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4 @settitle Red Gnus Manual
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176 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
183 \thispagestyle{empty}
185 Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
187 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
188 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
189 are preserved on all copies.
191 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
192 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
193 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
194 permission notice identical to this one.
196 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
197 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
206 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
208 Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
210 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
211 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
212 are preserved on all copies.
215 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
216 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
217 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
218 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
221 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
222 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
223 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
224 permission notice identical to this one.
226 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
227 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
233 @title Red Gnus Manual
235 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
238 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
239 Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
241 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
242 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
243 are preserved on all copies.
245 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
246 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
247 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
248 permission notice identical to this one.
250 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
251 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
260 @top The Gnus Newsreader
264 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
265 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
266 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
274 \thispagestyle{empty}
277 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
278 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
280 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
281 being accused of plagiarism:
283 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
284 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
285 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you can
286 even read news with it!
288 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
289 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
290 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
291 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
292 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
299 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
300 * The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
301 * The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
302 * The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
303 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
304 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
305 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
306 * Various:: General purpose settings.
307 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
308 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
309 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
310 * Key Index:: Key Index.
315 @chapter Starting Gnus
320 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
321 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
324 @findex gnus-other-frame
325 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
326 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
327 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
329 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
333 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
334 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
335 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
336 * Slave Gnusii:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
337 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
338 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
339 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
340 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
341 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
342 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
343 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
347 @node Finding the News
348 @section Finding the News
350 @vindex gnus-select-method
352 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
353 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
354 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
355 native method. All groups that are not fetched with this method are
358 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
359 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
362 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
365 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
368 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
371 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
372 certainly be much faster.
374 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
376 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
377 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
378 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
379 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
380 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
381 that fails as well, Gnus will will try to use the machine that is
382 running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long-shot, though.
384 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
385 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
386 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
387 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
389 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
390 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
391 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
392 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
393 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
394 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting.
396 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
398 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
399 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
400 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
401 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
402 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
403 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
405 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
407 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
408 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
409 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
410 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
411 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
412 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
415 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
416 would typically set this variable to
419 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
424 @section The First Time
425 @cindex first time usage
427 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
428 be subscribed by default.
430 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
431 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
432 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
433 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
436 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
437 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is here
438 defined as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
440 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
441 help you with most common problems.
443 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
444 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
448 @node The Server is Down
449 @section The Server is Down
450 @cindex server errors
452 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
453 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
454 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
456 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
457 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
458 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
459 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
460 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
461 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
462 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
464 @findex gnus-no-server
466 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
467 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
468 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
469 if you're in a hurry as well.
473 @section Slave Gnusiï
476 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
477 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (eg., if you
478 are using the two different Gnusiï to read from two different servers),
479 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
481 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusiï that use the same
484 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
485 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
486 @dfn{servants}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
487 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
488 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
489 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
490 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
492 Anyways, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
493 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusiï should be started with
494 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
495 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contains information only
496 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
497 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
498 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
499 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
501 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
502 information in the normal (i. e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
505 @node Fetching a Group
506 @section Fetching a Group
508 @findex gnus-fetch-group
509 It it sometime convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
510 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
511 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
512 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
513 It takes the group name as a parameter.
520 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
521 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
522 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
524 This variable should contain a function. Some handy pre-fab values
529 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
530 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
531 Make all new groups zombies. You can browse the zombies later (with
532 @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly, or subscribe to them.
535 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
536 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
537 Subscribe all new groups randomly.
539 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
540 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
541 Subscribe all new groups alphabetically.
543 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
544 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
545 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
546 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
547 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
548 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into it's
549 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
550 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
551 up. Or something like that.
553 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
554 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
555 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
556 you about @strong{all} new groups.
558 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
559 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
564 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
565 A closely related variable is
566 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
567 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
568 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
569 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
572 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above to
573 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
574 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
576 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
577 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
578 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
581 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
584 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
585 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
586 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
587 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
588 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
589 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
590 subscribing these groups.
591 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
592 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
594 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
595 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
596 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
597 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
598 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
599 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
600 and if the the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
601 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
603 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
604 Yet another variable that meddles here is
605 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
606 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
607 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
608 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
609 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
610 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
611 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
612 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
614 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
615 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
616 you could set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
617 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
618 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
619 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
620 is @code{t} by default.
622 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
623 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
624 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
625 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
626 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster &
627 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
628 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
629 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
630 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
631 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
633 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
634 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
635 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
636 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
637 few days. If any do, then it works. If any don't, then it doesn't
638 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
639 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
640 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
641 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
642 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
643 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
645 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
646 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
647 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
648 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
649 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
650 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
653 @node Changing Servers
654 @section Changing Servers
656 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
657 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
658 very flake and you want to use another.
660 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
661 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
665 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
666 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
667 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
668 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
671 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
672 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
673 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
674 functions more than absolutely necessary.
676 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
677 @findex gnus-change-server
678 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
679 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map
680 reads and article marks. The @kbd{M-x gnus-change-server} command will
681 do this for all your native groups. It will prompt for the method you
684 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
685 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
686 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
687 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
688 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
692 @section Startup Files
693 @cindex startup files
696 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
697 information is traditionally stored in this file.
699 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
700 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
701 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
702 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
703 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
704 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
705 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
707 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
708 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
709 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
710 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file.
712 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
713 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
714 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
715 the file and save some space, as well as making exit from Gnus faster.
716 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
717 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right?
719 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
720 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
721 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
722 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
723 will also means that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
724 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
725 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
726 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
729 @vindex gnus-startup-file
730 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
731 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
732 file being whatever that one is with a @samp{.eld} appended.
734 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
735 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
736 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
737 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
738 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
739 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
740 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
741 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
742 control on or off. Version control is off by default when saving the
745 @vindex gnus-init-file
746 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-init-file} file, which is
747 @file{~/.gnus.el} by default. This is a normal Emacs Lisp file and can
748 be used to avoid cluttering your @file{.emacs} file with Gnus stuff.
756 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
757 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
758 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
759 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
760 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
763 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
764 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
767 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
768 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
769 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
771 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
772 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
773 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
774 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
775 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
776 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
779 @node The Active File
780 @section The Active File
782 @cindex ignored groups
784 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
785 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
786 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
788 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
789 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
790 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
791 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
792 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
793 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
794 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
797 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
798 @c if you set it to anything else.
800 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
802 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
803 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
804 reading the active file. This variable is @code{t} by default.
806 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
807 you actually subscribe to.
809 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
810 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
811 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
812 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
814 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
815 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
816 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
817 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
818 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
819 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
821 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
822 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
823 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
824 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
825 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
826 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
828 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
829 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
832 @node Startup Variables
833 @section Startup Variables
838 @vindex gnus-load-hook
839 A hook that is run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
840 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
841 times you start Gnus.
843 @item gnus-startup-hook
844 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
845 A hook that is run after starting up Gnus successfully.
847 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
848 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
849 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
850 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
851 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
852 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
853 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
854 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
856 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
857 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
858 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
859 your boss might not notice that you are reading news instead of doing
862 @item gnus-no-groups-message
863 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
864 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
868 @node The Group Buffer
869 @chapter The Group Buffer
872 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
873 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
874 long as Gnus is active.
877 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
878 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
879 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
880 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
881 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
882 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
883 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
884 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
885 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
886 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
887 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
888 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
889 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
890 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
891 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
892 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
896 @node Group Buffer Format
897 @section Group Buffer Format
898 @cindex group buffer format
901 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
902 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
903 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
907 @node Group Line Specification
908 @subsection Group Line Specification
910 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
911 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
913 Here's a couple of example group lines:
916 25: news.announce.newusers
917 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
922 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
923 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
924 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
925 asterisk at the beginning of the line?)
927 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
928 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
929 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
930 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
931 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
932 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
934 The default value that produced those lines above is
935 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n}.
937 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
938 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
939 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
940 never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
943 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
944 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
945 instead of wasting time reading news.)
947 Here's a list of all available format characters:
952 Only marked articles.
955 Whether the group is subscribed.
958 Level of subscribedness.
961 Number of unread articles.
964 Number of dormant articles.
967 Number of ticked articles.
970 Number of read articles.
973 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
974 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
977 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
980 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
989 Newsgroup description.
992 @samp{m} if moderated.
995 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1004 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1008 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1011 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1012 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1013 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1014 The default is @code{1}.
1017 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1018 be a letter. @sc{gnus} will call the function
1019 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1020 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current headers as
1021 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
1022 into the buffer just like information from any other specifier.
1026 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1027 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1028 group, or a bogus (or semi-bogus) native group.
1031 @node Group Modeline Specification
1032 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1034 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1035 The mode line can be changed by setting
1036 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). It
1037 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1041 The native news server.
1043 The native select method.
1047 @node Group Highlighting
1048 @subsection Group Highlighting
1050 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1051 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1052 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1053 that look like @var{(form . face)}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1054 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1056 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1060 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1062 ,(custom-face-lookup "Red" nil nil t nil nil))
1063 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) .
1064 ,(custom-face-lookup "SeaGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
1066 ,(custom-face-lookup "SpringGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
1068 ,(custom-face-lookup "SteelBlue" nil nil t nil nil))
1070 ,(custom-face-lookup "SkyBlue" nil nil t nil nil))
1074 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1081 The number of unread articles in the group.
1085 Whether the group is a mail group.
1087 The level of the group.
1089 The score of the group.
1091 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1093 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1094 topic being inserted.
1097 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1098 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1099 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1101 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1102 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1103 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1104 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1105 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1108 @node Group Maneuvering
1109 @section Group Maneuvering
1110 @cindex group movement
1112 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1113 expected, hopefully.
1119 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1120 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1121 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1128 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1129 Go to the previous group group that has unread articles
1130 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1134 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1135 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1139 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1140 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1144 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1145 Go to the next unread group on the same level (or lower)
1146 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1150 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1151 Go to the previous unread group on the same level (or lower)
1152 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1155 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1161 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1162 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1163 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1168 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1169 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1170 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1174 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1175 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1176 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1179 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1180 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1181 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1182 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1186 @node Selecting a Group
1187 @section Selecting a Group
1188 @cindex group selection
1193 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1194 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1195 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1196 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1197 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1198 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1199 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, Gnus
1200 will fetch @var{N} number of articles. If @var{N} is positive, fetch
1201 the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is negative, fetch the
1202 @var{abs(N)} oldest articles.
1206 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1207 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1208 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1209 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1210 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1214 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1215 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1216 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1217 minimum amount off fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1218 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1219 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1220 enter some humongous group.
1223 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1224 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1225 This is yet one more command that does the same as the one above, but
1226 this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1227 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1231 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
1232 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
1233 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
1234 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
1235 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is when catching up a group from
1240 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
1241 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
1242 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
1245 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1246 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
1247 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1248 unread articles than this, Gnus will query the user before entering the
1249 group. The user can then specify how many articles should be fetched
1250 from the server. If the user specifies a negative number (@code{-n}),
1251 the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it is positive, the
1252 @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will be fetched.
1254 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
1255 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
1256 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
1257 automatically when entering a group.
1262 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
1263 full summary buffer.
1266 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
1269 Select the most high-scored article in the group when entering the
1273 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
1274 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
1275 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
1279 @node Subscription Commands
1280 @section Subscription Commands
1289 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
1290 Toggle subscription to the current group
1291 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
1297 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
1298 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
1299 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
1300 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
1306 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
1307 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
1313 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
1314 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
1317 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
1318 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
1319 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
1320 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
1321 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
1327 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
1328 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
1332 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
1333 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
1336 @kindex S C-k (Group)
1337 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
1338 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
1339 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
1340 be used with some caution. The only thing where this command comes in
1341 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
1342 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level @code{7} will
1343 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
1344 @file{.newsrc} file.
1348 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1352 @section Group Levels
1355 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
1356 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
1357 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
1358 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
1359 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1361 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
1367 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
1368 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
1369 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
1370 prompted for a level.
1373 @vindex gnus-level-killed
1374 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
1375 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
1376 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
1377 Gnus considers groups on between levels 1 and
1378 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
1379 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
1380 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
1381 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
1382 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (default 9),
1383 completely dead. Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly
1384 the same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what
1385 articles you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and
1386 living groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely
1387 for reasons of efficiency.
1389 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
1390 low levels (eg. 1 or 2).
1392 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
1393 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
1394 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
1396 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
1397 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
1398 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
1399 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
1400 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
1401 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
1402 relevant legal ranges.
1404 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
1405 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
1406 will only move to groups that are of the same level (or lower). In
1407 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
1408 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
1409 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
1412 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
1413 All groups with a level less than or equal to
1414 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
1417 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
1418 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
1419 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
1420 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
1423 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
1424 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
1425 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
1426 use this level as the ``work'' level.
1428 @vindex gnus-activate-level
1429 Gnus will normally just activate groups that are on level
1430 @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to activate
1431 unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable to
1436 @section Group Score
1439 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
1440 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
1441 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
1444 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can assign a score to each
1445 group. You can then sort the group buffer based on this score.
1446 Alternatively, you can sort on score and then level. (Taken together,
1447 the level and the score is called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group
1448 that is on level 4 and has a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group
1449 on level 5 that has a score of 300. (The level is the most significant
1450 part and the score is the least significant part.)
1452 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
1453 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
1454 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
1455 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
1456 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
1457 action after each summary exit, you can add
1458 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
1459 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
1460 slow things down somewhat.
1463 @node Marking Groups
1464 @section Marking Groups
1465 @cindex marking groups
1467 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
1468 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
1469 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
1470 bidding on those groups.
1472 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
1473 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
1474 with the process mark and then execute the command.
1482 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
1483 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
1489 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
1490 Remove the mark from the current group
1491 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
1495 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
1496 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
1500 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
1501 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
1505 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
1506 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
1510 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
1511 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
1512 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
1515 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
1517 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
1518 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
1519 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
1520 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
1521 the command to be executed.
1524 @node Foreign Groups
1525 @section Foreign Groups
1527 Here are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
1528 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
1529 special-purpose groups:
1535 @findex gnus-group-make-group
1536 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
1537 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
1538 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
1542 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
1543 Rename the current group to something else
1544 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is legal only on some
1545 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
1550 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
1551 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
1552 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
1556 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
1557 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
1558 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
1562 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
1563 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
1564 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
1568 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
1569 Make a directory group. You will be prompted for a directory name
1570 (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
1574 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
1575 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
1579 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
1580 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
1581 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
1582 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
1583 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
1584 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
1585 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
1589 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
1590 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
1591 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
1592 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
1593 @xref{Kibozed Groups}
1597 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
1598 Read an arbitrary directory as if with were a newsgroup with the
1599 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
1603 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
1604 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
1605 Make a group based on some file or other
1606 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1607 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
1608 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
1609 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs}, and
1610 @code{forward}. If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will
1611 guess at the file type.
1614 @kindex G DEL (Group)
1615 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
1616 This function will delete the current group
1617 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
1618 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
1619 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
1620 absolutely sure of what you are doing.
1624 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
1625 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
1626 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}).
1630 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
1631 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
1632 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
1635 @xref{Select Methods} for more information on the various select
1638 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
1639 If the @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
1640 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
1641 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
1642 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers.
1645 @node Group Parameters
1646 @section Group Parameters
1647 @cindex group parameters
1649 Gnus stores all information on a group in a list that is usually known
1650 as the @dfn{group info}. This list has from three to six elements.
1651 Here's an example info.
1654 ("nnml:mail.ding" 3 ((1 . 232) 244 (256 . 270)) ((tick 246 249))
1655 (nnml "private") ((to-address . "ding@@ifi.uio.no")))
1658 The first element is the @dfn{group name}, as Gnus knows the group,
1659 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
1660 normally is a small integer. The third element is a list of ranges of
1661 read articles. The fourth element is a list of lists of article marks
1662 of various kinds. The fifth element is the select method (or virtual
1663 server, if you like). The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group
1664 parameters}, which is what this section is about.
1666 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
1667 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
1668 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
1670 The group parameters store information local to a particular group:
1675 If the group parameter list contains an element that looks like
1676 @code{(to-address . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used by
1677 the backend when doing followups and posts. This is primarily useful in
1678 mail groups that represent closed mailing lists---mailing lists where
1679 it's expected that everybody that writes to the mailing list is
1680 subscribed to it. Since using this parameter ensures that the mail only
1681 goes to the mailing list itself, it means that members won't receive two
1682 copies of your followups.
1684 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
1685 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
1686 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
1687 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
1688 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
1689 list address instead.
1693 If the group parameter list has an element that looks like
1694 @code{(to-list . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used when
1695 doing a @kbd{a} in any group. It is totally ignored when doing a
1696 followup---except that if it is present in a news group, you'll get mail
1697 group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
1699 @item broken-reply-to
1700 @cindex broken-reply-to
1701 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
1702 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
1703 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
1704 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
1705 broken behavior. So there!
1709 If the group parameter list contains an element like @code{(to-group
1710 . "some.group.name")}, all posts will be sent to that group.
1714 If this symbol is present in the group parameter list, all articles that
1715 are read will be marked as expirable. For an alternative approach,
1716 @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
1719 @cindex total-expire
1720 If this symbol is present, all read articles will be put through the
1721 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
1726 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
1727 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
1728 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
1729 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
1730 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
1731 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
1734 @cindex score file group parameter
1735 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
1736 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. This
1737 means that all score commands you issue will end up in that file.
1740 @cindex adapt file group parameter
1741 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
1742 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
1743 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
1746 When unsubscribing to a mailing list you should never send the
1747 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
1748 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
1749 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
1752 This parameter allows you to enter a arbitrary comment on the group.
1754 @item @var{(variable form)}
1755 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
1756 are entering. Say you want to turn threading off in
1757 @samp{news.answers}. You'd then put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in
1758 the group parameters of that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be
1759 made into a local variable in the summary buffer you enter, and the form
1760 @code{nil} will be @code{eval}ed there.
1762 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
1763 If you want to hear a beep when you enter the group
1764 @samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, you could put something like
1765 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group.
1766 @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the @code{(ding)}
1767 form, but who cares?
1771 Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group.
1773 Also @xref{Topic Parameters}.
1776 @node Listing Groups
1777 @section Listing Groups
1778 @cindex group listing
1780 These commands all list various slices of the groups that are available.
1788 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
1789 List all groups that have unread articles
1790 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
1791 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
1792 only lists groups of level five or lower (i.e., just subscribed groups).
1798 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
1799 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
1800 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
1801 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
1802 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
1803 unsubscribed groups).
1807 @findex gnus-group-list-level
1808 List all unread groups on a specific level
1809 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
1810 with no unread articles.
1814 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
1815 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
1816 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
1817 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
1822 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
1823 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
1827 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
1828 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
1829 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
1833 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
1834 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
1838 @findex gnus-group-list-active
1839 List absolutely all groups that are in the active file(s) of the
1840 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
1841 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
1842 to do a @kbd{A m} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
1843 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list group that
1844 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they are killed groups.
1845 Take the output with some grains of salt.
1849 @findex gnus-group-apropos
1850 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
1851 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
1855 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
1856 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
1857 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
1861 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
1862 @cindex visible group parameter
1863 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
1864 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
1865 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
1866 get the same effect.
1868 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
1869 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
1870 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
1871 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
1872 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
1875 @node Sorting Groups
1876 @section Sorting Groups
1877 @cindex sorting groups
1879 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
1880 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
1881 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
1882 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
1883 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
1884 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
1889 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
1890 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
1891 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
1893 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
1894 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
1895 Sort by group level.
1897 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
1898 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
1899 Sort by group score.
1901 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
1902 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
1903 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
1904 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}.
1906 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
1907 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
1908 Sort by number of unread articles.
1910 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
1911 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
1912 Sort by alphabetically on the select method.
1917 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
1918 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
1922 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
1923 some sorting criteria:
1927 @kindex G S a (Group)
1928 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
1929 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
1930 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
1933 @kindex G S u (Group)
1934 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
1935 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
1936 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
1939 @kindex G S l (Group)
1940 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
1941 Sort the group buffer by group level
1942 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
1945 @kindex G S v (Group)
1946 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
1947 Sort the group buffer by group score
1948 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}).
1951 @kindex G S r (Group)
1952 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
1953 Sort the group buffer by group level
1954 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}).
1957 @kindex G S m (Group)
1958 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
1959 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
1960 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
1964 When given a prefix, all these commands will sort in reverse order.
1967 @node Group Maintenance
1968 @section Group Maintenance
1969 @cindex bogus groups
1974 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
1975 Find bogus groups and delete them
1976 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
1980 @findex gnus-find-new-newsgroups
1981 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-find-new-newsgroups}). If
1982 given a prefix, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server for
1986 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
1987 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
1988 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
1989 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
1992 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
1993 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
1994 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
1995 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
2000 @node Browse Foreign Server
2001 @section Browse Foreign Server
2002 @cindex foreign servers
2003 @cindex browsing servers
2008 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
2009 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
2010 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
2011 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
2014 @findex gnus-browse-mode
2015 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
2016 will be use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit
2017 (well, a lot) like a normal group buffer, but with one major difference
2018 - you can't enter any of the groups. If you want to read any of the
2019 news available on that server, you have to subscribe to the groups you
2020 think may be interesting, and then you have to exit this buffer. The
2021 new groups will be added to the group buffer, and then you can read them
2022 as you would any other group.
2024 Future versions of Gnus may possibly permit reading groups straight from
2027 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
2032 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2033 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2037 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2038 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2041 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
2042 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
2043 Enter the current group and display the first article
2044 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
2047 @kindex RET (Browse)
2048 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
2049 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
2053 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
2054 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
2055 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2061 @findex gnus-browse-exit
2062 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
2066 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
2067 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
2068 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
2073 @section Exiting Gnus
2074 @cindex exiting Gnus
2076 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
2081 @findex gnus-group-suspend
2082 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
2083 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
2084 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
2088 @findex gnus-group-exit
2089 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
2093 @findex gnus-group-quit
2094 Quit Gnus without saving any startup files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
2097 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
2098 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
2099 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
2100 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
2101 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
2106 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
2107 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
2108 trying to customize meta-variables.
2113 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, feels her feet go
2114 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
2115 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
2121 @section Group Topics
2124 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
2125 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
2126 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
2127 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
2128 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
2129 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
2131 @findex gnus-topic-mode
2133 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
2134 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
2135 is a toggling command.)
2137 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
2138 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
2139 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
2140 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
2143 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
2144 the hook for the group mode:
2147 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
2151 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
2152 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
2153 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
2154 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
2158 @node Topic Variables
2159 @subsection Topic Variables
2160 @cindex topic variables
2162 Now, if you select a topic, if will fold/unfold that topic, which is
2163 really neat, I think.
2165 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
2166 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
2167 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
2180 Number of groups in the topic.
2182 Number of unread articles in the topic.
2184 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
2187 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
2188 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
2189 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
2190 The default is @code{2}.
2192 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
2193 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
2196 @node Topic Commands
2197 @subsection Topic Commands
2198 @cindex topic commands
2200 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
2201 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
2202 definitions slightly.
2208 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
2209 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
2210 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
2214 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
2215 Move the current group to some other topic
2216 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command understands the
2217 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2221 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
2222 Copy the current group to some other topic
2223 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command understands the
2224 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2228 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
2229 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
2230 This command understands the process/prefix convention
2231 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2235 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
2236 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2237 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
2241 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
2242 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2243 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
2247 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
2248 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
2249 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
2252 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
2253 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
2254 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
2255 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
2259 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
2261 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
2262 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
2263 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
2264 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
2265 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
2266 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
2269 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
2270 @findex gnus-topic-indent
2271 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
2272 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
2273 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
2277 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
2278 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}).
2282 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
2283 Yank the previously killed group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}).
2284 Note that all topics will be yanked before all groups.
2288 @findex gnus-topic-rename
2289 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
2292 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
2293 @findex gnus-topic-delete
2294 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
2298 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
2299 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
2300 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
2304 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
2305 @cindex group parameters
2306 @cindex topic parameters
2308 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
2309 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
2314 @node Topic Topology
2315 @subsection Topic Topology
2316 @cindex topic topology
2319 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
2325 2: alt.religion.emacs
2328 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2330 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2331 13: comp.sources.unix
2334 So, here we have one top-level topic, two topics under that, and one
2335 sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always just one (1)
2336 top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as follows:
2340 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
2341 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
2345 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
2346 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
2347 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
2348 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
2349 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
2350 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
2352 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
2353 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
2354 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
2357 @node Topic Parameters
2358 @subsection Topic Parameters
2360 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
2361 ancestor) topic parameters. All legal group parameters are legal topic
2362 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
2364 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
2365 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
2366 know. Normal inheretance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
2367 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
2373 2: alt.religion.emacs
2377 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2379 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2380 13: comp.sources.unix
2384 Now, the @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter
2385 @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic
2386 parameter @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc}
2387 topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In
2388 addition, @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter
2389 @code{(score-file . "religion.SCORE")}.
2391 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
2392 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
2393 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
2394 score file. If you enter @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll get the
2395 @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
2397 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
2398 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
2399 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
2400 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
2401 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
2402 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
2403 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
2404 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
2407 @node Misc Group Stuff
2408 @section Misc Group Stuff
2411 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
2412 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
2413 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
2420 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
2421 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}). @xref{The
2426 @findex gnus-group-post-news
2427 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). The current
2428 group name will be used as the default.
2432 @findex gnus-group-mail
2433 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
2437 Variables for the group buffer:
2441 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
2442 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
2443 @code{gnus-group-mode-hook} is called after the group buffer has been
2446 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
2447 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
2448 @code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} is called after the group buffer is
2449 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
2452 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2453 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2454 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
2455 whether they are empty or not.
2460 @node Scanning New Messages
2461 @subsection Scanning New Messages
2462 @cindex new messages
2463 @cindex scanning new news
2469 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
2470 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
2471 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
2472 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
2473 command will force a total rereading of the active file(s) from the
2478 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
2479 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
2480 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
2481 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}). The
2482 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} variable controls whether
2483 this command is to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t}
2486 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
2487 @cindex activating groups
2489 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
2490 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
2495 @findex gnus-group-restart
2496 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}).
2500 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
2501 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
2503 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
2504 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
2508 @node Group Information
2509 @subsection Group Information
2510 @cindex group information
2511 @cindex information on groups
2517 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
2520 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
2521 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
2522 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
2523 remote machine. @code{ange-ftp} will be used for fetching the file.
2527 @cindex describing groups
2528 @cindex group description
2529 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
2530 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
2531 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
2535 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
2536 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
2537 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
2542 @findex gnus-version
2543 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
2547 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
2548 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
2551 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
2554 @findex gnus-info-find-node
2555 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
2560 @subsection File Commands
2561 @cindex file commands
2567 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
2568 @vindex gnus-init-file
2569 @cindex reading init file
2570 Read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
2571 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
2575 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
2576 @cindex saving .newsrc
2577 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
2578 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
2579 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
2582 @c @kindex Z (Group)
2583 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
2584 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
2589 @node The Summary Buffer
2590 @chapter The Summary Buffer
2591 @cindex summary buffer
2593 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
2594 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
2597 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
2598 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
2599 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
2600 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
2601 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
2602 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
2603 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
2604 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
2605 * Threading:: How threads are made.
2606 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
2607 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
2608 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
2609 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
2610 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
2611 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
2612 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
2613 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
2614 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
2615 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
2616 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
2617 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
2618 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
2619 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
2620 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
2621 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
2622 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
2626 @node Summary Buffer Format
2627 @section Summary Buffer Format
2628 @cindex summary buffer format
2631 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
2632 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
2633 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
2636 @findex mail-extract-address-components
2637 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
2638 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
2639 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
2640 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
2641 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined function exist:
2642 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
2643 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
2644 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
2645 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
2646 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead.
2648 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
2649 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
2650 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
2651 with those specs that require it. The default is @samp{}.
2654 @node Summary Buffer Lines
2655 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
2657 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
2658 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
2659 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
2660 lines a a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
2661 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
2663 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
2665 The following format specification characters are understood:
2673 Subject if the article is the root or the previous article had a
2674 different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
2675 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @samp{}.)
2677 Full @code{From} header.
2679 The name (from the @code{From} header).
2681 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
2682 spec in that it uses @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is
2683 slower, but may be more thorough.
2685 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
2688 Number of lines in the article.
2690 Number of characters in the article.
2692 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
2694 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
2695 pushes everything after it off the screen).
2697 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{\[}, but can also be @samp{<}
2698 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
2700 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{\]}, but can also be @samp{>}
2701 for adopted articles.
2703 One space for each thread level.
2705 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
2713 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
2714 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
2715 default level. If the difference between
2716 @code{gnus-summary-default-level} and the score is less than
2717 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
2725 The @code{Date} in @code{YY-MMM} format.
2727 The @code{Date} in @code{YYMMDD-HH:MM:SS} format.
2733 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
2734 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
2736 A single character will be displayed if the article has any children.
2740 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
2741 be a letter. @sc{gnus} will call the function
2742 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
2743 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
2744 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
2745 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
2748 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
2749 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
2750 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
2751 that. This means that it is illegal to have these specs after a
2752 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
2753 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
2755 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
2756 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
2758 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
2761 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
2762 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
2764 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
2765 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar. Set
2766 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you like. Here are the
2767 elements you can play with:
2773 Unprefixed group name.
2775 Current article number.
2779 Number of unread articles in this group.
2781 Number of unselected articles in this group.
2783 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
2784 either as @samp{<%U(+%u) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
2785 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
2786 and no unselected ones.
2788 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
2789 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
2791 Subject of the current article.
2795 Name of the current score file.
2797 Number of dormant articles.
2799 Number of ticked articles.
2801 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
2803 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
2807 @node Summary Highlighting
2808 @subsection Summary Highlighting
2812 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
2813 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
2814 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
2815 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
2816 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
2818 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
2819 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
2820 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
2821 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
2823 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
2824 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
2825 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) that is used to
2826 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
2828 @item gnus-summary-highlight
2829 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
2830 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
2831 list where the elements are on the format @code{(FORM . FACE)}. If you
2832 would, for instance, like ticked articles to be italic and high-scored
2833 articles to be bold, you could set this variable to something like
2835 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
2836 ((> score default) . bold))
2838 As you may have guessed, if @var{FORM} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
2839 @var{FACE} will be applied to the line.
2843 @node Summary Maneuvering
2844 @section Summary Maneuvering
2845 @cindex summary movement
2847 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
2848 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
2850 None of these commands select articles.
2855 @kindex M-n (Summary)
2856 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
2857 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
2858 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
2859 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
2863 @kindex M-p (Summary)
2864 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
2865 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
2866 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
2867 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
2872 @kindex G j (Summary)
2873 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
2874 Ask for an article number and then go that article
2875 (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
2878 @kindex G g (Summary)
2879 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
2880 Ask for an article number and then go the summary line of that article
2881 (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
2884 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
2885 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
2886 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
2887 to the group buffer.
2889 Variables related to summary movement:
2893 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
2894 @item gnus-auto-select-next
2895 If you are at the end of the group and issue one of the movement
2896 commands, Gnus will offer to go to the next group. If this variable is
2897 @code{t} and the next group is empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and
2898 return to the group buffer. If this variable is neither @code{t} nor
2899 @code{nil}, Gnus will select the next group, no matter whether it has
2900 any unread articles or not. As a special case, if this variable is
2901 @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
2902 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same will
2903 happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
2904 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
2905 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
2906 @pxref{Group Levels}.