
10690 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
10691 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
10695 @item nnspool-inews-program
10696 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
10697 Program used to post an article.
10699 @item nnspool-inews-switches
10700 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
10701 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
10703 @item nnspool-spool-directory
10704 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
10705 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
10706 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
10708 @item nnspool-nov-directory
10709 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
10710 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
10711 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
10713 @item nnspool-lib-dir
10714 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
10715 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
10717 @item nnspool-active-file
10718 @vindex nnspool-active-file
10719 The path to the active file.
10721 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
10722 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
10723 The path to the group descriptions file.
10725 @item nnspool-history-file
10726 @vindex nnspool-history-file
10727 The path to the news history file.
10729 @item nnspool-active-times-file
10730 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
10731 The path to the active date file.
10733 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
10734 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
10735 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
10738 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
10739 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
10741 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
10742 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
10743 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
10749 @section Getting Mail
10750 @cindex reading mail
10753 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
10757 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
10758 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
10759 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
10760 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
10761 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
10762 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
10763 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
10764 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
10765 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
10766 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
10767 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
10768 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
10769 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
10773 @node Mail in a Newsreader
10774 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
10776 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
10777 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
10778 of a culture shock.
10780 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
10781 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
10783 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
10784 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
10785 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
10786 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
10788 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
10790 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
10791 deleted? How awful!
10793 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
10794 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
10795 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
10796 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
10799 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
10800 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
10801 they want to treat a message.
10803 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
10804 via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
10805 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
10806 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
10807 archived somewhere else.
10809 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
10810 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
10811 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
10812 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
10813 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
10815 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
10816 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
10817 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
10819 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
10820 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
10823 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
10824 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
10825 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
10826 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
10827 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
10829 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
10830 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
10831 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
10832 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
10833 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
10834 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
10838 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
10839 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
10841 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
10842 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
10843 and things will happen automatically.
10845 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
10846 mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
10849 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
10850 '((nnml "private")))
10853 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
10854 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
10855 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
10856 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
10857 like any other group.
10859 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
10862 (setq nnmail-split-methods
10863 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
10864 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
10868 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
10869 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
10870 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
10873 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
10874 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
10875 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
10878 @node Splitting Mail
10879 @subsection Splitting Mail
10880 @cindex splitting mail
10881 @cindex mail splitting
10883 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
10884 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
10885 to be split into groups.
10888 (setq nnmail-split-methods
10889 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
10890 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
10891 ("mail.other" "")))
10894 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
10895 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
10896 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
10897 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
10898 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
10899 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
10900 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
10903 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
10906 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
10907 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
10908 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
10909 mail belongs in that group.
10911 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
10912 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
10913 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
10914 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
10915 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
10916 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
10918 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
10919 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
10920 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
10921 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
10922 thinks should carry this mail message.
10924 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
10925 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
10926 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
10927 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
10929 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
10930 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
10931 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
10932 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
10933 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
10935 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
10938 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
10939 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
10940 links. If that's the case for you, set
10941 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
10942 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
10944 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
10945 @kindex nnmail-split-history
10946 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
10947 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command.
10949 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
10950 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
10951 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
10952 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
10953 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
10954 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
10955 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
10956 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
10957 month's rent money.
10961 @subsection Mail Sources
10963 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
10964 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
10968 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
10969 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
10970 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
10974 @node Mail Source Specifiers
10975 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
10977 @cindex mail server
10980 @cindex mail source
10982 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
10983 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
10988 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
10991 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
10992 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
10993 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
10996 The following mail source types are available:
11000 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
11006 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
11007 environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
11010 An example file mail source:
11013 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
11016 Or using the default path:
11022 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
11023 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not you ange-ftp
11024 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
11027 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
11031 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
11034 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
11038 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
11041 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
11043 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
11046 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
11050 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
11051 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. Setting
11052 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil force Gnus to
11053 scan the mail source only once.
11059 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
11063 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
11067 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
11068 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
11069 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
11070 predicate are considered.
11074 Script run before/after fetching mail.
11078 An example directory mail source:
11081 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
11086 Get mail from a POP server.
11092 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
11093 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11096 The port number of the POP server. The default is @samp{pop3}.
11099 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
11103 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
11107 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This is should be
11108 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
11111 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
11114 The valid format specifier characters are:
11118 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
11119 included in this string.
11122 The name of the server.
11125 The port number of the server.
11128 The user name to use.
11131 The password to use.
11134 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
11135 corresponding keywords.
11138 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11139 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11142 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11143 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11146 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
11147 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
11150 @item :authentication
11151 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
11152 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
11157 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
11158 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
11160 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
11161 default user name, and default fetcher:
11167 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
11170 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
11171 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
11174 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
11177 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
11181 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
11182 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
11183 contains exactly one mail.
11189 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
11190 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
11193 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
11194 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
11196 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
11197 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
11198 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
11201 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
11202 from locking problems).
11206 Two example maildir mail sources:
11209 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/" :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
11213 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/" :subdirs ("new"))
11217 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap} as
11218 intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for some
11219 reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server and
11220 fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox.
11226 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
11227 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11230 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
11231 @samp{993} for SSL connections.
11234 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
11238 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
11242 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
11243 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
11244 @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{ssl} or the default @samp{network}.
11246 @item :authenticator
11247 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is one
11248 of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now, this
11249 means @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default
11253 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
11254 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
11257 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
11258 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
11259 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
11260 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
11261 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
11262 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 §6.4.4.
11265 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{Deleted}
11266 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{Seen} which
11267 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
11268 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 §2.3.2.
11271 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
11272 after finishing the fetch.
11276 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
11279 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com" :stream kerberos4 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
11283 Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
11284 webmail.netscape.com, www.netaddress.com, www.my-deja.com.
11286 NOTE: Now mail.yahoo.com provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
11289 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
11290 required for url "4.0pre.46".
11292 WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
11298 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
11299 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
11302 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
11306 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
11310 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
11311 folder after finishing the fetch.
11315 An example webmail source:
11318 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail :user "user-name" :password "secret")
11323 @item Common Keywords
11324 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
11330 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
11331 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
11335 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
11340 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
11341 useful when you use local mail and news.
11346 @node Mail Source Customization
11347 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
11349 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
11350 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
11354 @item mail-source-crash-box
11355 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
11356 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
11357 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
11359 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
11360 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
11361 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
11363 @item mail-source-directory
11364 @vindex mail-source-directory
11365 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
11366 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
11367 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
11370 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
11371 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
11372 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
11377 @node Fetching Mail
11378 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
11380 @vindex mail-sources
11381 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
11382 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
11383 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
11384 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
11386 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
11387 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
11390 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
11391 mail server, you'd say something like:
11396 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11397 :password "secret")))
11400 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
11404 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
11405 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11408 :password "secret")))
11412 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
11413 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
11414 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
11415 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
11416 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
11417 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
11421 @node Mail Backend Variables
11422 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
11424 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
11428 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
11429 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
11430 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
11431 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
11433 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
11434 @item nnmail-split-hook
11435 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
11436 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
11437 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
11438 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
11439 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
11440 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
11441 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
11442 in the buffer will show up in any files.
11443 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
11446 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11447 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
11448 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11449 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
11450 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
11451 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
11452 starting to handle the new mail) and
11453 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
11454 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
11455 default file modes the new mail files get:
11458 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11459 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
11461 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
11462 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
11465 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
11466 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
11467 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
11468 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
11469 (assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
11470 @code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
11471 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
11473 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
11474 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
11475 @findex delete-file
11476 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
11478 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
11479 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
11480 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
11481 the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
11482 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
11487 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
11488 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
11489 @cindex mail splitting
11490 @cindex fancy mail splitting
11492 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
11493 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
11494 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
11495 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
11496 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
11497 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
11499 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
11502 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
11503 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
11504 ;; from real errors.
11505 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
11507 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
11508 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
11509 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
11510 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
11511 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
11512 ;; Other mailing lists...
11513 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
11514 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
11515 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
11516 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
11517 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
11518 ;; message was really cross-posted.
11519 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
11520 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
11522 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
11523 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
11527 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
11528 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
11529 the five possible split syntaxes:
11534 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
11535 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
11539 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
11540 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
11541 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
11542 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
11543 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
11544 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
11545 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
11546 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
11549 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11550 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
11551 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
11552 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
11555 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11556 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
11559 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
11560 this message. Use with extreme caution.
11563 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
11564 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
11565 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
11566 function should return a @var{split}.
11569 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11570 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
11571 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
11575 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
11579 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
11580 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
11581 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
11582 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
11583 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
11585 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
11586 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
11587 are expanded as specified by the variable
11588 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
11589 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
11592 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
11593 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
11594 when all this splitting is performed.
11596 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
11597 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
11598 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
11601 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
11604 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
11605 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
11607 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
11608 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
11609 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
11610 groupings 1 through 9.
11613 @node Group Mail Splitting
11614 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
11615 @cindex mail splitting
11616 @cindex group mail splitting
11618 @findex gnus-group-split
11619 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
11620 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
11621 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
11622 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
11623 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
11624 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
11625 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
11626 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
11628 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
11629 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
11630 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
11631 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
11633 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
11634 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
11635 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
11636 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
11637 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
11638 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
11639 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
11641 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
11642 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
11643 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
11644 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
11645 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
11646 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
11647 @code{gnus-group-split}.
11649 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
11650 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
11651 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
11652 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
11653 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
11654 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
11655 that group is used as the catch-all group. Note that, in this case,
11656 there's no cross-posting, as a @code{|} fancy split encloses the
11657 @code{&} split and the catch-all group.
11659 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
11664 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
11665 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
11667 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
11668 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
11669 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
11670 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
11672 ((split-spec . catch-all))
11675 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
11676 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
11677 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
11680 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
11681 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
11682 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
11686 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
11687 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
11688 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
11692 (: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
11695 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
11696 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
11697 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
11698 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} may be the name
11699 of a group to be used as the default catch-all group. If
11700 @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
11701 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
11702 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
11703 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
11705 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
11706 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
11707 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
11708 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
11709 used to select @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
11710 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
11711 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
11712 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
11713 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
11715 @findex gnus-group-split-update
11716 However, if you change group parameters, you have to update
11717 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
11718 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
11719 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
11720 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
11723 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
11726 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
11727 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
11728 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
11729 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional),
11730 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
11733 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
11734 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
11735 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
11736 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
11738 @node Incorporating Old Mail
11739 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
11741 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
11742 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
11743 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
11746 Doing so can be quite easy.
11748 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
11749 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
11750 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
11751 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
11752 your @code{nnml} groups.
11758 Go to the group buffer.
11761 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
11762 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11765 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
11768 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
11769 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
11772 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
11773 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
11776 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
11777 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
11778 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
11779 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
11780 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
11782 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
11783 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
11784 using the new mail backend.
11787 @node Expiring Mail
11788 @subsection Expiring Mail
11789 @cindex article expiry
11791 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
11792 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
11793 different approach to mail reading.
11795 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
11796 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
11797 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
11798 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
11799 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
11800 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
11803 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
11804 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
11805 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
11806 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
11807 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
11808 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
11809 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
11810 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
11812 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
11813 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
11814 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
11815 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
11816 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
11817 column in the summary buffer.
11819 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
11820 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
11821 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
11822 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
11825 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
11827 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
11828 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
11829 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
11832 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
11833 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
11834 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
11835 groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
11836 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
11838 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
11839 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
11842 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
11843 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
11846 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
11847 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
11849 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
11850 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
11851 don't really mix very well.
11853 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
11854 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
11855 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
11856 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
11859 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
11860 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
11861 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
11862 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
11865 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
11867 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
11869 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
11871 ((string= group "mail.junk")
11873 ((string= group "important")
11879 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
11880 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
11882 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
11883 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
11884 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
11887 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
11888 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
11890 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
11891 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
11892 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them to
11893 other groups instead of deleting them. The @code{nnmail-expiry-target}
11894 (and the @code{expiry-target} group parameter) controls this. The
11895 default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a string (which
11896 should be the name of the group the message should be moved to), or a
11897 function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to the message in
11898 question, and with the name of the group being moved from as its
11899 parameter) which should return a target -- either a group name or
11902 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
11903 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
11904 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
11905 easier for procmail users.
11907 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
11908 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
11909 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
11910 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
11911 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
11912 caution. Even more dangerous is the
11913 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
11914 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
11915 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
11916 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
11917 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
11918 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
11919 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
11922 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
11924 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
11925 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
11926 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
11927 auto-expire turned on.
11931 @subsection Washing Mail
11932 @cindex mail washing
11933 @cindex list server brain damage
11934 @cindex incoming mail treatment
11936 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
11937 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
11938 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
11939 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
11940 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
11941 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
11943 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
11944 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
11945 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
11948 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
11949 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
11950 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
11951 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
11954 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
11955 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
11956 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
11957 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
11958 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
11961 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
11962 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
11963 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
11964 Emacs running on MS machines.
11968 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
11969 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
11970 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
11971 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
11974 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
11975 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
11976 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
11977 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
11979 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
11980 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
11981 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
11982 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
11983 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
11984 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
11985 also be a list of regexp.
11987 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
11988 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
11991 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
11992 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
11995 This can also be done non-destructively with
11996 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
11998 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
11999 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
12000 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
12002 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
12003 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
12005 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
12006 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
12007 @code{References} headers.
12011 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
12012 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
12013 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
12017 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
12018 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
12019 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
12026 @subsection Duplicates
12028 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
12029 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
12030 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
12031 @cindex duplicate mails
12032 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
12033 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
12034 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
12035 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
12036 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
12037 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
12038 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
12039 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
12040 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
12041 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
12042 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
12043 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
12044 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
12046 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
12047 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
12048 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
12049 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
12051 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
12054 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
12055 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
12059 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
12060 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
12061 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
12062 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
12063 (any mail "mail.misc")
12070 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12071 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
12076 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
12077 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
12078 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
12079 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
12080 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
12083 @node Not Reading Mail
12084 @subsection Not Reading Mail
12086 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
12087 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
12088 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
12090 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
12091 @code{nil}, none of the backends will ever attempt to read incoming
12092 mail, which should help.
12094 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12095 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12096 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12097 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12098 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
12099 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
12100 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
12101 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
12102 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
12103 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
12104 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
12106 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
12107 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
12111 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
12112 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
12114 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
12115 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
12116 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
12118 There are five different mail backends in the standard Gnus, and more
12119 backends are available separately. The mail backend most people use
12120 (because it is the fastest and most flexible) is @code{nnml}
12121 (@pxref{Mail Spool}).
12124 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
12125 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
12126 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
12127 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
12128 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
12129 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
12133 @node Unix Mail Box
12134 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
12136 @cindex unix mail box
12138 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12139 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12140 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
12141 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
12142 which group it belongs in.
12144 Virtual server settings:
12147 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
12148 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12149 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
12151 @item nnmbox-active-file
12152 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12153 The name of the active file for the mail box.
12155 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
12156 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12157 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
12163 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
12167 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12168 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12169 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
12170 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
12171 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
12173 Virtual server settings:
12176 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
12177 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12178 The name of the rmail mbox file.
12180 @item nnbabyl-active-file
12181 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12182 The name of the active file for the rmail box.
12184 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12185 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12186 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
12191 @subsubsection Mail Spool
12193 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
12195 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
12196 format. It should be used with some caution.
12198 @vindex nnml-directory
12199 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
12200 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
12201 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
12202 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
12204 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
12207 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
12208 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
12209 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
12210 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
12211 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
12212 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
12213 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
12214 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
12216 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
12217 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
12218 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
12219 backend when it comes to reading mail.
12221 Virtual server settings:
12224 @item nnml-directory
12225 @vindex nnml-directory
12226 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
12228 @item nnml-active-file
12229 @vindex nnml-active-file
12230 The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
12232 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
12233 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
12234 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
12237 @item nnml-get-new-mail
12238 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12239 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
12241 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
12242 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
12243 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
12245 @item nnml-nov-file-name
12246 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
12247 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
12249 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12250 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12251 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
12255 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
12256 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
12257 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
12258 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
12259 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
12260 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
12261 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
12266 @subsubsection MH Spool
12268 @cindex mh-e mail spool
12270 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
12271 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
12272 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
12273 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
12275 Virtual server settings:
12278 @item nnmh-directory
12279 @vindex nnmh-directory
12280 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
12282 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
12283 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12284 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
12287 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
12288 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
12289 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
12290 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
12291 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
12292 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
12293 to set this variable to @code{t}.
12298 @subsubsection Mail Folders
12300 @cindex mbox folders
12301 @cindex mail folders
12303 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
12304 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
12305 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
12308 Virtual server settings:
12311 @item nnfolder-directory
12312 @vindex nnfolder-directory
12313 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
12315 @item nnfolder-active-file
12316 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
12317 The name of the active file.
12319 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
12320 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
12321 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
12323 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
12324 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
12325 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
12327 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
12328 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
12329 @cindex backup files
12330 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
12331 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
12332 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
12333 your @file{.emacs} file:
12336 (defun turn-off-backup ()
12337 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
12339 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
12342 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
12343 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
12344 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
12345 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
12346 extract some information from it before removing it.
12351 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
12352 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
12353 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
12354 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
12355 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
12356 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
12359 @node Comparing Mail Backends
12360 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Backends
12362 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{backend} is the common word for a
12363 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
12364 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
12365 and so selection of a suitable backend is required in order to get that
12366 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
12368 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
12369 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
12370 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
12371 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
12372 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
12373 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
12374 @code{nnspool} backends, to select between these methods, if one happens
12375 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
12378 The goal in selecting a mail backend is to pick one which
12379 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
12380 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
12381 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
12386 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
12387 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
12388 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
12389 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
12390 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
12391 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
12392 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
12393 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
12394 this backend, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
12395 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
12396 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
12397 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
12398 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
12403 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
12404 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
12405 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
12406 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
12407 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
12408 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
12409 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
12410 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
12411 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
12412 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
12413 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
12414 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
12415 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
12416 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
12418 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
12419 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
12424 @code{nnml} is the backend which smells the most as though you were
12425 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
12426 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
12427 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
12428 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
12429 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
12430 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
12431 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
12432 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
12433 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
12434 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
12435 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
12436 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
12437 provided by the active file and overviews.
12439 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
12440 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
12441 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
12442 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
12443 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
12446 It is also problematic using this backend if you are living in a
12447 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
12452 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
12453 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
12454 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
12455 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
12456 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
12457 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
12458 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
12462 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
12463 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
12464 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
12465 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
12466 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
12467 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
12468 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
12469 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
12470 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
12472 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
12473 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
12474 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
12475 friendly mail backend all over.
12480 @node Browsing the Web
12481 @section Browsing the Web
12483 @cindex browsing the web
12487 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
12488 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
12489 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
12490 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
12491 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
12492 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
12493 even know what a news group is.
12495 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
12496 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
12497 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
12498 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
12499 you mad in the end.
12501 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
12504 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of backends for providing
12505 interfaces to these sources.
12508 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
12509 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
12510 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
12511 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
12512 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
12515 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
12517 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
12518 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
12519 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus backend
12520 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these backends,
12521 though, you should be ok.
12523 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
12524 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
12525 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
12526 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
12527 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
12531 @subsection Web Searches
12535 @cindex InReference
12536 @cindex Usenet searches
12537 @cindex searching the Usenet
12539 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
12540 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
12541 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
12542 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
12543 searches without having to use a browser.
12545 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
12546 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
12547 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
12548 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
12549 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
12551 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
12552 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
12553 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
12554 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
12555 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
12556 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
12557 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
12558 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
12559 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
12560 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
12563 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
12564 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
12565 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
12566 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
12567 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
12568 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
12570 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
12571 to use @code{nnweb}.
12573 Virtual server variables:
12578 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
12579 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
12583 @vindex nnweb-search
12584 The search string to feed to the search engine.
12586 @item nnweb-max-hits
12587 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
12588 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
12591 @item nnweb-type-definition
12592 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
12593 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
12594 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
12599 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
12603 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
12606 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
12609 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
12613 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
12620 @subsection Slashdot
12624 Slashdot (@file{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
12625 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
12626 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
12628 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
12629 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
12632 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
12633 '((nnslashdot "")))
12636 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} backend for new comments
12637 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
12638 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
12639 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
12640 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
12643 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
12644 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12646 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
12647 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
12648 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
12649 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
12650 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
12651 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
12654 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
12657 @item nnslashdot-threaded
12658 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
12659 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
12660 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
12661 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
12662 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
12663 but much, much slower than untreaded.
12665 @item nnslashdot-login-name
12666 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
12667 The login name to use when posting.
12669 @item nnslashdot-password
12670 @vindex nnslashdot-password
12671 The password to use when posting.
12673 @item nnslashdot-directory
12674 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
12675 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default value is
12676 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
12678 @item nnslashdot-active-url
12679 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
12680 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
12681 news articles and comments. The default is
12682 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
12684 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
12685 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
12686 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
12688 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
12690 @item nnslashdot-article-url
12691 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
12692 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
12694 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
12696 @item nnslashdot-threshold
12697 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
12698 The score threshold. The default is -1.
12700 @item nnslashdot-group-number
12701 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
12702 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
12703 updated. The default is 0.
12710 @subsection Ultimate
12712 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
12714 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@file{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
12715 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
12716 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
12717 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
12719 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
12720 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
12721 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
12722 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
12723 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
12724 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
12725 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
12727 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
12730 @item nnultimate-directory
12731 @vindex nnultimate-directory
12732 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
12733 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
12738 @subsection Web Archive
12740 @cindex Web Archive
12742 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
12743 @file{http://www.egroups.com/} and
12744 @file{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
12745 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
12748 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
12749 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
12750 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
12751 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
12752 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
12753 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
12754 backend by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
12756 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
12759 @item nnwarchive-directory
12760 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
12761 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
12762 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
12764 @item nnwarchive-login
12765 @vindex nnwarchive-login
12766 The account name on the web server.
12768 @item nnwarchive-passwd
12769 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
12770 The password for your account on the web server.
12774 @node Customizing w3
12775 @subsection Customizing w3
12781 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
12782 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
12783 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
12785 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
12786 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
12787 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
12790 (eval-after-load "w3"
12792 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
12793 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
12794 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
12795 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
12797 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
12800 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
12801 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
12805 @node Other Sources
12806 @section Other Sources
12808 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
12809 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
12813 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
12814 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
12815 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
12816 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
12817 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
12818 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
12822 @node Directory Groups
12823 @subsection Directory Groups
12825 @cindex directory groups
12827 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
12828 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
12831 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
12832 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
12833 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
12834 backend to read directories. Big deal.
12836 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
12837 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
12838 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
12839 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
12840 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
12842 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
12844 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
12845 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
12846 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
12847 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
12850 @node Anything Groups
12851 @subsection Anything Groups
12854 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
12855 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
12856 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
12859 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
12860 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
12861 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
12862 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
12863 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
12864 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
12865 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
12866 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
12867 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
12868 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
12871 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
12872 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
12873 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
12874 in the article buffer, just as usual.
12876 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
12877 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
12878 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
12879 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
12881 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
12882 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
12883 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
12884 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
12885 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
12886 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
12887 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
12888 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
12893 @item nneething-map-file-directory
12894 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
12895 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
12896 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
12898 @item nneething-exclude-files
12899 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
12900 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
12901 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
12903 @item nneething-include-files
12904 @vindex nneething-include-files
12905 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
12906 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
12908 @item nneething-map-file
12909 @vindex nneething-map-file
12910 Name of the map files.
12914 @node Document Groups
12915 @subsection Document Groups
12917 @cindex documentation group
12920 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
12921 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
12928 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
12933 The standard Unix mbox file.
12935 @cindex MMDF mail box
12937 The MMDF mail box format.
12940 Several news articles appended into a file.
12943 @cindex rnews batch files
12944 The rnews batch transport format.
12945 @cindex forwarded messages
12948 Forwarded articles.
12951 Netscape mail boxes.
12954 MIME multipart messages.
12956 @item standard-digest
12957 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
12960 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
12963 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
12964 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
12965 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
12968 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
12969 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
12970 group. And that's it.
12972 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
12973 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
12974 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
12975 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
12976 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
12977 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
12978 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
12979 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
12980 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
12981 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
12983 Virtual server variables:
12986 @item nndoc-article-type
12987 @vindex nndoc-article-type
12988 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
12989 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
12990 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
12991 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail} or @code{guess}.
12993 @item nndoc-post-type
12994 @vindex nndoc-post-type
12995 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
12996 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
13001 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
13005 @node Document Server Internals
13006 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
13008 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
13009 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
13010 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
13011 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
13013 First, here's an example document type definition:
13017 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
13018 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
13021 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
13022 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
13023 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
13024 types can be defined with very few settings:
13027 @item first-article
13028 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
13029 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
13032 @item article-begin
13033 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
13034 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
13036 @item head-begin-function
13037 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
13040 @item nndoc-head-begin
13041 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
13044 @item nndoc-head-end
13045 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
13046 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
13048 @item body-begin-function
13049 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
13053 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
13056 @item body-end-function
13057 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
13061 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
13064 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
13065 regexp will be totally ignored.
13069 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
13070 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
13071 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
13072 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
13073 something that's palatable for Gnus:
13076 @item prepare-body-function
13077 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
13078 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
13079 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
13081 @item article-transform-function
13082 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
13083 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
13084 body of the article.
13086 @item generate-head-function
13087 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
13088 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
13089 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
13090 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
13094 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
13099 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13100 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13101 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
13102 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
13103 (head-end . "^ ?$")
13104 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
13105 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
13106 (subtype digest guess))
13109 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
13110 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
13111 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
13112 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
13113 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
13115 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
13116 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
13117 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
13118 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
13119 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
13120 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
13121 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
13122 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
13123 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
13124 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
13132 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
13133 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
13134 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
13136 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
13137 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
13138 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
13141 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
13142 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
13143 that interested in doing things properly.
13145 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
13146 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
13149 First some terminology:
13154 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
13155 get news and/or mail from.
13158 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
13159 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
13162 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
13166 @item message packets
13167 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
13168 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
13169 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13171 @item response packets
13172 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
13173 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
13174 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13184 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
13185 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
13186 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
13187 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
13190 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
13193 You put the packet in your home directory.
13196 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
13197 the native or secondary server.
13200 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
13201 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
13204 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
13208 You transfer this packet to the server.
13211 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
13214 You then repeat until you die.
13218 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
13219 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
13222 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
13223 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
13224 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
13228 @node SOUP Commands
13229 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
13231 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
13235 @kindex G s b (Group)
13236 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
13237 Pack all unread articles in the current group
13238 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
13239 process/prefix convention.
13242 @kindex G s w (Group)
13243 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
13244 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
13247 @kindex G s s (Group)
13248 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
13249 Send all replies from the replies packet
13250 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
13253 @kindex G s p (Group)
13254 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
13255 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
13258 @kindex G s r (Group)
13259 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
13260 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
13263 @kindex O s (Summary)
13264 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
13265 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
13266 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
13267 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
13272 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
13277 @item gnus-soup-directory
13278 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
13279 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
13280 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
13282 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
13283 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
13284 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
13285 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
13287 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
13288 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
13289 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
13290 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
13292 @item gnus-soup-packer
13293 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
13294 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
13295 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
13297 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
13298 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
13299 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
13300 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
13302 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
13303 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
13304 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
13306 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
13307 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
13308 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
13309 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
13315 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
13318 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
13319 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
13320 you can read them at leisure.
13322 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
13326 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
13327 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
13328 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
13329 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
13331 @item nnsoup-directory
13332 @vindex nnsoup-directory
13333 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
13334 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
13336 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
13337 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
13338 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
13339 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
13341 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
13342 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
13343 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
13344 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
13345 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
13347 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
13348 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
13349 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
13350 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
13352 @item nnsoup-active-file
13353 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
13354 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
13355 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
13356 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
13357 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
13359 @item nnsoup-packer
13360 @vindex nnsoup-packer
13361 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
13362 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
13364 @item nnsoup-unpacker
13365 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
13366 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
13367 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
13369 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
13370 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
13371 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
13374 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
13375 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
13376 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
13379 @item nnsoup-always-save
13380 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
13381 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
13387 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
13389 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
13390 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
13391 more for that to happen.
13393 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
13394 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
13395 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
13398 In specific, this is what it does:
13401 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
13402 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
13405 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
13406 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
13407 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
13410 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
13411 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
13412 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
13415 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
13416 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
13417 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
13419 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
13425 @item nngateway-address
13426 @vindex nngateway-address
13427 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
13429 @item nngateway-header-transformation
13430 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
13431 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
13432 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
13433 transformation should be called, and defaults to
13434 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
13435 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
13438 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
13439 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
13440 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
13443 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
13446 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
13449 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
13452 The following pre-defined functions exist:
13454 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
13457 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
13458 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
13459 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
13461 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
13463 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
13464 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
13465 @code{nngateway-address}.
13470 (setq gnus-post-method
13471 '(nngateway "mail2news@@replay.com"
13472 (nngateway-header-transformation
13473 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
13481 So, to use this, simply say something like:
13484 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
13490 @subsection @sc{imap}
13494 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
13495 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap} server
13496 is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just specify the
13497 network address of the server.
13499 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
13504 @item nnimap-address
13505 @vindex nnimap-address
13507 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
13508 server name if not specified.
13510 @item nnimap-server-port
13511 @vindex nnimap-server-port
13512 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
13514 @item nnimap-list-pattern
13515 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
13516 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
13517 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
13518 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
13519 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
13520 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
13522 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
13523 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
13524 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
13530 ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*" ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))
13533 @item nnimap-stream
13534 @vindex nnimap-stream
13535 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
13536 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
13537 of SSL. (SSL is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can be automatically
13538 detected, but it's not widely deployed yet).
13542 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5). Require the
13543 @samp{imtest} program.
13545 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with kerberos 4. Require the @samp{imtest} program.
13547 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
13548 SSL). Require the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
13551 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Require OpenSSL (the
13552 program @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
13554 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
13557 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD, nnimap support
13558 both @samp{imtest} version 1.5.x and version 1.6.x.
13560 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
13561 @file{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
13562 and nnimap support it too - altough the most recent versions of SSLeay,
13563 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it useless. Earlier
13564 versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to work.
13566 @item nnimap-authenticator
13567 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
13569 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
13570 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
13574 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Require
13575 external program @code{imtest}.
13577 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos authentication. Require external program
13580 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Require
13581 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
13583 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
13585 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
13587 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
13590 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
13592 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
13593 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
13594 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
13595 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
13596 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
13597 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or
13600 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
13601 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
13602 running in circles yet?
13604 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
13605 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
13608 The possible options are:
13613 The default behaviour, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
13616 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
13617 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
13618 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
13619 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
13621 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
13628 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
13629 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
13630 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
13635 @node Splitting in IMAP
13636 @subsubsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
13637 @cindex splitting imap mail
13639 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
13640 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
13641 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
13642 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
13643 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
13647 Here are the variables of interest:
13651 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
13652 @cindex splitting, crosspost
13654 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
13656 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
13657 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
13659 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
13661 @item nnimap-split-inbox
13662 @cindex splitting, inbox
13664 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
13666 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
13667 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
13671 (setq nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
13674 No nnmail equivalent.
13676 @item nnimap-split-rule
13677 @cindex Splitting, rules
13678 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
13680 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
13683 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
13684 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
13685 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
13686 Neither did I, we need examples.
13689 (setq nnimap-split-rule
13690 '(("INBOX.nnimap" "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
13691 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
13692 ("INBOX.private" "")))
13695 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
13696 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
13697 into INBOX.spam and everything else in INBOX.private.
13699 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
13700 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
13704 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
13707 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13708 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
13709 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
13710 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
13712 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
13713 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
13714 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
13715 of your inbox. (This might might affect performance if you keep lots of
13716 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
13717 them every time you fetch new mail.)
13719 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
13720 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
13721 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
13723 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
13724 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
13725 thinks the article should be splitted to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
13727 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it need too.
13729 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
13730 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
13731 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
13734 (setq nnimap-split-rule
13735 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
13736 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
13737 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
13738 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
13739 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
13742 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
13743 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
13744 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
13745 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
13746 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
13747 group/function elements.
13749 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
13751 @item nnimap-split-predicate
13753 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
13755 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
13756 splitted, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
13758 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
13759 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
13760 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
13763 @item nnimap-split-fancy
13764 @cindex splitting, fancy
13765 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
13766 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
13768 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
13769 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
13770 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
13772 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
13773 nnimap backends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
13774 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
13775 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
13780 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
13781 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
13784 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
13788 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
13789 @subsubsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
13790 @cindex editing imap acls
13791 @cindex Access Control Lists
13792 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
13794 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
13796 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
13797 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
13798 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
13801 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
13802 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
13803 editing window with detailed instructions.
13805 Some possible uses:
13809 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
13810 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
13811 follow the list without subscribing to it.
13813 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
13814 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
13815 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
13819 @node Expunging mailboxes
13820 @subsubsection Expunging mailboxes
13824 @cindex Manual expunging
13826 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
13828 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-close},
13829 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
13830 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
13832 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
13837 @node Combined Groups
13838 @section Combined Groups
13840 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
13844 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
13845 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
13849 @node Virtual Groups
13850 @subsection Virtual Groups
13852 @cindex virtual groups
13853 @cindex merging groups
13855 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
13858 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
13859 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
13860 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
13862 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
13863 regexp to match component groups.
13865 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
13866 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
13867 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
13868 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
13869 the virtual group.)
13871 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
13872 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
13875 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
13878 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
13879 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
13881 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
13882 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
13883 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
13884 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
13887 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
13890 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
13891 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
13892 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
13894 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
13895 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
13896 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
13897 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
13898 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
13900 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
13901 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
13902 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
13904 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
13905 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
13906 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
13907 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
13908 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
13909 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
13910 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
13911 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
13912 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
13913 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
13914 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
13916 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
13917 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
13918 has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from
13919 whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
13920 there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this,
13921 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
13922 not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.)
13924 @kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
13925 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
13929 @node Kibozed Groups
13930 @subsection Kibozed Groups
13934 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
13935 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
13936 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
13937 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
13939 @kindex G k (Group)
13940 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
13943 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
13944 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
13945 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
13946 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
13948 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
13949 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
13950 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
13952 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
13953 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
13954 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
13955 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
13956 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
13957 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
13958 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
13959 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
13961 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
13962 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
13963 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
13964 Stranger things have happened.
13966 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
13967 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
13969 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
13970 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
13971 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
13972 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
13973 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
13974 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
13976 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
13977 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
13980 @node Gnus Unplugged
13981 @section Gnus Unplugged
13986 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
13988 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
13989 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
13990 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
13991 read news. Believe it or not.
13993 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
13994 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
13995 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
13996 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
13997 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
13999 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
14000 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
14001 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
14002 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
14003 reading news on a machine.
14005 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
14009 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
14010 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
14014 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
14015 @file{.gnus.el} file:
14022 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
14024 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
14027 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
14028 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
14029 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
14030 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
14031 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
14032 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
14033 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
14034 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
14035 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
14040 @subsection Agent Basics
14042 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
14044 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
14045 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
14046 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
14047 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
14049 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
14050 connected to the net continuously.
14052 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
14053 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
14055 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
14060 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
14061 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
14062 already fetched while in this mode.
14065 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
14066 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
14067 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged}.
14070 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
14071 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{J
14072 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
14073 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
14076 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
14077 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
14078 then you read the news offline.
14081 And then you go to step 2.
14084 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
14090 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
14091 backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
14092 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
14093 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
14094 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
14095 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
14098 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
14105 @node Agent Categories
14106 @subsection Agent Categories
14108 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
14109 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
14110 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
14111 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
14112 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
14113 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
14114 you're interested in the articles anyway.
14116 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
14117 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
14118 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
14119 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
14120 managing categories.
14123 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
14124 * The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
14125 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
14129 @node Category Syntax
14130 @subsubsection Category Syntax
14132 A category consists of two things.
14136 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
14137 are eligible for downloading; and
14140 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
14141 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
14142 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
14145 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
14146 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
14147 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
14148 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
14150 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
14151 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
14152 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as descibed below.
14154 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
14155 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
14156 operators sprinkled in between.
14158 Perhaps some examples are in order.
14160 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
14161 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
14167 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
14168 short (for some value of ``short'').
14170 Here's a more complex predicate:
14179 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
14180 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
14183 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
14184 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
14185 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
14187 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
14188 you want to do, you can write your own.
14192 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
14193 lines; default 100.
14196 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
14197 lines; default 200.
14200 True iff the article has a download score less than
14201 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
14204 True iff the article has a download score greater than
14205 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
14208 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
14209 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
14210 checksum and sees whether articles match.
14219 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
14220 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
14221 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
14224 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
14225 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
14226 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
14227 something along the lines of the following:
14230 (defun my-article-old-p ()
14231 "Say whether an article is old."
14232 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
14233 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
14236 with the predicate then defined as:
14239 (not my-article-old-p)
14242 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
14243 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
14244 wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
14245 @code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
14248 (defvar gnus-category-predicate-alist
14249 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
14250 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
14253 and simply specify your predicate as:
14259 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
14260 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
14261 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
14262 just don't give a damm.
14264 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
14265 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
14266 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
14267 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
14268 parameters like so:
14271 (agent-predicate . short)
14274 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
14275 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
14276 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
14278 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
14281 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
14284 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
14285 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
14286 predicate is assumed to be a list.
14289 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
14290 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
14291 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
14292 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
14293 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
14294 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
14296 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
14297 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
14298 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
14299 if it's to be specific to that group.
14301 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
14308 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
14309 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
14315 Category specification
14319 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
14325 Group Parameter specification
14328 (agent-score ("from"
14329 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
14334 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
14340 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
14347 Category specification
14350 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
14356 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
14360 Group Parameter specification
14363 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
14366 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
14371 Use @code{normal} score files
14373 If you dont want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
14374 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
14375 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
14376 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
14378 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
14379 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
14380 files for a group, *filtering out* those those sections that do not
14381 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
14385 Category Specification
14392 Group Parameter specification
14395 (agent-score . file)
14400 @node The Category Buffer
14401 @subsubsection The Category Buffer
14403 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
14404 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
14405 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
14407 The following commands are available in this buffer:
14411 @kindex q (Category)
14412 @findex gnus-category-exit
14413 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
14416 @kindex k (Category)
14417 @findex gnus-category-kill
14418 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
14421 @kindex c (Category)
14422 @findex gnus-category-copy
14423 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
14426 @kindex a (Category)
14427 @findex gnus-category-add
14428 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
14431 @kindex p (Category)
14432 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
14433 Edit the predicate of the current category
14434 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
14437 @kindex g (Category)
14438 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
14439 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
14440 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
14443 @kindex s (Category)
14444 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
14445 Edit the download score rule of the current category
14446 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
14449 @kindex l (Category)
14450 @findex gnus-category-list
14451 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
14455 @node Category Variables
14456 @subsubsection Category Variables
14459 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
14460 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
14461 Hook run in category buffers.
14463 @item gnus-category-line-format
14464 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
14465 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
14466 Variables}). Valid elements are:
14470 The name of the category.
14473 The number of groups in the category.
14476 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
14477 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
14478 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
14480 @item gnus-agent-short-article
14481 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
14482 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
14484 @item gnus-agent-long-article
14485 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
14486 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
14488 @item gnus-agent-low-score
14489 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
14490 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
14493 @item gnus-agent-high-score
14494 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
14495 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
14501 @node Agent Commands
14502 @subsection Agent Commands
14504 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
14505 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
14506 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
14510 * Group Agent Commands::
14511 * Summary Agent Commands::
14512 * Server Agent Commands::
14515 You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
14516 following incantation:
14518 @cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
14520 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
14525 @node Group Agent Commands
14526 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
14530 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
14531 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
14532 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
14533 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
14536 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
14537 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
14538 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
14541 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
14542 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
14543 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
14544 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
14547 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
14548 @findex gnus-group-send-drafts
14549 Send all sendable messages in the draft group
14550 (@code{gnus-group-send-drafts}). @xref{Drafts}.
14553 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
14554 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
14555 Add the current group to an Agent category
14556 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
14557 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
14560 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
14561 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
14562 Remove the current group from its category, if any
14563 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
14564 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
14569 @node Summary Agent Commands
14570 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
14574 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
14575 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
14576 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
14579 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
14580 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
14581 Remove the downloading mark from the article
14582 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
14585 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
14586 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
14587 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
14590 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
14591 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
14592 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
14597 @node Server Agent Commands
14598 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
14602 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
14603 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
14604 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
14605 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
14608 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
14609 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
14610 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
14611 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
14617 @subsection Agent Expiry
14619 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
14620 @findex gnus-agent-expire
14621 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
14622 @cindex Agent expiry
14623 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
14626 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
14627 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
14628 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
14629 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
14630 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
14631 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
14633 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
14634 if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
14635 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
14636 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
14637 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
14640 @node Outgoing Messages
14641 @subsection Outgoing Messages
14643 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
14644 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
14645 after posting, and edit them at will.
14647 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
14648 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
14649 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
14650 messages in the draft group.
14654 @node Agent Variables
14655 @subsection Agent Variables
14658 @item gnus-agent-directory
14659 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
14660 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
14661 @file{~/News/agent/}.
14663 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
14664 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
14665 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
14666 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
14667 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
14670 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
14671 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
14672 Hook run when connecting to the network.
14674 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
14675 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
14676 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
14681 @node Example Setup
14682 @subsection Example Setup
14684 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
14685 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
14686 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
14689 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
14690 ;;; from your ISP's server.
14691 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
14693 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
14694 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
14695 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
14697 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
14698 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
14700 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
14704 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
14705 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
14708 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
14709 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
14710 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
14711 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
14712 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
14715 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
14716 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
14717 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
14718 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
14719 back all the killed groups.)
14721 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
14722 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
14723 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
14726 @node Batching Agents
14727 @subsection Batching Agents
14729 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
14730 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
14731 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
14735 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
14739 @node Agent Caveats
14740 @subsection Agent Caveats
14742 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
14743 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
14747 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
14752 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
14753 in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
14759 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
14760 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
14767 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
14768 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
14769 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
14772 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
14773 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
14774 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
14775 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
14776 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
14778 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
14779 before generating the summary buffer.
14781 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
14782 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
14783 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
14785 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
14786 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
14787 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
14788 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
14791 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
14792 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
14793 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
14794 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
14795 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
14796 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
14797 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
14798 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
14799 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
14800 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
14801 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
14802 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
14803 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
14804 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
14805 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
14806 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
14810 @node Summary Score Commands
14811 @section Summary Score Commands
14812 @cindex score commands
14814 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
14815 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
14816 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
14817 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
14818 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
14820 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
14821 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
14822 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
14823 score file the current one.
14825 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
14830 @kindex V s (Summary)
14831 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
14832 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
14835 @kindex V S (Summary)
14836 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
14837 Display the score of the current article
14838 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
14841 @kindex V t (Summary)
14842 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
14843 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
14844 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
14847 @kindex V R (Summary)
14848 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
14849 Run the current summary through the scoring process
14850 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
14851 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
14852 effect you're having.
14855 @kindex V c (Summary)
14856 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
14857 Make a different score file the current
14858 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
14861 @kindex V e (Summary)
14862 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
14863 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
14864 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
14868 @kindex V f (Summary)
14869 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
14870 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
14871 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
14874 @kindex V F (Summary)
14875 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
14876 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
14877 after editing score files.
14880 @kindex V C (Summary)
14881 @findex gnus-score-customize
14882 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
14883 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
14887 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
14892 @kindex V m (Summary)
14893 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
14894 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
14895 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
14898 @kindex V x (Summary)
14899 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
14900 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
14901 expunge all articles below this score
14902 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
14905 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
14906 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
14909 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
14910 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
14914 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
14915 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
14917 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
14918 keys are available:
14922 Score on the author name.
14925 Score on the subject line.
14928 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
14931 Score on the @code{References} line.
14937 Score on the number of lines.
14940 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
14943 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
14944 the followups to this author.
14958 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
14959 what headers you are scoring on.
14971 Substring matching.
14974 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
15003 Greater than number.
15008 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
15009 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
15010 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
15014 Temporary score entry.
15017 Permanent score entry.
15020 Immediately scoring.
15025 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
15026 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
15027 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
15028 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
15030 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
15031 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
15032 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
15033 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
15034 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
15036 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
15037 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
15038 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
15039 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
15040 current score file.
15042 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
15043 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
15044 pretend they are keymaps or not.
15047 @node Group Score Commands
15048 @section Group Score Commands
15049 @cindex group score commands
15051 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
15056 @kindex W f (Group)
15057 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
15058 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
15059 all the time. This command will flush the cache
15060 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
15064 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
15066 @findex gnus-batch-score
15067 @cindex batch scoring
15069 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
15073 @node Score Variables
15074 @section Score Variables
15075 @cindex score variables
15079 @item gnus-use-scoring
15080 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
15081 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
15082 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
15084 @item gnus-kill-killed
15085 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
15086 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
15087 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
15088 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
15089 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
15090 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
15091 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
15093 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
15094 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
15095 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
15096 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
15097 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
15099 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
15100 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
15101 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
15102 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
15104 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
15105 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
15106 @cindex score cache
15107 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
15108 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
15109 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
15110 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
15111 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
15112 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
15115 @item gnus-save-score
15116 @vindex gnus-save-score
15117 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
15118 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
15119 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
15121 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
15122 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
15123 across group visits.
15125 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
15126 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
15127 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
15128 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
15129 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
15130 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
15131 manually entered data.
15133 @item gnus-summary-default-score
15134 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
15135 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
15137 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
15138 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
15139 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
15140 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
15141 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
15142 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
15144 @item gnus-score-over-mark
15145 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
15146 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
15147 default. Default is @samp{+}.
15149 @item gnus-score-below-mark
15150 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
15151 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
15152 default. Default is @samp{-}.
15154 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
15155 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
15156 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
15157 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
15159 Predefined functions available are:
15162 @item gnus-score-find-single
15163 @findex gnus-score-find-single
15164 Only apply the group's own score file.
15166 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
15167 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
15168 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
15169 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
15170 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
15171 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
15172 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
15173 then a regexp match is done.
15175 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
15176 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
15178 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
15179 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
15180 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
15181 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
15183 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
15184 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
15185 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
15186 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
15187 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE}.
15190 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
15191 functions will be called, and all the returned lists of score files will
15192 be applied. These functions can also return lists of score alists
15193 directly. In that case, the functions that return these non-file score
15194 alists should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file
15195 functions, to ensure that the last score file returned is the local
15198 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
15199 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
15200 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
15201 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
15202 are expired. It's 7 by default.
15204 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
15205 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
15206 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
15207 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
15208 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
15209 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
15210 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
15213 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
15214 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
15215 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
15217 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
15218 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
15219 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
15220 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
15221 threading---according to the current value of
15222 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
15223 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
15224 simplified in this manner.
15229 @node Score File Format
15230 @section Score File Format
15231 @cindex score file format
15233 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
15234 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
15235 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
15237 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
15241 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
15243 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
15245 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
15247 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
15252 (mark-and-expunge -10)
15256 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
15257 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
15258 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
15259 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
15263 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
15264 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
15266 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
15267 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
15268 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
15270 Six keys are supported by this alist:
15275 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
15276 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
15277 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
15278 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
15279 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
15280 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
15281 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
15282 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
15283 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
15284 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
15285 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
15286 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
15287 to articles that matches these score entries.
15289 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
15290 score entry has one to four elements.
15294 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
15295 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
15299 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
15300 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
15301 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
15302 is successful. If this element is not present, the
15303 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
15304 instead. This is 1000 by default.
15307 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
15308 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
15309 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
15310 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
15311 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
15314 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
15315 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
15316 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
15317 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
15320 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
15321 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
15322 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
15323 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
15324 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
15325 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
15326 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
15327 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
15328 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
15329 instead, if you feel like.
15332 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
15333 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
15335 These predicates are true if
15338 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
15341 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
15342 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
15349 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
15350 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
15351 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
15352 it's not. I think.)
15354 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like
15355 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
15356 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
15357 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
15360 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
15361 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
15362 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
15363 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
15364 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
15365 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
15366 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
15370 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
15371 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
15372 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
15373 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
15374 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
15375 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
15376 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
15377 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
15380 @item Head, Body, All
15381 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
15385 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
15386 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
15387 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
15388 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
15389 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
15390 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
15391 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
15395 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
15396 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
15397 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
15398 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
15399 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
15400 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
15401 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
15402 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
15403 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
15404 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
15405 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
15409 @cindex Score File Atoms
15411 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
15412 lower than this number will be marked as read.
15415 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
15416 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
15418 @item mark-and-expunge
15419 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
15420 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
15423 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
15424 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
15425 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
15426 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
15427 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
15430 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
15431 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
15434 @item exclude-files
15435 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
15436 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
15440 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
15441 ignored when handling global score files.
15444 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
15445 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
15446 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
15447 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
15450 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
15451 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
15452 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
15453 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
15455 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
15459 (mark-and-expunge -100)
15462 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
15463 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
15464 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
15465 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
15466 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
15468 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
15469 exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
15470 ordinary scoring rules.
15473 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
15474 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
15475 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
15476 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
15477 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
15478 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
15479 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
15480 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
15481 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
15482 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
15483 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
15487 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
15488 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
15489 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
15490 file for a number of groups.
15493 @cindex local variables
15494 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
15495 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
15496 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
15497 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
15498 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
15502 @node Score File Editing
15503 @section Score File Editing
15505 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
15506 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
15507 with a mode for that.
15509 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
15510 additional commands:
15515 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
15516 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
15517 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
15518 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
15521 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
15522 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
15523 Insert the current date in numerical format
15524 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
15525 you were wondering.
15528 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
15529 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
15530 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
15531 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
15532 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
15537 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
15539 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
15540 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
15542 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
15543 e} to begin editing score files.
15546 @node Adaptive Scoring
15547 @section Adaptive Scoring
15548 @cindex adaptive scoring
15550 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
15551 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
15552 stupidity, to be precise.
15554 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
15555 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
15556 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
15557 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
15558 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
15559 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
15560 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
15561 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
15562 variable to @code{(word line)}.
15564 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
15565 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
15566 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
15567 might look something like this:
15570 (defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
15571 '((gnus-unread-mark)
15572 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
15573 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
15574 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
15575 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
15576 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
15577 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
15578 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
15579 (gnus-ancient-mark)
15580 (gnus-low-score-mark)
15581 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
15584 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
15585 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
15586 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
15587 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
15588 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
15589 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
15592 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
15593 will be applied to each article.
15595 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
15596 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
15597 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
15598 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
15600 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
15601 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
15602 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
15603 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
15605 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
15606 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
15607 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
15608 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
15610 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
15611 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
15612 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
15613 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
15614 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
15615 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
15617 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
15618 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
15619 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
15620 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
15621 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
15622 aspirins afterwards.)
15624 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
15625 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
15626 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
15628 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
15629 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
15630 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
15632 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
15633 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
15634 let you use different rules in different groups.
15636 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
15637 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
15638 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
15641 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
15642 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
15643 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
15644 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
15645 the length of the match is less than
15646 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
15647 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
15650 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
15651 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
15652 headers. If you adapt on words, the
15653 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
15654 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
15657 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
15658 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
15659 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
15660 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
15661 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
15664 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
15665 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
15666 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
15667 score with 30 points.
15669 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
15670 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
15671 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
15672 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
15673 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
15675 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
15676 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
15677 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
15678 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
15680 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
15681 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
15682 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
15683 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
15685 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
15686 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
15687 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
15688 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
15689 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
15691 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
15692 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
15693 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
15695 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
15696 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
15697 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
15698 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
15701 @node Home Score File
15702 @section Home Score File
15704 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
15705 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
15706 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
15707 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
15709 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
15710 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
15711 could perhaps use the same home score file.
15713 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
15714 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
15719 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
15723 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
15724 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
15728 A list. The elements in this list can be:
15732 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
15733 group name, the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
15736 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
15737 the home score file.
15740 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
15743 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
15748 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
15751 (setq gnus-home-score-file
15752 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
15755 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
15756 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
15758 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
15760 (setq gnus-home-score-file
15761 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
15764 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
15765 Other functions include
15768 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
15769 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
15770 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
15771 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
15775 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
15776 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
15777 their own home score files:
15780 (setq gnus-home-score-file
15781 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
15782 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
15783 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
15784 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
15787 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
15788 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
15789 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
15790 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
15791 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
15793 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
15794 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
15795 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
15796 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
15797 precedence over this variable.
15800 @node Followups To Yourself
15801 @section Followups To Yourself
15803 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
15804 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
15805 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
15806 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
15807 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
15808 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
15812 @item gnus-score-followup-article
15813 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
15814 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
15817 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
15818 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
15819 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
15823 @vindex message-sent-hook
15824 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
15825 @code{message-sent-hook}.
15827 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
15828 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
15832 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
15833 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
15836 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
15837 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
15842 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore.no>"
15846 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
15847 is system-dependent.
15851 @section Scoring Tips
15852 @cindex scoring tips
15858 @cindex scoring crossposts
15859 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
15860 the @code{Xref} header.
15862 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
15865 @item Multiple crossposts
15866 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
15867 more than, say, 3 groups:
15869 ("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
15872 @item Matching on the body
15873 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
15874 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
15875 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
15876 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
15877 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
15878 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
15879 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
15882 @item Marking as read
15883 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
15884 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
15885 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
15889 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
15891 @item Negated character classes
15892 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
15893 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
15894 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
15898 @node Reverse Scoring
15899 @section Reverse Scoring
15900 @cindex reverse scoring
15902 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
15903 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
15904 like this in your score file:
15908 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
15913 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
15914 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
15917 @node Global Score Files
15918 @section Global Score Files
15919 @cindex global score files
15921 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
15922 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
15923 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
15925 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
15926 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
15927 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
15929 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
15930 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
15931 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
15932 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
15933 files are applicable to which group.
15935 Say you want to use the score file
15936 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
15937 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
15940 (setq gnus-global-score-files
15941 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
15942 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
15945 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
15946 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
15947 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
15948 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
15949 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
15951 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
15952 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
15954 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
15955 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
15956 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
15957 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
15958 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
15959 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
15961 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
15967 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
15969 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
15971 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
15973 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
15974 lowered out of existence.
15976 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
15977 articles completely.
15980 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
15981 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
15982 old articles for a long time.
15985 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
15986 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
15987 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
15988 holding our breath yet?
15992 @section Kill Files
15995 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
15996 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
15997 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
15999 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
16000 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
16001 files into score files.
16003 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
16004 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
16005 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
16006 that isn't a very good idea.
16008 Normal kill files look like this:
16011 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16012 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
16016 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
16017 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
16019 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
16020 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
16023 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
16028 @kindex M-k (Summary)
16029 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
16030 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
16033 @kindex M-K (Summary)
16034 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
16035 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
16038 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
16043 @kindex M-k (Group)
16044 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
16045 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
16048 @kindex M-K (Group)
16049 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
16050 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
16053 Kill file variables:
16056 @item gnus-kill-file-name
16057 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
16058 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
16059 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
16060 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
16061 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
16062 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
16064 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
16065 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
16066 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
16067 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
16070 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
16071 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
16072 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
16073 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
16074 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
16075 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
16076 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
16077 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
16078 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
16080 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
16081 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
16082 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
16087 @node Converting Kill Files
16088 @section Converting Kill Files
16090 @cindex converting kill files
16092 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
16093 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
16094 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
16097 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
16098 You can fetch it from
16099 @file{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-other/gnus-kill-to-score}.
16101 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
16102 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
16103 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
16111 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
16112 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
16113 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
16115 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
16116 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
16117 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
16118 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
16119 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
16120 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
16121 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
16122 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
16126 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
16127 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
16128 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
16129 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
16133 @node Using GroupLens
16134 @subsection Using GroupLens
16136 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
16138 @samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
16139 better bit in town at the moment.
16141 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
16145 @item gnus-use-grouplens
16146 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
16147 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
16148 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
16150 @item grouplens-pseudonym
16151 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
16152 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
16153 with the Better Bit Bureau.
16155 @item grouplens-newsgroups
16156 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
16157 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
16161 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
16162 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
16163 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
16164 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
16165 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
16166 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
16169 @node Rating Articles
16170 @subsection Rating Articles
16172 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
16173 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
16174 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
16175 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
16178 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
16183 @kindex r (GroupLens)
16184 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
16185 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
16188 @kindex k (GroupLens)
16189 @findex grouplens-score-thread
16190 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
16191 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
16192 threads in rec.humor.
16196 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
16197 the score of the article you're reading.
16202 @kindex n (GroupLens)
16203 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
16204 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
16207 @kindex , (GroupLens)
16208 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
16209 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
16213 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
16214 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
16217 @node Displaying Predictions
16218 @subsection Displaying Predictions
16220 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
16221 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
16222 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
16223 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
16224 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
16226 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
16227 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
16228 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
16229 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
16230 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
16231 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
16232 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
16233 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
16234 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
16235 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
16236 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
16237 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
16238 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
16240 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
16241 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
16242 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
16243 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
16245 The following are valid values for that variable.
16248 @item prediction-spot
16249 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
16252 @item confidence-interval
16253 A numeric confidence interval.
16255 @item prediction-bar
16256 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
16258 @item confidence-bar
16259 Numerical confidence.
16261 @item confidence-spot
16262 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
16264 @item prediction-num
16265 Plain-old numeric value.
16267 @item confidence-plus-minus
16268 Prediction +/- confidence.
16273 @node GroupLens Variables
16274 @subsection GroupLens Variables
16278 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
16279 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
16280 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
16281 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
16284 @item grouplens-bbb-host
16285 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
16288 @item grouplens-bbb-port
16289 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
16291 @item grouplens-score-offset
16292 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
16293 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
16296 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
16297 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
16298 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
16303 @node Advanced Scoring
16304 @section Advanced Scoring
16306 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
16307 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
16308 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
16309 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
16310 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
16312 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
16316 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
16317 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
16318 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
16322 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
16323 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
16325 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
16326 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
16327 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
16328 non-@code{nil} value.
16330 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
16331 operator, and various match operators.
16338 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
16339 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
16340 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
16345 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
16346 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
16347 then this operator will return @code{false}.
16352 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
16353 logical negation of the value of its argument.
16357 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
16358 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
16359 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
16360 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
16361 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
16362 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
16363 the ancestry you want to go.
16365 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
16366 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
16367 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
16368 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
16369 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
16372 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
16373 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
16375 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
16376 when he's talking about Gnus:
16380 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16381 ("subject" "Gnus"))
16387 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
16391 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16398 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
16399 really don't want to read what he's written:
16403 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16404 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
16408 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
16409 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
16410 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
16417 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
16418 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
16419 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
16420 ("body" "white.*socks"))
16424 The possibilities are endless.
16427 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
16428 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
16430 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
16431 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
16432 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
16433 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
16434 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
16435 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
16436 @samp{subject}) first.
16438 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
16439 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
16450 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
16451 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
16457 ("subject" "Gnus")))
16464 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
16465 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
16470 @section Score Decays
16471 @cindex score decays
16474 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
16475 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
16476 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
16477 use them in any sensible way.
16479 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
16480 @findex gnus-decay-score
16481 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
16482 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
16483 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
16484 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
16485 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
16486 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
16487 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
16488 definition of that function:
16491 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
16493 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
16494 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
16497 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
16499 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
16501 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
16504 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
16505 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
16506 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
16507 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
16511 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
16514 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
16517 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
16521 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
16522 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
16523 the new score, which should be an integer.
16525 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
16526 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
16533 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
16534 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
16535 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
16536 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
16537 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
16538 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
16539 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
16540 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
16541 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
16542 * Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
16543 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
16544 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
16545 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
16546 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
16547 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
16548 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
16549 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
16550 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
16554 @node Process/Prefix
16555 @section Process/Prefix
16556 @cindex process/prefix convention
16558 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
16559 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
16561 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
16562 command to be performed on.
16566 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
16567 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
16568 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
16569 with the current one.
16571 @vindex transient-mark-mode
16572 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
16573 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
16575 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
16576 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
16579 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
16580 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
16582 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
16585 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
16586 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
16587 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
16588 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
16590 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
16591 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
16592 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
16593 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
16594 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
16595 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
16596 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
16597 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
16599 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
16600 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
16601 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
16602 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
16603 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
16607 @section Interactive
16608 @cindex interaction
16612 @item gnus-novice-user
16613 @vindex gnus-novice-user
16614 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
16615 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
16616 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
16617 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
16620 @item gnus-expert-user
16621 @vindex gnus-expert-user
16622 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
16623 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
16624 matter how strange.
16626 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
16627 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
16628 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
16629 is @code{t} by default.
16631 @item gnus-interactive-exit
16632 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
16633 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
16638 @node Symbolic Prefixes
16639 @section Symbolic Prefixes
16640 @cindex symbolic prefixes
16642 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
16643 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
16644 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
16645 rule of 900 to the current article.
16647 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
16648 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
16649 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
16650 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
16651 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
16652 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
16653 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
16655 @kindex M-i (Summary)
16656 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
16657 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
16658 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
16659 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
16660 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u}
16661 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means
16662 ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
16663 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
16665 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
16666 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
16667 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
16669 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
16673 @node Formatting Variables
16674 @section Formatting Variables
16675 @cindex formatting variables
16677 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
16678 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
16679 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
16680 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
16681 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
16684 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
16685 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
16686 lots of percentages everywhere.
16689 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
16690 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
16691 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
16692 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
16693 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
16696 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
16697 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
16698 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
16699 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
16700 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
16701 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
16702 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
16703 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
16705 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
16706 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
16708 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
16709 @findex gnus-update-format
16710 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
16711 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
16712 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
16713 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
16717 @node Formatting Basics
16718 @subsection Formatting Basics
16720 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
16721 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
16722 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
16724 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
16725 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
16726 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
16727 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
16728 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
16731 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
16732 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
16733 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
16734 less than 4 characters wide.
16737 @node Mode Line Formatting
16738 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
16740 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
16741 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
16742 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
16743 with the following two differences:
16748 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
16751 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
16752 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
16753 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
16754 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
16755 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
16756 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
16757 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
16762 @node Advanced Formatting
16763 @subsection Advanced Formatting
16765 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
16766 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
16767 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
16768 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
16770 These are the valid modifiers:
16775 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
16779 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
16784 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
16787 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
16792 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
16795 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
16798 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
16801 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
16805 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
16806 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
16807 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
16808 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
16809 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
16810 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
16811 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
16813 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
16814 last operation, padding.
16816 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
16817 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
16818 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
16819 @xref{Compilation}.
16822 @node User-Defined Specs
16823 @subsection User-Defined Specs
16825 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
16826 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
16827 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
16828 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
16829 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
16830 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
16831 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
16832 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
16833 should protect against that.
16835 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
16836 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
16837 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
16838 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
16842 @node Formatting Fonts
16843 @subsection Formatting Fonts
16845 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
16846 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
16847 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
16848 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
16851 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
16852 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
16853 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
16854 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
16855 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
16856 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
16858 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
16859 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
16860 say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
16861 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
16862 naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
16863 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
16864 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
16865 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
16867 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
16870 ;; Create three face types.
16871 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
16872 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
16874 ;; We want the article count to be in
16875 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
16876 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
16877 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
16879 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
16880 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
16882 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
16883 (setq gnus-group-line-format
16884 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
16887 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
16888 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
16890 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
16891 mode-line variables.
16894 @node Windows Configuration
16895 @section Windows Configuration
16896 @cindex windows configuration
16898 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
16900 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
16901 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
16902 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
16903 @code{t} by default.
16905 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
16906 glitches. Use at your own peril.
16908 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
16909 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
16910 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
16913 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
16914 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
16915 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
16919 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
16920 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
16921 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
16922 possible names is listed below.
16924 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
16925 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
16928 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
16932 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
16933 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
16934 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
16935 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
16936 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
16937 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
16938 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
16939 size spec per split.
16941 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
16942 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
16943 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
16944 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
16945 present) gets focus.
16947 Here's a more complicated example:
16950 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
16951 (summary 0.25 point)
16952 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
16956 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
16957 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
16958 occupy, not a percentage.
16960 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
16961 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
16962 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
16963 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
16964 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
16967 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
16970 (article (horizontal 1.0
16975 (summary 0.25 point)
16980 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
16981 @code{horizontal} thingie?
16983 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
16984 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
16985 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
16986 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
16987 the screen is to be given to this strip.
16989 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
16990 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
16991 lines from the splits.
16993 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
16997 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
16998 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
16999 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
17000 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
17001 buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
17002 size = number | frame-params
17003 buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
17006 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
17007 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
17008 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
17009 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
17011 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
17012 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
17013 @cindex window height
17014 @cindex window width
17015 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
17016 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
17017 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
17018 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
17019 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
17020 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
17022 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
17023 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
17024 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
17025 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
17027 @findex gnus-configure-frame
17028 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
17029 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
17030 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
17031 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
17032 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
17033 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
17034 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
17035 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
17036 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
17037 configuration list.
17040 (gnus-configure-frame
17044 (article 0.3 point))
17052 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
17053 @code{frame} split:
17056 (gnus-configure-frame
17059 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
17061 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
17062 (user-position . t)
17063 (left . -1) (top . 1))
17068 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
17069 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
17070 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
17071 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
17072 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
17073 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
17074 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
17075 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
17077 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
17078 be found in its default value.
17080 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
17081 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
17082 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
17086 (message (horizontal 1.0
17087 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
17089 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
17094 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
17095 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
17096 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
17099 (message (frame 1.0
17100 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
17101 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
17102 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
17103 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
17104 (name . "Message"))
17105 (message 1.0 point))))
17108 @findex gnus-add-configuration
17109 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
17110 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
17111 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
17112 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
17115 (gnus-add-configuration
17116 '(article (vertical 1.0
17118 (summary .25 point)
17122 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
17123 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
17124 Gnus has been loaded.
17126 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
17127 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
17128 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
17129 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
17130 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
17132 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
17133 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
17134 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
17138 @node Faces and Fonts
17139 @section Faces and Fonts
17144 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
17145 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
17146 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
17151 @section Compilation
17152 @cindex compilation
17153 @cindex byte-compilation
17155 @findex gnus-compile
17157 Remember all those line format specification variables?
17158 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
17159 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
17160 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
17161 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
17162 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
17165 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
17166 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
17167 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
17168 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
17169 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
17170 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
17171 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
17175 @section Mode Lines
17178 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
17179 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
17180 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
17181 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
17182 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
17183 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
17184 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
17187 @cindex display-time
17189 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
17190 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
17191 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
17192 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
17193 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
17194 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
17195 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
17196 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
17199 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
17201 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
17202 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
17204 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
17205 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
17206 (length display-time-string)))))
17209 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
17210 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
17211 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
17212 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
17213 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
17216 @node Highlighting and Menus
17217 @section Highlighting and Menus
17219 @cindex highlighting
17222 @vindex gnus-visual
17223 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
17224 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
17225 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
17228 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
17229 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
17232 @item group-highlight
17233 Do highlights in the group buffer.
17234 @item summary-highlight
17235 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
17236 @item article-highlight
17237 Do highlights in the article buffer.
17239 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
17241 Create menus in the group buffer.
17243 Create menus in the summary buffers.
17245 Create menus in the article buffer.
17247 Create menus in the browse buffer.
17249 Create menus in the server buffer.
17251 Create menus in the score buffers.
17253 Create menus in all buffers.
17256 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
17257 buffers, you could say something like:
17260 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
17263 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
17266 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
17269 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
17270 in all Gnus buffers.
17272 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
17275 @item gnus-mouse-face
17276 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
17277 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
17278 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
17282 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
17286 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
17287 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
17288 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
17290 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
17291 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
17292 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
17294 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
17295 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
17296 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
17298 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
17299 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
17300 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
17302 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
17303 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
17304 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
17306 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
17307 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
17308 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
17319 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
17320 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
17321 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
17322 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
17323 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
17327 @vindex gnus-carpal
17328 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
17329 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
17330 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
17335 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
17336 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
17337 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
17339 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
17340 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
17341 Face used on buttons.
17343 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
17344 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
17345 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
17347 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
17348 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
17349 Buttons in the group buffer.
17351 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
17352 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
17353 Buttons in the summary buffer.
17355 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
17356 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
17357 Buttons in the server buffer.
17359 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
17360 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
17361 Buttons in the browse buffer.
17364 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
17365 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
17366 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
17374 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
17375 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
17376 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
17377 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
17378 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
17380 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
17381 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
17382 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
17384 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
17385 been idle for thirty minutes:
17388 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
17391 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
17395 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
17398 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
17399 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
17400 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
17402 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
17403 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
17404 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
17405 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
17407 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
17408 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
17409 @var{idle} minutes.
17411 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
17412 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
17415 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
17416 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
17417 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
17419 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
17420 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
17421 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
17422 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
17424 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
17425 your @file{.gnus} file:
17427 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
17429 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
17432 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
17433 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
17434 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
17435 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
17436 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
17437 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
17438 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
17439 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
17440 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
17441 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
17442 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
17444 @findex gnus-demon-init
17445 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
17446 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
17447 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
17448 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
17449 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
17451 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
17452 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
17453 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
17462 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
17463 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
17465 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
17466 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
17467 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
17468 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
17471 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
17472 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
17473 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
17474 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
17476 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
17477 this will make spam disappear.
17479 There are some variables to customize, of course:
17482 @item gnus-use-nocem
17483 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
17484 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
17487 @item gnus-nocem-groups
17488 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
17489 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
17490 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
17491 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
17493 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
17494 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
17495 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
17496 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
17497 "rbraver@@ohww.norman.ok.us" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
17498 "jem@@xpat.com" "snowhare@@xmission.com" "red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us
17499 (Richard E. Depew)")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
17501 Known despammers that you can put in this list include:
17504 @item clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;
17505 @cindex Chris Lewis
17506 Chris Lewis---Major Canadian despammer who has probably canceled more
17507 usenet abuse than anybody else.
17510 @cindex CancelMoose[tm]
17511 The CancelMoose[tm] on autopilot. The CancelMoose[tm] is reputed to be
17512 Norwegian, and was the person(s) who invented NoCeM.
17514 @item jem@@xpat.com;
17516 John Milburn---despammer located in Korea who is getting very busy these
17519 @item red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us (Richard E. Depew)
17520 Richard E. Depew---lone American despammer. He mostly cancels binary
17521 postings to non-binary groups and removes spews (regurgitated articles).
17524 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
17525 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
17526 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
17527 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
17528 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
17529 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
17530 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
17531 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
17532 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
17533 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
17535 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
17536 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
17539 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
17542 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
17543 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
17546 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
17549 The specs are applied left-to-right.
17552 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
17553 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
17555 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
17556 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
17557 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
17558 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
17560 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
17561 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
17564 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
17566 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
17574 This might be dangerous, though.
17576 @item gnus-nocem-directory
17577 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
17578 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
17579 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
17581 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
17582 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
17583 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
17584 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
17585 might then see old spam.
17589 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
17590 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
17591 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
17592 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
17599 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
17600 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
17601 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
17603 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
17604 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
17605 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
17606 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
17607 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
17608 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
17609 @code{undo} function.
17611 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
17612 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
17613 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
17614 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
17615 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
17616 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
17617 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
17618 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
17619 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
17620 never be totally undoable.
17622 @findex gnus-undo-mode
17623 @vindex gnus-use-undo
17625 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
17626 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
17627 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo} command
17628 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
17633 @section Moderation
17636 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
17637 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
17638 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
17641 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
17645 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
17648 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
17650 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
17655 You split your incoming mail by matching on
17656 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
17657 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
17660 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
17661 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
17664 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
17665 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
17669 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
17672 (setq gnus-moderated-list
17673 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
17677 @node XEmacs Enhancements
17678 @section XEmacs Enhancements
17681 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
17685 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
17686 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
17687 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
17688 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
17701 So... You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
17702 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
17703 over your shoulder as you read news.
17706 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
17707 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
17708 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
17709 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
17710 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
17715 @subsubsection Picon Basics
17717 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
17726 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
17727 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
17728 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
17729 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
17730 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
17731 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
17732 @code{GIF} formats.
17735 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
17736 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
17737 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
17738 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
17739 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
17741 @vindex gnus-picons-database
17742 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
17743 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
17744 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
17745 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
17746 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
17749 @node Picon Requirements
17750 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
17752 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
17753 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
17756 Additionally, you must have @code{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To
17757 display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one,
17758 you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
17760 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
17761 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
17762 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
17763 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
17764 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
17768 @subsubsection Easy Picons
17770 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
17771 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
17774 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
17775 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
17778 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
17779 containing the Picons databases.
17781 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
17784 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
17785 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
17790 @subsubsection Hard Picons
17798 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
17799 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
17800 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
17801 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
17802 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
17807 @item gnus-picons-database
17808 @vindex gnus-picons-database
17809 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
17810 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
17811 subdirectories. This is only useful if
17812 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
17813 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
17815 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
17816 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
17817 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
17818 engine is @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
17819 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
17820 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
17821 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
17823 @item gnus-picons-display-where
17824 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
17825 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
17826 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
17827 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
17828 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
17829 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
17830 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
17832 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
17833 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
17834 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
17839 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
17840 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
17842 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
17843 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
17846 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
17848 @item gnus-article-display-picons
17849 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
17850 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
17851 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
17853 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
17854 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
17855 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
17861 @node Picon Useless Configuration
17862 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
17870 The following variables offer further control over how things are
17871 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
17872 don't need to worry about.
17876 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
17877 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
17878 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
17879 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
17881 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
17882 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
17883 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
17884 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
17886 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
17887 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
17888 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
17889 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
17890 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
17892 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
17893 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
17894 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
17895 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
17896 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
17897 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
17898 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
17900 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
17901 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
17902 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
17903 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
17905 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
17906 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
17907 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
17908 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
17909 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
17910 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
17911 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
17913 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
17914 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
17915 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
17916 Defaults to @code{nil}.
17918 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
17919 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
17920 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
17921 Defaults to @code{t}.
17923 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
17924 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
17925 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
17926 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
17928 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
17929 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
17930 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
17932 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
17933 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
17934 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
17935 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
17937 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
17938 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the defailt.
17940 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
17941 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
17942 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
17943 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
17944 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
17945 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
17946 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
17947 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
17958 @subsection Smileys
17963 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
17968 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
17969 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
17971 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
17972 @file{.gnus.el} file:
17975 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
17978 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
17979 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
17980 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
17981 text and maps that to file names.
17983 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
17984 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
17985 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
17986 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
17987 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
17988 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
17990 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
17991 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
17993 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
17994 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
17995 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
17997 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
17998 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
18002 @item smiley-data-directory
18003 @vindex smiley-data-directory
18004 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
18006 @item smiley-flesh-color
18007 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
18008 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
18010 @item smiley-features-color
18011 @vindex smiley-features-color
18012 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
18014 @item smiley-tongue-color
18015 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
18016 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
18018 @item smiley-circle-color
18019 @vindex smiley-circle-color
18020 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
18022 @item smiley-mouse-face
18023 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
18024 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
18030 @subsection Toolbar
18040 @item gnus-use-toolbar
18041 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
18042 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
18043 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
18044 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
18046 @item gnus-group-toolbar
18047 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
18048 The toolbar in the group buffer.
18050 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
18051 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
18052 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
18054 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
18055 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
18056 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
18062 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
18065 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
18066 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
18067 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
18068 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
18069 unusual directory structure.
18071 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
18072 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
18073 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
18074 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
18076 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
18077 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
18078 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
18079 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
18080 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
18081 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
18083 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
18084 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
18085 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
18099 @node Fuzzy Matching
18100 @section Fuzzy Matching
18101 @cindex fuzzy matching
18103 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
18104 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
18106 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
18107 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
18108 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
18110 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
18111 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
18112 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
18113 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
18114 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
18117 @node Thwarting Email Spam
18118 @section Thwarting Email Spam
18122 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
18124 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
18125 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
18126 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
18127 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
18128 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
18129 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
18130 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
18131 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
18134 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
18135 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
18136 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
18137 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
18138 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
18139 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
18143 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
18144 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
18146 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
18147 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
18148 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
18149 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
18150 sysadm whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
18151 part of the mail address.)
18154 (setq message-default-news-headers
18155 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
18158 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
18159 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
18164 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
18165 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
18166 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
18172 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
18173 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
18174 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
18175 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
18177 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
18178 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
18179 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
18180 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
18181 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
18182 your fancy split rule in this way:
18187 (to "larsi" "misc")
18191 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
18192 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
18193 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
18194 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
18195 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
18197 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
18198 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
18199 at @* @file{<URL:http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html>}.
18200 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
18201 cosmic balance somewhat.
18203 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
18204 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
18205 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
18206 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
18209 @node Various Various
18210 @section Various Various
18216 @item gnus-home-directory
18217 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
18218 defaults to @file{~/}.
18220 @item gnus-directory
18221 @vindex gnus-directory
18222 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
18223 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
18224 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
18226 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
18227 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
18228 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
18229 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
18231 @item gnus-default-directory
18232 @vindex gnus-default-directory
18233 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
18234 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
18235 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
18236 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
18237 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
18238 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
18241 @vindex gnus-verbose
18242 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
18243 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
18244 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
18245 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
18246 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
18248 @item gnus-verbose-backends
18249 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
18250 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
18251 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
18253 @item nnheader-max-head-length
18254 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
18255 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
18256 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
18257 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
18258 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
18259 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
18260 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
18261 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
18262 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
18264 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
18265 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
18266 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
18267 read when doing the operation described above.
18269 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
18270 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
18272 @cindex invalid characters in file names
18273 @cindex characters in file names
18274 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
18275 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
18276 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
18279 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
18283 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
18284 Windows (phooey) systems.
18286 @item gnus-hidden-properties
18287 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
18288 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
18289 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
18290 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
18292 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
18293 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
18294 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
18295 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
18296 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
18298 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
18299 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
18300 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
18309 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
18310 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
18312 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
18314 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
18320 Not because of victories @*
18323 but for the common sunshine,@*
18325 the largess of the spring.
18329 but for the day's work done@*
18330 as well as I was able;@*
18331 not for a seat upon the dais@*
18332 but at the common table.@*
18337 @chapter Appendices
18340 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
18341 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
18342 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
18343 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
18344 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
18345 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
18346 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
18347 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
18355 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
18356 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
18358 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
18359 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
18360 @file{http://quimby.gnus.org/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
18361 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
18362 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
18364 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
18365 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
18366 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
18367 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
18368 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
18369 appropriate name, don't you think?)
18371 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
18372 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
18373 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
18374 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
18377 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
18378 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
18379 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
18380 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
18381 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
18382 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
18383 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
18384 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
18385 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
18386 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
18390 @node Gnus Versions
18391 @subsection Gnus Versions
18392 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
18394 @cindex September Gnus
18395 @cindex Quassia Gnus
18397 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
18398 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
18399 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
18401 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
18402 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
18404 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
18405 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
18407 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
18408 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
18410 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
18411 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
18414 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
18415 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'' --
18416 don't panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away.
18417 Slowly. Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're
18418 out of its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up
18422 @node Other Gnus Versions
18423 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
18426 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
18427 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
18428 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
18429 @sc{mime} capabilities.
18431 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
18432 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
18433 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
18434 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
18441 What's the point of Gnus?
18443 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
18444 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
18445 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
18446 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
18447 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
18448 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
18449 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
18450 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
18451 keep track of millions of people who post?
18453 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
18454 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
18455 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
18456 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
18457 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
18458 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
18459 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
18460 every one of you to explore and invent.
18462 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
18463 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
18466 @node Compatibility
18467 @subsection Compatibility
18469 @cindex compatibility
18470 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
18471 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
18472 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
18477 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
18481 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
18484 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
18487 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
18488 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
18489 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
18490 important variables have their values copied into their global
18491 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
18492 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
18494 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
18495 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
18496 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
18497 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
18498 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
18502 @cindex highlighting
18503 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
18504 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
18505 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
18506 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
18507 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
18508 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
18511 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
18512 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
18513 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
18514 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
18516 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
18517 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
18518 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
18519 to stop doing it the old way.
18521 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
18523 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
18525 @cindex reporting bugs
18527 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
18528 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
18529 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
18531 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
18532 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
18533 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
18534 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
18539 @subsection Conformity
18541 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
18542 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
18549 There are no known breaches of this standard.
18553 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
18555 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
18556 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
18557 We do have some breaches to this one.
18563 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
18564 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
18565 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
18566 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
18567 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
18572 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
18573 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
18574 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
18575 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
18579 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
18580 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
18585 @subsection Emacsen
18591 Gnus should work on :
18599 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
18603 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
18604 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
18607 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
18608 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
18609 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
18613 @node Gnus Development
18614 @subsection Gnus Development
18616 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
18617 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
18618 propose changes and new features, post patches and new backends. This
18619 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
18620 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
18621 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
18622 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
18623 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
18625 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
18626 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
18627 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
18628 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
18629 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
18632 @vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
18633 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
18634 In particular, @code{nnmail-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
18635 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
18636 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
18638 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
18639 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
18640 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
18641 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
18642 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
18643 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
18644 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
18645 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
18646 usually keep up with these rapid changes, whille people on the newsgroup
18647 can't be assumed to do so.
18652 @subsection Contributors
18653 @cindex contributors
18655 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
18656 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
18657 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
18658 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
18659 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
18660 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
18661 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
18662 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
18663 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
18664 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
18666 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
18672 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
18675 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
18676 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
18677 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
18678 functionality and stuff.
18681 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
18682 well as numerous other things).
18685 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
18688 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
18691 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
18694 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
18695 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
18698 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
18701 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
18702 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
18705 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
18708 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
18711 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
18714 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
18717 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
18718 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
18721 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
18724 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
18727 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
18730 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
18734 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
18737 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
18740 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
18743 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
18744 well as autoconf support.
18748 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
18749 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
18751 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
18760 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
18764 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
18774 Alexei V. Barantsev,
18789 Massimo Campostrini,
18794 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
18795 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
18799 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
18802 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
18808 Michael Welsh Duggan,
18813 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
18817 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
18825 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
18827 Michelangelo Grigni,
18831 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
18833 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
18835 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
18842 François Felix Ingrand,
18843 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
18844 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
18846 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
18857 Peter Skov Knudsen,
18858 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
18860 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
18861 Thor Kristoffersen,
18864 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
18882 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
18883 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
18890 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
18895 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
18899 John McClary Prevost,
18905 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
18910 Christian von Roques,
18913 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
18920 Philippe Schnoebelen,
18922 Randal L. Schwartz,
18936 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
18941 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
18957 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
18962 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
18963 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
18964 (550kB and counting).
18966 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
18969 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
18970 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
18974 @subsection New Features
18975 @cindex new features
18978 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
18979 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
18980 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
18981 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
18984 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
18985 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
18986 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
18990 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
18992 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
18997 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
18998 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
19001 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
19002 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
19005 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
19008 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
19009 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
19010 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
19013 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
19014 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
19015 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
19016 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
19019 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
19020 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19023 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
19024 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
19025 (@pxref{The Active File}).
19028 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
19029 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
19032 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
19033 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
19034 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
19037 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
19038 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
19039 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
19042 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
19043 the @file{.emacs} file.
19046 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
19047 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19050 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
19051 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
19054 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
19055 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19058 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
19059 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
19062 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
19063 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
19066 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
19069 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
19070 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
19073 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
19074 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
19077 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
19078 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
19081 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
19084 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
19085 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
19088 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
19092 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
19096 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
19097 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
19100 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
19106 @node September Gnus
19107 @subsubsection September Gnus
19111 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
19115 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
19120 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
19121 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
19125 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
19126 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
19130 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
19134 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
19135 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
19138 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
19142 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
19145 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
19148 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
19151 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
19155 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
19156 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
19159 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
19163 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
19167 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
19171 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
19175 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
19178 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
19179 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
19182 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
19186 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
19187 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
19190 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
19193 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
19194 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
19195 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
19198 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
19202 The Gnus cache is much faster.
19205 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
19209 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
19210 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
19213 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
19214 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
19217 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
19218 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
19221 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
19222 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
19223 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
19226 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
19227 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
19230 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
19233 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
19236 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
19239 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
19242 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
19243 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
19246 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
19250 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
19253 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}}
19258 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
19261 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
19265 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19268 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
19272 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
19275 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
19278 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
19279 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
19282 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
19283 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
19287 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
19288 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
19291 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
19295 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
19296 buffer to allow easier treatment.
19299 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
19302 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
19306 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
19310 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
19311 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
19314 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
19318 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
19319 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
19322 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
19323 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
19326 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
19330 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
19333 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
19336 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
19342 @subsubsection Red Gnus
19344 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
19348 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
19355 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
19358 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
19359 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
19362 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
19363 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
19367 Article washing status can be displayed in the
19368 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
19371 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
19374 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
19375 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
19378 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
19382 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
19383 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
19387 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
19388 Server Internals}).
19391 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
19395 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
19398 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
19399 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
19402 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
19403 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
19404 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
19407 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
19408 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
19411 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
19412 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
19415 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
19419 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
19420 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
19423 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
19424 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
19427 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
19431 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
19434 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
19438 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
19439 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
19442 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
19443 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
19446 A new command for reading collections of documents
19447 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
19448 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
19451 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
19455 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
19456 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
19459 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
19460 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
19461 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
19464 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
19465 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
19469 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
19473 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
19477 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
19482 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
19486 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
19490 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
19491 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
19494 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
19500 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
19502 New features in Gnus 5.6:
19507 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
19508 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
19509 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
19512 The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
19513 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
19514 group, which is created automatically.
19517 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
19521 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
19524 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
19525 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
19528 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
19532 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
19535 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
19536 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
19539 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
19542 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
19543 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
19546 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
19547 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
19550 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
19551 control over simplification.
19554 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
19557 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
19561 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
19564 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
19567 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
19568 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
19569 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
19572 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
19573 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
19576 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
19580 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
19581 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
19584 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
19585 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
19588 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
19592 A history of where mails have been split is available.
19595 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
19598 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
19599 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
19602 A new function for citing in Message has been
19603 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
19606 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
19609 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
19613 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
19614 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
19617 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
19618 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
19621 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
19624 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
19629 @node Newest Features
19630 @subsection Newest Features
19633 Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
19636 Be afraid. Be very afraid.
19638 (That a feature appears in this list doesn't necessarily mean that I've
19639 decided to actually implement it. It just means that I think it sounds
19642 (Yes, this is the actual, up-to-the-second todo list.)
19647 I would like the zombie-page to contain an URL to the source of the
19648 latest version of gnus or some explanation on where to find it.
19651 A way to continue editing the latest Message composition.
19654 http://www.sonicnet.com/feature/ari3/
19657 facep is not declared.
19660 Include a section in the manual on why the number of articles
19661 isn't the same in the group buffer and on the SPC prompt.
19664 Interacting with rmail fcc isn't easy.
19669 <URL:http://www.falch.no/people/pepper/DSSSL-Lite/archives/>
19670 <URL:http://www.eit.com/software/hypermail/hypermail.html>
19671 <URL:http://homer.ncm.com/>
19672 <URL:http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/World_Wide_Web/HTML_Converters/>
19673 http://www.uwsg.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/9610/index.html
19674 <URL:http://union.ncsa.uiuc.edu/HyperNews/get/www/html/converters.html>
19675 http://www.miranova.com/gnus-list/
19680 @samp{^-- } is made into - in LaTeX.
19683 gnus-kill is much slower than it was in GNUS 4.1.3.
19686 when expunging articles on low score, the sparse nodes keep hanging on?
19688 starting the first time seems to hang Gnus on some systems. Does
19689 NEWGROUPS answer too fast?
19691 nndir doesn't read gzipped files.
19693 FAQ doesn't have an up node?
19695 when moving mail from a procmail spool to the crash-box,
19696 the crash-box is only appropriate to one specific group.
19698 `t' `t' makes X-Faces disappear.
19700 nnmh-be-safe means that crossposted articles will
19701 be marked as unread.
19703 Orphan score entries don't show on "V t" score trace
19705 when clearing out data, the cache data should also be reset.
19707 rewrite gnus-summary-limit-children to be non-recursive
19708 to avoid exceeding lisp nesting on huge groups.
19710 expunged articles are counted when computing scores.
19712 implement gnus-batch-brew-soup
19714 ticked articles aren't easy to read in pick mode -- `n' and
19715 stuff just skips past them. Read articles are the same.
19717 topics that contain just groups with ticked
19718 articles aren't displayed.
19720 nndoc should always allocate unique Message-IDs.
19722 If there are mail groups the first time you use Gnus, Gnus'll
19723 make the mail groups killed.
19725 no "no news is good news" when using topics.
19727 when doing crosspost marking, the cache has to be consulted
19728 and articles have to be removed.
19730 nnweb should fetch complete articles when they are split into several
19733 scoring on head immediate doesn't work.
19735 finding short score file names takes forever.
19737 canceling articles in foreign groups.
19739 nntp-open-rlogin no longer works.
19741 C-u C-x C-s (Summary) switches to the group buffer.
19743 move nnmail-split-history out to the backends.
19745 nnweb doesn't work properly.
19747 using a virtual server name as `gnus-select-method' doesn't work?
19749 when killing/yanking a group from one topic to another in a slave, the
19750 master will yank it first to one topic and then add it to another.
19754 warn user about `=' redirection of a group in the active file?
19756 take over the XEmacs menubar and offer a toggle between the XEmacs
19757 bar and the Gnus bar.
19760 push active file and NOV file parsing down into C code.
19761 `(canonize-message-id id)'
19762 `(mail-parent-message-id references n)'
19763 `(parse-news-nov-line &optional dependency-hashtb)'
19764 `(parse-news-nov-region beg end &optional dependency-hashtb fullp)'
19765 `(parse-news-active-region beg end hashtb)'
19770 nnml .overview directory with splits.
19774 postponed commands.
19776 the selected article show have its Subject displayed in its summary line.
19778 when entering groups, get the real number of unread articles from
19781 sort after gathering threads -- make false roots have the
19782 headers of the oldest orphan with a 0 article number?
19784 nndoc groups should inherit the score files of their parents? Also
19785 inherit copy prompts and save files.
19787 command to start up Gnus (if not running) and enter a mail mode buffer.
19789 allow editing the group description from the group buffer
19790 for backends that support that.
19792 gnus-hide,show-all-topics
19794 groups and sub-topics should be allowed to mingle inside each topic,
19795 and not just list all subtopics at the end.
19797 a command to remove all read articles that are not needed to connect
19798 threads -- `gnus-summary-limit-to-sparse-unread'?
19800 a variable to turn off limiting/cutting of threads in the tree buffer.
19802 a variable to limit how many files are uudecoded.
19804 add zombie groups to a special "New Groups" topic.
19806 server mode command: close/open all connections
19808 put a file date in gnus-score-alist and check whether the file
19809 has been changed before using it.
19811 on exit from a digest group, go to the next article in the parent group.
19813 hide (sub)threads with low score.
19815 when expiring, remove all marks from expired articles.
19817 gnus-summary-limit-to-body
19819 a regexp alist that says what level groups are to be subscribed
19820 on. Eg. -- `(("nnml:" . 1))'.
19822 easier interface to nnkiboze to create ephemeral groups that
19823 contain groups that match a regexp.
19825 allow newlines in <URL:> urls, but remove them before using
19828 If there is no From line, the mail backends should fudge one from the
19831 fuzzy simplifying should strip all non-alpha-numerical info
19832 from subject lines.
19834 gnus-soup-brew-soup-with-high-scores.
19836 nntp-ping-before-connect
19838 command to check whether NOV is evil. "list overview.fmt".
19840 when entering a group, Gnus should look through the score
19841 files very early for `local' atoms and set those local variables.
19843 message annotations.
19845 topics are always yanked before groups, and that's not good.
19847 (set-extent-property extent 'help-echo "String to display in minibuf")
19848 to display help in the minibuffer on buttons under XEmacs.
19850 allow group line format spec to say how many articles there
19855 `run-with-idle-timer' in gnus-demon.
19857 stop using invisible text properties and start using overlays instead
19859 C-c C-f C-e to add an Expires header.
19861 go from one group to the next; everything is expunged; go to the
19862 next group instead of going to the group buffer.
19864 gnus-renumber-cache -- to renumber the cache using "low" numbers.
19866 record topic changes in the dribble buffer.
19868 `nnfolder-generate-active-file' should look at the folders it
19869 finds and generate proper active ranges.
19871 nneething-look-in-files-for-article-heads variable to control
19872 whether nneething should sniff all files in the directories.
19874 gnus-fetch-article -- start Gnus, enter group, display article
19876 gnus-dont-move-articles-to-same-group variable when respooling.
19878 when messages are crossposted between several auto-expirable groups,
19879 articles aren't properly marked as expirable.
19881 nneething should allow deletion/moving.
19883 TAB on the last button should go to the first button.
19885 if the car of an element in `mail-split-methods' is a function,
19886 and the function returns non-nil, use that as the name of the group(s) to
19889 command for listing all score files that have been applied.
19891 a command in the article buffer to return to `summary' config.
19893 `gnus-always-post-using-current-server' -- variable to override
19894 `C-c C-c' when posting.
19896 nnmail-group-spool-alist -- says where each group should use
19899 when an article is crossposted to an auto-expirable group, the article
19900 should be marker as expirable.
19902 article mode command/menu for "send region as URL to browser".
19904 on errors, jump to info nodes that explain the error. For instance,
19905 on invalid From headers, or on error messages from the nntp server.
19907 when gathering threads, make the article that has no "Re: " the parent.
19908 Also consult Date headers.
19910 a token in splits to call shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer
19912 `1 0 A M' to do matches on the active hashtb.
19914 duplicates -- command to remove Gnus-Warning header, use the read
19915 Message-ID, delete the "original".
19917 when replying to several messages at once, put the "other" message-ids
19918 into a See-Also header.
19920 support setext: URL:http://www.bsdi.com/setext/
19922 support ProleText: <URL:http://proletext.clari.net/prole/proletext.html>
19924 when browsing a foreign server, the groups that are already subscribed
19925 should be listed as such and not as "K".
19927 generate font names dynamically.
19929 score file mode auto-alist.
19931 allow nndoc to change/add/delete things from documents. Implement
19932 methods for each format for adding an article to the document.
19934 `gnus-fetch-old-headers' `all' value to incorporate
19935 absolutely all headers there is.
19937 function like `|', but concatenate all marked articles
19938 and pipe them to the process.
19940 cache the list of killed (or active) groups in a separate file. Update
19941 the file whenever we read the active file or the list
19942 of killed groups in the .eld file reaches a certain length.
19944 function for starting to edit a file to put into
19945 the current mail group.
19947 score-find-trace should display the total score of the article.
19949 "ghettozie" -- score on Xref header and nix it out after using it
19950 to avoid marking as read in other groups it has been crossposted to.
19952 look at procmail splitting. The backends should create
19953 the groups automatically if a spool file exists for that group.
19955 function for backends to register themselves with Gnus.
19957 when replying to several process-marked articles,
19958 have all the From end up in Cc headers? Variable to toggle.
19960 command to delete a crossposted mail article from all
19961 groups it has been mailed to.
19963 `B c' and `B m' should be crosspost aware.
19965 hide-pgp should also hide PGP public key blocks.
19967 Command in the group buffer to respool process-marked groups.
19969 `gnus-summary-find-matching' should accept
19970 pseudo-"headers" like "body", "head" and "all"
19972 When buttifying <URL: > things, all white space (including
19973 newlines) should be ignored.
19975 Process-marking all groups in a topic should process-mark
19976 groups in subtopics as well.
19978 Add non-native groups to the list of killed groups when killing them.
19980 nntp-suggest-kewl-config to probe the nntp server and suggest
19983 add edit and forward secondary marks.
19985 nnml shouldn't visit its .overview files.
19987 allow customizing sorting within gathered threads.
19989 `B q' shouldn't select the current article.
19991 nnmbox should support a newsgroups file for descriptions.
19993 allow fetching mail from several pop servers.
19995 Be able to specify whether the saving commands save the original
19996 or the formatted article.
19998 a command to reparent with the child process-marked (cf. `T ^'.).
20000 I think the possibility to send a password with nntp-open-rlogin
20001 should be a feature in Red Gnus.
20003 The `Z n' command should be possible to execute from a mouse click.
20005 more limiting functions -- date, etc.
20007 be able to limit on a random header; on body; using reverse matches.
20009 a group parameter (`absofucking-total-expiry') that will make Gnus expire
20010 even unread articles.
20012 a command to print the article buffer as postscript.
20014 variable to disable password fetching when opening by nntp-open-telnet.
20016 manual: more example servers -- nntp with rlogin, telnet
20018 checking for bogus groups should clean topic alists as well.
20020 canceling articles in foreign groups.
20022 article number in folded topics isn't properly updated by
20025 Movement in the group buffer to the next unread group should go to the
20026 next closed topic with unread messages if no group can be found.
20028 Extensive info pages generated on the fly with help everywhere --
20029 in the "*Gnus edit*" buffers, for instance.
20031 Topic movement commands -- like thread movement. Up, down, forward, next.
20033 a way to tick/mark as read Gcc'd articles.
20035 a way to say that all groups within a specific topic comes
20036 from a particular server? Hm.
20038 `gnus-article-fill-if-long-lines' -- a function to fill
20039 the article buffer if there are any looong lines there.
20041 `T h' should jump to the parent topic and fold it.
20043 a command to create an ephemeral nndoc group out of a file,
20044 and then splitting it/moving it to some other group/backend.
20046 a group parameter for nnkiboze groups that says that
20047 all kibozed articles should be entered into the cache.
20049 It should also probably be possible to delimit what
20050 `gnus-jog-cache' does -- for instance, work on just some groups, or on
20051 some levels, and entering just articles that have a score higher than
20054 nnfolder should append to the folder instead of re-writing
20055 the entire folder to disk when accepting new messages.
20057 allow all backends to do the proper thing with .gz files.
20059 a backend for reading collections of babyl files nnbabylfolder?
20061 a command for making the native groups into foreign groups.
20063 server mode command for clearing read marks from all groups
20066 when following up multiple articles, include all To, Cc, etc headers
20069 a command for deciding what the total score of the current
20070 thread is. Also a way to highlight based on this.
20072 command to show and edit group scores
20074 a gnus-tree-minimize-horizontal to minimize tree buffers
20077 command to generate nnml overview file for one group.
20079 `C-u C-u a' -- prompt for many crossposted groups.
20081 keep track of which mail groups have received new articles (in this session).
20082 Be able to generate a report and perhaps do some marking in the group
20085 gnus-build-sparse-threads to a number -- build only sparse threads
20086 that are of that length.
20088 have nnmh respect mh's unseen sequence in .mh_profile.
20090 cache the newsgroups descriptions locally.
20092 asynchronous posting under nntp.
20094 be able to control word adaptive scoring from the score files.
20096 a variable to make `C-c C-c' post using the "current" select method.
20098 `limit-exclude-low-scored-articles'.
20100 if `gnus-summary-show-thread' is a number, hide threads that have
20101 a score lower than this number.
20103 split newsgroup subscription variable up into "order" and "method".
20105 buttonize ange-ftp file names.
20107 a command to make a duplicate copy of the current article
20108 so that each copy can be edited separately.
20110 nnweb should allow fetching from the local nntp server.
20112 record the sorting done in the summary buffer so that
20113 it can be repeated when limiting/regenerating the buffer.
20115 nnml-generate-nov-databses should generate for
20118 when the user does commands in the group buffer, check
20119 the modification time of the .newsrc.eld file and use
20120 ask-user-about-supersession-threat. Also warn when trying
20121 to save .newsrc.eld and it has changed.
20123 M-g on a topic will display all groups with 0 articles in
20126 command to remove all topic stuff.
20128 allow exploding incoming digests when reading incoming mail
20129 and splitting the resulting digests.
20131 nnsoup shouldn't set the `message-' variables.
20133 command to nix out all nnoo state information.
20135 nnmail-process-alist that calls functions if group names
20136 matches an alist -- before saving.
20138 use buffer-invisibility-spec everywhere for hiding text.
20140 variable to activate each group before entering them
20141 to get the (new) number of articles. `gnus-activate-before-entering'.
20143 command to fetch a Message-ID from any buffer, even
20144 starting Gnus first if necessary.
20146 when posting and checking whether a group exists or not, just
20147 ask the nntp server instead of relying on the active hashtb.
20149 buttonize the output of `C-c C-a' in an apropos-like way.
20151 `G p' should understand process/prefix, and allow editing
20152 of several groups at once.
20154 command to create an ephemeral nnvirtual group that
20155 matches some regexp(s).
20157 nndoc should understand "Content-Type: message/rfc822" forwarded messages.
20159 it should be possible to score "thread" on the From header.
20161 hitting RET on a "gnus-uu-archive" pseudo article should unpack it.
20163 `B i' should display the article at once in the summary buffer.
20165 remove the "*" mark at once when unticking an article.
20167 `M-s' should highlight the matching text.
20169 when checking for duplicated mails, use Resent-Message-ID if present.
20171 killing and yanking groups in topics should be better. If killing one copy
20172 of a group that exists in multiple topics, only that copy should
20173 be removed. Yanking should insert the copy, and yanking topics
20174 should be possible to be interspersed with the other yankings.
20176 command for enter a group just to read the cached articles. A way to say
20177 "ignore the nntp connection; just read from the cache."
20179 `X u' should decode base64 articles.
20181 a way to hide all "inner" cited text, leaving just the most
20182 recently cited text.
20184 nnvirtual should be asynchronous.
20186 after editing an article, gnus-original-article-buffer should
20189 there should probably be a way to make Gnus not connect to the
20190 server and just read the articles in the server
20192 allow a `set-default' (or something) to change the default
20193 value of nnoo variables.
20195 a command to import group infos from a .newsrc.eld file.
20197 groups from secondary servers have the entire select method
20198 listed in each group info.
20200 a command for just switching from the summary buffer to the group
20203 a way to specify that some incoming mail washing functions
20204 should only be applied to some groups.
20206 Message `C-f C-t' should ask the user whether to heed
20207 mail-copies-to: never.
20209 new group parameter -- `post-to-server' that says to post
20210 using the current server. Also a variable to do the same.
20212 the slave dribble files should auto-save to the slave file names.
20214 a group parameter that says what articles to display on group entry, based
20217 a way to visually distinguish slave Gnusae from masters. (Whip instead
20220 Use DJ Bernstein "From " quoting/dequoting, where applicable.
20222 Why is hide-citation-maybe and hide-citation different? Also
20225 group user-defined meta-parameters.
20229 From: John Griffith <griffith@@sfs.nphil.uni-tuebingen.de>
20231 I like the option for trying to retrieve the FAQ for a group and I was
20232 thinking it would be great if for those newsgroups that had archives
20233 you could also try to read the archive for that group. Part of the
20234 problem is that archives are spread all over the net, unlike FAQs.
20235 What would be best I suppose is to find the one closest to your site.
20237 In any case, there is a list of general news group archives at @*
20238 ftp://ftp.neosoft.com/pub/users/claird/news.lists/newsgroup_archives.html
20245 From: Jason L Tibbitts III <tibbs@@hpc.uh.edu>
20246 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
20248 (gnus-group-add-parameter group
20249 (cons 'gnus-group-date-last-entered (list (current-time-string))))))
20251 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
20252 "Return the date the group was last read."
20253 (cond ((car (gnus-group-get-parameter gnus-tmp-group 'gnus-group-date-last-entered)))
20258 tanken var at når du bruker `gnus-startup-file' som prefix (FOO) til å lete
20259 opp en fil FOO-SERVER, FOO-SERVER.el, FOO-SERVER.eld, kan du la den være en
20260 liste hvor du bruker hvert element i listen som FOO, istedet. da kunne man
20261 hatt forskjellige serveres startup-filer forskjellige steder.
20265 LMI> Well, nnbabyl could alter the group info to heed labels like
20266 LMI> answered and read, I guess.
20268 It could also keep them updated (the same for the Status: header of
20271 They could be used like this:
20275 `M l <name> RET' add label <name> to current message.
20276 `M u <name> RET' remove label <name> from current message.
20277 `/ l <expr> RET' limit summary buffer according to <expr>.
20279 <expr> would be a boolean expression on the labels, e.g.
20281 `/ l bug & !fixed RET'
20284 would show all the messages which are labeled `bug' but not labeled
20287 One could also imagine the labels being used for highlighting, or
20288 affect the summary line format.
20292 Sender: abraham@@dina.kvl.dk
20294 I'd like a gnus-find-file which work like find file, except that it
20295 would recognize things that looks like messages or folders:
20297 - If it is a directory containing numbered files, create an nndir
20300 - For other directories, create a nneething summary buffer.
20302 - For files matching "\\`From ", create a nndoc/mbox summary.
20304 - For files matching "\\`BABYL OPTIONS:", create a nndoc/baby summary.
20306 - For files matching "\\`[^ \t\n]+:", create an *Article* buffer.
20308 - For other files, just find them normally.
20310 I'd like `nneething' to use this function, so it would work on a
20311 directory potentially containing mboxes or babyl files.
20314 Please send a mail to bwarsaw@@cnri.reston.va.us (Barry A. Warsaw) and
20315 tell him what you are doing.
20318 Currently, I get prompted:
20322 decend into sci.something ?
20326 The problem above is that since there is really only one subsection of
20327 science, shouldn't it prompt you for only descending sci.something? If
20328 there was a sci.somethingelse group or section, then it should prompt
20329 for sci? first the sci.something? then sci.somethingelse?...
20332 Ja, det burde være en måte å si slikt. Kanskje en ny variabel?
20333 `gnus-use-few-score-files'? SÃ¥ kunne score-regler legges til den
20334 "mest" lokale score-fila. F. eks. ville no-gruppene betjenes av
20335 "no.all.SCORE", osv.
20338 What i want is for Gnus to treat any sequence or combination of the following
20339 as a single spoiler warning and hide it all, replacing it with a "Next Page"
20345 more than n blank lines
20347 more than m identical lines
20348 (which should be replaced with button to show them)
20350 any whitespace surrounding any of the above
20354 Well, we could allow a new value to `gnus-thread-ignore-subject' --
20355 `spaces', or something. (We could even default to that.) And then
20356 subjects that differ in white space only could be considered the
20357 "same" subject for threading purposes.
20360 Modes to preprocess the contents (e.g. jka-compr) use the second form
20361 "(REGEXP FUNCTION NON-NIL)" while ordinary modes (e.g. tex) use the first
20362 form "(REGEXP . FUNCTION)", so you could use it to distinguish between
20363 those two types of modes. (auto-modes-alist, insert-file-contents-literally.)
20366 Under XEmacs -- do funny article marks:
20369 soup - bowl of soup
20370 score below - dim light bulb
20371 score over - bright light bulb
20374 Yes. I think the algorithm is as follows:
20379 show-list-of-articles-in-group
20380 if (key-pressed == SPACE)
20381 if (no-more-articles-in-group-to-select)
20382 if (articles-selected)
20383 start-reading-selected-articles;
20384 junk-unread-articles;
20389 else if (key-pressed = '.')
20390 if (consolidated-menus) # same as hide-thread in Gnus
20391 select-thread-under-cursor;
20393 select-article-under-cursor;
20397 if (key-pressed == SPACE)
20398 if (more-pages-in-article)
20400 else if (more-selected-articles-to-read)
20407 My precise need here would have been to limit files to Incoming*.
20408 One could think of some `nneething-only-files' variable, but I guess
20409 it would have been unacceptable if one was using many unrelated such
20412 A more useful approach would be to, in response to the `G D' prompt, be
20413 allowed to say something like: `~/.mail/Incoming*', somewhat limiting
20414 the top-level directory only (in case directories would be matched by
20415 the wildcard expression).
20418 It would be nice if it also handled
20420 <URL:news://sunsite.auc.dk/>
20422 which should correspond to `B nntp RET sunsite.auc.dk' in *Group*.
20427 Take a look at w3-menu.el in the Emacs-W3 distribution - this works out
20428 really well. Each menu is 'named' by a symbol that would be on a
20429 gnus-*-menus (where * would be whatever, but at least group, summary, and
20430 article versions) variable.
20432 So for gnus-summary-menus, I would set to '(sort mark dispose ...)
20434 A value of '1' would just put _all_ the menus in a single 'GNUS' menu in
20435 the main menubar. This approach works really well for Emacs-W3 and VM.
20439 nndoc should take care to create unique Message-IDs for all its
20442 gnus-score-followup-article only works when you have a summary buffer
20443 active. Make it work when posting from the group buffer as well.
20444 (message-sent-hook).
20446 rewrite gnus-demon to use run-with-idle-timers.
20449 * Enhancements to Gnus:
20453 * gnus-servers (gnus-start-server-buffer?)--enters Gnus and goes
20454 straight to the server buffer, without opening any connections to
20457 * gnus-server-read-server-newsrc--produces a buffer very similar to
20458 the group buffer, but with only groups from that server listed;
20459 quitting this buffer returns to the server buffer.
20462 add a command to check the integrity of an nnfolder folder --
20463 go through the article numbers and see that there are no duplicates,
20467 `unsmileyfy-buffer' to undo smileification.
20470 a command to give all relevant info on an article, including all
20474 when doing `-request-accept-article', the backends should do
20475 the nnmail duplicate checking.
20478 allow `message-signature-file' to be a function to return the
20479 value of the signature file.
20482 In addition, I would love it if I could configure message-tab so that it
20483 could call `bbdb-complete-name' in other headers. So, some sort of
20486 (setq message-tab-alist
20487 '((message-header-regexp message-expand-group)
20488 ("^\\(To\\|[cC]c\\|[bB]cc\\)" bbdb-complete-name)))
20490 then you could run the relevant function to complete the information in
20494 cache the newsgroups file locally to avoid reloading it all the time.
20497 a command to import a buffer into a group.
20500 nnweb should allow fetching by Message-ID from servers.
20503 point in the article buffer doesn't always go to the
20504 beginning of the buffer when selecting new articles.
20507 a command to process mark all unread articles.
20510 `gnus-gather-threads-by-references-and-subject' -- first
20511 do gathering by references, and then go through the dummy roots and
20512 do more gathering by subject.
20515 gnus-uu-mark-in-numerical-order -- process mark articles in
20516 article numerical order.
20519 (gnus-thread-total-score
20520 (gnus-id-to-thread (mail-header-id (gnus-summary-article-header))))
20524 sorting by score is wrong when using sparse threads.
20527 a command to fetch an arbitrary article -- without having to be
20528 in the summary buffer.
20531 a new nncvs backend. Each group would show an article, using
20532 version branches as threading, checkin date as the date, etc.
20535 http://www.dejanews.com/forms/dnsetfilter_exp.html ?
20536 This filter allows one to construct advance queries on the Dejanews
20537 database such as specifying start and end dates, subject, author,
20538 and/or newsgroup name.
20541 new Date header scoring type -- older, newer
20544 use the summary toolbar in the article buffer.
20547 a command to fetch all articles that are less than X days old.
20550 in pick mode, `q' should save the list of selected articles in the
20551 group info. The next time the group is selected, these articles
20552 will automatically get the process mark.
20555 Isn't it possible to (also?) allow M-^ to automatically try the
20556 default server if it fails on the current server? (controlled by a
20557 user variable, (nil, t, 'ask)).
20560 make it possible to cancel articles using the select method for the
20564 `gnus-summary-select-article-on-entry' or something. It'll default
20565 to t and will select whatever article decided by `gnus-auto-select-first'.
20568 a new variable to control which selection commands should be unselecting.
20569 `first', `best', `next', `prev', `next-unread', `prev-unread' are
20573 be able to select groups that have no articles in them
20574 to be able to post in them (using the current select method).
20577 be able to post via DejaNews.
20580 `x' should retain any sortings that have been performed.
20583 allow the user to specify the precedence of the secondary marks. Also
20584 allow them to be displayed separately.
20587 gnus-summary-save-in-pipe should concatenate the results from
20588 the processes when doing a process marked pipe.
20591 a new match type, like Followup, but which adds Thread matches on all
20592 articles that match a certain From header.
20595 a function that can be read from kill-emacs-query-functions to offer
20596 saving living summary buffers.
20599 a function for selecting a particular group which will contain
20600 the articles listed in a list of article numbers/id's.
20603 a battery of character translation functions to translate common
20604 Mac, MS (etc) characters into ISO 8859-1.
20607 (defun article-fix-m$word ()
20608 "Fix M$Word smartquotes in an article."
20611 (let ((buffer-read-only nil))
20612 (goto-char (point-min))
20613 (while (search-forward "\221" nil t)
20614 (replace-match "`" t t))
20615 (goto-char (point-min))
20616 (while (search-forward "\222" nil t)
20617 (replace-match "'" t t))
20618 (goto-char (point-min))
20619 (while (search-forward "\223" nil t)
20620 (replace-match "\"" t t))
20621 (goto-char (point-min))
20622 (while (search-forward "\224" nil t)
20623 (replace-match "\"" t t)))))
20628 (add-hook 'gnus-exit-query-functions
20630 (if (and (file-exists-p nnmail-spool-file)
20631 (> (nnheader-file-size nnmail-spool-file) 0))
20632 (yes-or-no-p "New mail has arrived. Quit Gnus anyways? ")
20633 (y-or-n-p "Are you sure you want to quit Gnus? "))))
20637 allow message-default-headers to be a function.
20640 new Date score match types -- < > = (etc) that take floating point
20641 numbers and match on the age of the article.
20645 > > > If so, I've got one gripe: It seems that when I fire up gnus 5.2.25
20646 > > > under xemacs-19.14, it's creating a new frame, but is erasing the
20647 > > > buffer in the frame that it was called from =:-O
20649 > > Hm. How do you start up Gnus? From the toolbar or with
20650 > > `M-x gnus-other-frame'?
20652 > I normally start it up from the toolbar; at
20653 > least that's the way I've caught it doing the
20658 all commands that react to the process mark should push
20659 the current process mark set onto the stack.
20662 gnus-article-hide-pgp
20663 Selv ville jeg nok ha valgt å slette den dersom teksten matcher
20665 "\\(This\s+\\)?[^ ]+ has been automatically signed by"
20667 og det er maks hundre tegn mellom match-end og ----linja. Men -det-
20668 er min type heuristikk og langt fra alles.
20671 `gnus-subscribe-sorted' -- insert new groups where they would have been
20672 sorted to if `gnus-group-sort-function' were run.
20675 gnus-(group,summary)-highlight should respect any `face' text props set
20679 use run-with-idle-timer for gnus-demon instead of the
20680 home-brewed stuff for better reliability.
20683 add a way to select which NoCeM type to apply -- spam, troll, etc.
20686 nndraft-request-group should tally auto-save files.
20689 implement nntp-retry-on-break and nntp-command-timeout.
20692 gnus-article-highlight-limit that says when not to highlight (long)
20696 (nnoo-set SERVER VARIABLE VALUE)
20702 interrupitng agent fetching of articles should save articles.
20705 command to open a digest group, and copy all the articles there to the
20709 a variable to disable article body highlights if there's more than
20710 X characters in the body.
20713 handle 480/381 authinfo requests separately.
20716 include the texi/dir file in the distribution.
20719 format spec to "tab" to a position.
20722 Move all prompting to the new `M-n' default style.
20725 command to display all dormant articles.
20728 gnus-auto-select-next makeover -- list of things it should do.
20731 a score match type that adds scores matching on From if From has replied
20732 to something someone else has said.
20735 Read Netscape discussion groups:
20736 snews://secnews.netscape.com/netscape.communicator.unix
20739 One command to edit the original version if an article, and one to edit
20740 the displayed version.
20743 @kbd{T v} -- make all process-marked articles the children of the
20747 Switch from initial text to the new default text mechanism.
20750 How about making it possible to expire local articles? Will it be
20751 possible to make various constraints on when an article can be
20752 expired, e.g. (read), (age > 14 days), or the more interesting (read
20756 New limit command---limit to articles that have a certain string
20757 in the head or body.
20760 Allow breaking lengthy @sc{nntp} commands.
20763 gnus-article-highlight-limit, to disable highlighting in big articles.
20766 Editing an article should put the article to be edited
20767 in a special, unique buffer.
20770 A command to send a mail to the admin-address group param.
20773 A Date scoring type that will match if the article
20774 is less than a certain number of days old.
20777 New spec: %~(tab 56) to put point on column 56
20780 Allow Gnus Agent scoring to use normal score files.
20783 Rething the Agent active file thing. `M-g' doesn't update the active
20784 file, for instance.
20787 With dummy roots, `^' and then selecing the first article
20788 in any other dummy thread will make Gnus highlight the
20789 dummy root instead of the first article.
20792 Propagate all group properties (marks, article numbers, etc) up to the
20793 topics for displaying.
20796 `n' in the group buffer with topics should go to the next group
20797 with unread articles, even if that group is hidden in a topic.
20800 gnus-posting-styles doesn't work in drafts.
20803 gnus-summary-limit-include-cached is slow when there are
20804 many articles in the cache, since it regenerates big parts of the
20805 summary buffer for each article.
20808 Implement gnus-batch-brew-soup.
20811 Group parameters and summary commands for un/subscribing to mailing
20815 Introduce nnmail-home-directory.
20818 gnus-fetch-group and friends should exit Gnus when the user
20822 The jingle is only played on the second invocation of Gnus.
20825 Bouncing articles should do MIME.
20828 Crossposted articles should "inherit" the % or @ mark from the other
20829 groups it has been crossposted to, or something. (Agent.)
20832 If point is on a group that appears multiple times in topics, and
20833 you press `l', point will move to the first instance of the group.
20836 A spec for the group line format to display the number of
20837 agent-downloaded articles in the group.
20840 Some nntp servers never respond when posting, so there should be a
20841 timeout for all commands.
20844 When stading on a topic line and `t'-ing, point goes to the last line.
20845 It should go somewhere else.
20848 I'm having trouble accessing a newsgroup with a "+" in its name with
20849 Gnus. There is a new newsgroup on msnews.microsoft.com named
20850 "microsoft.public.multimedia.directx.html+time" that I'm trying to
20852 "nntp+msnews.microsoft.com:microsoft.public.multimedia.directx.html+time"
20853 but it gives an error that it cant access the group.
20855 Is the "+" character illegal in newsgroup names? Is there any way in
20856 Gnus to work around this? (gnus 5.6.45 - XEmacs 20.4)
20863 Subject: Answer to your mails 01.01.1999-01.05.1999
20864 --text follows this line--
20865 Sorry I killfiled you...
20867 Under the subject "foo", you wrote on 01.01.1999:
20869 Under the subject "foo1", you wrote on 01.01.1999:
20874 Allow "orphan" scores in the Agent scoring.
20878 - Edit article's summary line.
20880 - Sort lines in buffer by subject
20882 --> the old subject line appears in Summary buffer, not the one that was
20888 Remove list identifiers from the subject in the summary when doing `^'
20892 Have the Agent write out articles, one by one, as it retrieves them,
20893 to avoid having to re-fetch them all if Emacs should crash while
20897 Be able to forward groups of messages as MIME digests.
20900 nnweb should include the "get whole article" article when getting articles.
20903 When I type W W c (gnus-article-hide-citation) in the summary
20904 buffer, the citations are revealed, but the [+] buttons don't turn
20905 into [-] buttons. (If I click on one of the [+] buttons, it does
20906 turn into a [-] button.)
20909 Perhaps there should be a command to "attach" a buffer of comments to
20910 a message? That is, `B WHATEVER', you're popped into a buffer, write
20911 something, end with `C-c C-c', and then the thing you've written gets
20912 to be the child of the message you're commenting.
20915 Handle external-body parts.
20918 Solve the halting problem.
20927 @section The Manual
20931 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
20932 either @code{texi2dvi}
20934 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
20935 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
20937 to get what you hold in your hands now.
20939 The following conventions have been used:
20944 This is a @samp{string}
20947 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
20950 This is a @file{file}
20953 This is a @code{symbol}
20957 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
20961 (setq flargnoze "yes")
20964 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
20967 (setq flumphel 'yes)
20970 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
20971 ever get them confused.
20975 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
20976 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
20977 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
20978 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
20979 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
20980 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
20981 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
20987 @node On Writing Manuals
20988 @section On Writing Manuals
20990 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
20991 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
20992 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
20993 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
20994 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
20995 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
20998 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
20999 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
21000 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
21003 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
21004 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
21009 @section Terminology
21011 @cindex terminology
21016 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
21017 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
21018 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
21019 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
21020 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
21024 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
21025 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
21026 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
21027 not posting, and replying is not following up.
21031 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
21035 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
21040 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
21041 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
21042 is all done by the backends.
21046 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
21047 default, way of getting news.
21051 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
21052 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
21057 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
21058 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
21062 A message that has been posted as news.
21065 @cindex mail message
21066 A message that has been mailed.
21070 A mail message or news article
21074 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
21079 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
21084 A line from the head of an article.
21088 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
21089 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
21093 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
21094 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
21095 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
21096 normal @sc{head} format.
21100 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
21101 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
21102 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
21103 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
21104 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
21105 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
21107 @item killed groups
21108 @cindex killed groups
21109 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
21110 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
21112 @item zombie groups
21113 @cindex zombie groups
21114 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
21117 @cindex active file
21118 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
21119 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
21120 is rather large, as you might surmise.
21123 @cindex bogus groups
21124 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
21125 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
21126 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
21129 @cindex activating groups
21130 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
21131 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
21132 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
21136 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
21138 @item select method
21139 @cindex select method
21140 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
21143 @item virtual server
21144 @cindex virtual server
21145 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
21146 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
21147 whole is a virtual server.
21151 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
21152 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
21155 @item ephemeral groups
21156 @cindex ephemeral groups
21157 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
21158 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
21159 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
21162 @cindex solid groups
21163 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
21164 group buffer are solid groups.
21166 @item sparse articles
21167 @cindex sparse articles
21168 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
21169 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
21173 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
21174 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
21178 @cindex thread root
21179 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
21180 articles in the thread.
21184 An article that has responses.
21188 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
21192 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
21193 specified by RFC 1153.
21199 @node Customization
21200 @section Customization
21201 @cindex general customization
21203 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
21204 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
21205 for some quite common situations.
21208 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
21209 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
21210 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
21211 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
21215 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
21216 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
21218 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
21219 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
21220 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
21224 @item gnus-read-active-file
21225 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
21226 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
21227 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
21228 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
21229 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
21231 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
21232 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
21233 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
21234 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
21238 @node Slow Terminal Connection
21239 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
21241 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
21242 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
21243 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
21247 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
21248 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
21249 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
21250 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
21251 horizontal and vertical recentering.
21253 @item gnus-visible-headers
21254 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
21255 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
21256 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
21257 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
21259 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
21261 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
21262 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
21263 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
21266 @item gnus-use-full-window
21267 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
21268 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
21269 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
21270 want to read them anyway.
21272 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
21273 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
21276 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
21277 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
21278 lines, which might save some time.
21282 @node Little Disk Space
21283 @subsection Little Disk Space
21286 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
21287 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
21291 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
21292 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
21293 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
21294 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21297 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
21298 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
21299 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
21300 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21303 @item gnus-save-killed-list
21304 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
21305 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
21306 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
21307 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
21313 @subsection Slow Machine
21314 @cindex slow machine
21316 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
21317 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
21319 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
21320 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
21322 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
21323 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
21324 summary buffer faster.
21328 @node Troubleshooting
21329 @section Troubleshooting
21330 @cindex troubleshooting
21332 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
21340 Make sure your computer is switched on.
21343 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
21344 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
21348 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
21349 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
21350 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
21351 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
21354 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
21358 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
21359 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
21360 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
21361 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
21362 something like that.
21365 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
21368 @cindex reporting bugs
21370 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
21372 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
21373 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
21374 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
21375 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
21377 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
21378 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
21379 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
21380 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
21383 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
21384 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
21385 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
21386 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
21387 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
21388 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
21390 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
21391 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
21392 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
21395 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
21396 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
21398 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
21399 @cindex ding mailing list
21400 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
21401 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
21405 @node Gnus Reference Guide
21406 @section Gnus Reference Guide
21408 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
21409 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
21410 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
21411 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
21414 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
21415 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
21416 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
21417 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
21418 and general methods of operation.
21421 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
21422 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
21423 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
21424 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
21425 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
21426 * Group Info:: The group info format.
21427 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
21428 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
21429 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
21433 @node Gnus Utility Functions
21434 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
21435 @cindex Gnus utility functions
21436 @cindex utility functions
21438 @cindex internal variables
21440 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
21441 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
21442 Below is a list of the most common ones.
21446 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
21447 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
21448 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
21450 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
21451 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
21452 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
21454 @item gnus-group-real-name
21455 @findex gnus-group-real-name
21456 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
21459 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
21460 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
21461 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
21462 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
21464 @item gnus-get-info
21465 @findex gnus-get-info
21466 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
21468 @item gnus-group-unread
21469 @findex gnus-group-unread
21470 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
21474 @findex gnus-active
21475 The active entry for @var{group}.
21477 @item gnus-set-active
21478 @findex gnus-set-active
21479 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
21481 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
21482 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
21483 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
21486 @item gnus-continuum-version
21487 @findex gnus-continuum-version
21488 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
21489 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
21492 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
21493 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
21494 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
21496 @item gnus-news-group-p
21497 @findex gnus-news-group-p
21498 Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
21500 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
21501 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
21502 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
21504 @item gnus-server-to-method
21505 @findex gnus-server-to-method
21506 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
21508 @item gnus-server-equal
21509 @findex gnus-server-equal
21510 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
21512 @item gnus-group-native-p
21513 @findex gnus-group-native-p
21514 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
21516 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
21517 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
21518 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
21520 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
21521 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
21522 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
21524 @item group-group-find-parameter
21525 @findex group-group-find-parameter
21526 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
21527 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
21529 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
21530 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
21531 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
21533 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
21534 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
21535 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
21537 @item gnus-check-backend-function
21538 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
21539 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
21540 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
21543 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
21547 @item gnus-read-method
21548 @findex gnus-read-method
21549 Prompts the user for a select method.
21554 @node Backend Interface
21555 @subsection Backend Interface
21557 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
21558 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
21559 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
21560 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
21561 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
21562 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
21564 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
21565 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
21566 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
21567 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
21568 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
21569 been opened, the function should fail.
21571 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
21572 name. Take this example:
21576 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
21577 (nntp-port-number 4324))
21580 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
21581 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
21583 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
21584 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
21585 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
21587 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
21588 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
21589 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
21591 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
21592 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
21593 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
21594 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
21595 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
21596 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
21599 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
21600 some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
21601 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
21602 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
21605 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
21608 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
21611 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
21612 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
21613 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
21614 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
21615 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
21616 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
21620 @node Required Backend Functions
21621 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
21625 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
21627 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
21628 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
21629 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
21630 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
21632 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
21633 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
21634 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
21635 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
21637 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
21638 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
21639 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
21640 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
21641 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
21642 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
21643 number, do maximum fetches.
21645 Here's an example HEAD:
21648 221 1056 Article retrieved.
21649 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
21650 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
21651 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
21652 Subject: Re: Something very droll
21653 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
21654 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
21656 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
21657 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
21658 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
21662 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
21663 these in the data buffer.
21665 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
21669 head = error / valid-head
21670 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
21671 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
21672 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
21673 header = <text> eol
21676 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
21677 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
21681 nov-buffer = *nov-line
21682 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
21683 field = <text except TAB>
21686 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
21690 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
21692 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
21693 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
21695 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
21696 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
21697 server. In fact, it should do so.
21699 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
21700 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
21703 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
21705 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
21706 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
21709 There should be no data returned.
21712 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
21714 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
21715 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
21716 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
21717 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
21719 There should be no data returned.
21722 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
21724 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
21725 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
21726 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
21727 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
21729 There should be no data returned.
21732 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
21734 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
21736 There should be no data returned.
21739 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
21741 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
21742 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
21743 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
21744 it would be nice if that were possible.
21746 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
21747 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
21748 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
21749 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
21750 into its article buffer.
21752 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
21753 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
21754 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
21755 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
21756 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
21757 on successful article retrieval.
21760 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
21762 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
21763 making @var{group} the current group.
21765 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
21768 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
21771 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
21774 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
21775 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
21776 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
21777 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
21778 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
21779 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
21780 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
21781 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
21784 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
21785 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
21786 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
21790 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21792 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
21793 a no-op on most backends.
21795 There should be no data returned.
21798 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
21800 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
21803 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
21806 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
21807 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
21810 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
21811 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
21814 active-file = *active-line
21815 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
21817 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
21820 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
21821 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
21822 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
21825 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
21827 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
21828 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
21829 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
21830 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
21831 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
21832 clear if the posting could not be completed.
21834 There should be no result data from this function.
21839 @node Optional Backend Functions
21840 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
21844 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
21846 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
21847 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
21848 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
21850 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
21851 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
21852 former is in the same format as the data from
21853 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
21854 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
21857 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
21861 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
21863 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
21864 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
21865 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
21866 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
21867 should return the (altered) group info.
21869 There should be no result data from this function.
21872 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
21874 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
21875 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
21876 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
21877 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
21878 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
21879 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
21880 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
21881 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
21883 There should be no result data from this function.
21886 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
21888 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
21889 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
21890 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some backends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
21891 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
21892 propagate the mark information to the server.
21894 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
21897 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
21900 Range is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. Action is
21901 @code{set}, @code{add} or @code{del}, respectively used for removing all
21902 existing marks and setting them as specified, adding (preserving the
21903 marks not mentioned) mark and removing (preserving the marks not
21904 mentioned) marks. Mark is a list of marks; where each mark is a symbol.
21905 Currently used marks are @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply},
21906 @code{expire}, @code{killed}, @code{dormant}, @code{save},
21907 @code{download} and @code{unsend}, but your backend should, if possible,
21908 not limit itself to these.
21910 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
21911 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
21912 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
21913 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
21915 An example action list:
21918 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
21919 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
21920 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
21923 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
21924 mark on (currently not used for anything).
21926 There should be no result data from this function.
21928 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
21930 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
21931 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
21932 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
21933 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
21934 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
21936 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
21937 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
21938 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
21941 There should be no result data from this function.
21944 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
21946 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
21947 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
21948 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
21949 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
21950 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
21951 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
21952 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
21954 There should be no result data from this function.
21957 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
21959 The result data from this function should be a description of
21963 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
21965 description = <text>
21968 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
21970 The result data from this function should be the description of all
21971 groups available on the server.
21974 description-buffer = *description-line
21978 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
21980 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
21981 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
21982 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
21985 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21987 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
21989 There should be no return data.
21992 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
21994 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
21995 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
21996 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
21997 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
21998 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
22001 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
22004 There should be no result data returned.
22007 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
22010 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
22011 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
22013 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
22014 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
22015 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
22016 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
22017 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
22018 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
22020 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
22021 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
22024 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
22025 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
22027 There should be no data returned.
22030 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
22032 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
22033 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
22034 this function in short order.
22036 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
22037 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
22039 There should be no data returned.
22042 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
22044 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
22045 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
22047 There should be no data returned.
22050 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
22052 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
22053 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
22054 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
22056 There should be no data returned.
22059 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
22061 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
22062 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
22064 There should be no data returned.
22069 @node Error Messaging
22070 @subsubsection Error Messaging
22072 @findex nnheader-report
22073 @findex nnheader-get-report
22074 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
22075 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
22076 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
22077 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
22078 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
22079 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
22082 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
22084 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
22087 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
22088 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
22089 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
22090 takes one argument---the server symbol.
22092 Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
22093 so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
22094 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
22097 @node Writing New Backends
22098 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
22100 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
22101 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
22102 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
22103 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
22104 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
22107 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
22108 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
22109 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
22111 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
22112 package called @code{nnoo}.
22114 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
22115 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
22121 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
22122 parameters. For instance:
22125 (nnoo-declare nndir
22129 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
22130 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
22133 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
22134 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
22135 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
22137 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
22138 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
22139 a function in those backends.
22142 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
22143 "Where nndir will look for groups."
22144 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
22147 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
22148 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
22149 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
22151 @item nnoo-define-basics
22152 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
22156 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
22160 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
22161 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
22162 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
22164 @item nnoo-map-functions
22165 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
22166 functions from the parent backends.
22169 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
22170 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
22171 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
22174 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
22175 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
22176 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
22177 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
22180 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
22181 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
22182 haven't already been defined.
22188 nnmh-request-newgroups)
22192 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
22193 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
22194 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
22199 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
22202 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
22203 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
22207 (require 'nnheader)
22211 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
22213 (nnoo-declare nndir
22216 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
22217 "Where nndir will look for groups."
22218 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
22220 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
22221 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
22224 (defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
22225 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
22226 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
22228 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
22229 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
22231 ;;; Interface functions.
22233 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
22235 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
22236 (setq nndir-directory
22237 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
22239 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
22240 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
22241 (push `(nndir-current-group
22242 ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
22244 (push `(nndir-top-directory
22245 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
22247 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
22249 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
22250 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
22251 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
22252 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
22253 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
22257 nnmh-status-message
22259 nnmh-request-newgroups))
22265 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
22266 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
22268 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
22269 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
22270 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
22271 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
22273 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
22274 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
22279 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
22282 The abilities can be:
22286 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
22288 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
22290 This backend supports both mail and news.
22292 This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
22295 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
22296 articles and groups.
22298 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
22299 true for almost all backends.
22300 @item prompt-address
22301 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
22302 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
22303 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
22307 @node Mail-like Backends
22308 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
22310 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
22311 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
22312 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
22313 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
22316 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
22317 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
22318 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
22321 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
22322 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
22325 This function takes four parameters.
22329 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
22332 @item exit-function
22333 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
22335 @item temp-directory
22336 Where the temporary files should be stored.
22339 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
22340 performed for one group only.
22343 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
22344 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
22345 find the article number assigned to this article.
22347 The function also uses the following variables:
22348 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
22349 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
22350 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
22351 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
22355 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
22356 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
22360 @node Score File Syntax
22361 @subsection Score File Syntax
22363 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
22364 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
22365 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
22367 Here's a typical score file:
22371 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
22378 BNF definition of a score file:
22381 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
22382 element = rule / atom
22383 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
22384 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
22385 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
22386 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
22388 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
22389 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
22390 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
22391 date-header = "date"
22392 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
22393 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
22394 score = "nil" / <integer>
22395 date = "nil" / <natural number>
22396 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
22397 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
22398 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
22399 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
22400 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
22401 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
22402 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
22403 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
22404 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
22405 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
22406 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
22407 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
22408 exclude-files / read-only / touched
22409 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
22410 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
22411 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
22412 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
22413 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
22414 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
22415 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
22416 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
22417 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
22418 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
22419 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
22420 eval = "eval" space <form>
22421 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
22424 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
22427 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
22428 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
22429 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
22430 one looong line, then that's ok.
22432 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
22433 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
22437 @subsection Headers
22439 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
22440 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
22441 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
22442 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
22444 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
22445 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
22446 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
22447 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
22448 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
22449 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
22450 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
22452 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
22453 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
22454 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
22455 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
22456 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
22458 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
22459 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
22465 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
22466 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
22468 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
22469 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
22470 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
22471 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
22473 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
22477 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
22480 is transformed into
22483 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
22486 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
22487 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
22490 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
22493 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
22494 is slightly tricky:
22497 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
22503 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
22506 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
22512 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
22519 and is equal to the previous range.
22521 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
22522 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
22523 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
22527 range = simple-range / normal-range
22528 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
22529 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
22530 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
22531 number *[ " " contents ]
22534 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
22535 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
22536 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
22537 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
22538 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
22543 @subsection Group Info
22545 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
22546 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
22547 describes the group.
22549 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
22550 second is a more complex one:
22553 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
22555 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
22556 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
22558 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
22561 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
22562 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
22563 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
22564 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
22565 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
22566 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
22567 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
22568 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
22569 this section is about.
22571 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
22572 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
22573 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
22575 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
22578 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
22579 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
22580 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
22581 group = quote <string> quote
22582 ralevel = rank / level
22583 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
22584 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
22585 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
22587 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
22588 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
22589 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
22590 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
22593 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
22594 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
22597 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
22598 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
22601 @item gnus-info-group
22602 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
22603 @findex gnus-info-group
22604 @findex gnus-info-set-group
22605 Get/set the group name.
22607 @item gnus-info-rank
22608 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
22609 @findex gnus-info-rank
22610 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
22611 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
22613 @item gnus-info-level
22614 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
22615 @findex gnus-info-level
22616 @findex gnus-info-set-level
22617 Get/set the group level.
22619 @item gnus-info-score
22620 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
22621 @findex gnus-info-score
22622 @findex gnus-info-set-score
22623 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
22625 @item gnus-info-read
22626 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
22627 @findex gnus-info-read
22628 @findex gnus-info-set-read
22629 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
22631 @item gnus-info-marks
22632 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
22633 @findex gnus-info-marks
22634 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
22635 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
22637 @item gnus-info-method
22638 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
22639 @findex gnus-info-method
22640 @findex gnus-info-set-method
22641 Get/set the group select method.
22643 @item gnus-info-params
22644 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
22645 @findex gnus-info-params
22646 @findex gnus-info-set-params
22647 Get/set the group parameters.
22650 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
22651 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
22653 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
22654 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
22655 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
22656 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
22659 @node Extended Interactive
22660 @subsection Extended Interactive
22661 @cindex interactive
22662 @findex gnus-interactive
22664 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
22665 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
22666 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
22669 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
22670 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
22675 The best thing to do would have been to implement
22676 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
22677 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
22678 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
22679 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
22680 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
22681 @code{interactive}.
22683 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
22688 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
22689 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
22693 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
22694 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
22695 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
22698 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
22702 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
22706 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
22712 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
22713 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
22717 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
22718 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
22719 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
22721 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
22722 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
22723 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
22724 Gnus, that's very useful.
22726 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
22727 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
22728 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
22729 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
22730 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
22731 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
22732 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
22733 following function:
22736 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
22740 (,function ,@@args))
22744 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
22745 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
22746 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
22749 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
22750 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
22751 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
22753 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
22754 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
22755 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
22758 @node Various File Formats
22759 @subsection Various File Formats
22762 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
22763 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
22767 @node Active File Format
22768 @subsubsection Active File Format
22770 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
22771 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
22774 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
22777 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
22778 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
22779 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
22780 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
22781 no.general 1000 900 y
22784 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
22787 active = *group-line
22788 group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
22789 group = <non-white-space string>
22791 high-number = <non-negative integer>
22792 low-number = <positive integer>
22793 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
22796 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
22797 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
22800 @node Newsgroups File Format
22801 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
22803 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
22804 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
22805 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
22808 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
22809 Here's the definition:
22813 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
22814 group = <non-white-space string>
22816 description = <string>
22821 @node Emacs for Heathens
22822 @section Emacs for Heathens
22824 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
22825 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
22826 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
22827 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
22828 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
22829 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
22830 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
22834 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
22835 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
22840 @subsection Keystrokes
22844 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
22847 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
22850 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
22851 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
22852 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
22853 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
22854 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
22855 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
22857 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
22858 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
22859 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
22860 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
22861 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
22862 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
22863 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
22865 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
22866 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
22867 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
22868 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
22869 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
22870 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
22871 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
22873 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
22874 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
22875 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
22876 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
22877 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
22883 @subsection Emacs Lisp
22885 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
22886 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
22887 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
22888 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
22890 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
22891 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
22892 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
22893 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
22894 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
22895 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
22896 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
22899 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
22900 write the following:
22903 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
22906 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
22907 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
22908 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
22911 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
22912 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
22913 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
22914 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
22915 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
22917 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
22918 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
22919 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
22923 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
22927 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
22930 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
22931 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
22934 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
22937 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
22938 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
22941 @include gnus-faq.texi