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335 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
340 @setchapternewpage odd
347 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
349 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
355 @top The Gnus Newsreader
359 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
360 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
361 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
364 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
365 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.7.
376 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
377 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
379 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
380 being accused of plagiarism:
382 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
383 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
384 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
385 can even read news with it!
387 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
388 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
389 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
390 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
391 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
397 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
398 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
399 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
400 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
401 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
402 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
403 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
404 * Various:: General purpose settings.
405 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
406 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
407 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation.
408 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
409 * Key Index:: Key Index.
411 Other related manuals
413 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
414 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
415 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
416 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
417 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
420 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
424 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
425 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
426 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
427 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
428 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
429 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
430 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
431 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
432 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
433 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
434 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
438 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
439 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
440 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
444 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
445 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
446 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
447 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
448 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
449 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
450 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
451 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
452 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
453 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
454 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
455 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
456 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
457 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
458 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
459 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
460 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
464 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
465 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
466 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
470 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
471 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
472 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
473 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
474 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
478 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
479 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
480 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
481 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
482 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
486 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
487 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
488 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
489 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
490 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
491 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
492 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
493 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
494 * Threading:: How threads are made.
495 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
496 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
497 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
498 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
499 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
500 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
501 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
502 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
503 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
504 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
505 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
506 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
507 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
508 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
509 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
510 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
511 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
512 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
513 or reselecting the current group.
514 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
515 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
516 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
517 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
519 Summary Buffer Format
521 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
522 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
523 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
524 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
528 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
529 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
531 Reply, Followup and Post
533 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
534 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
535 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
536 * Canceling and Superseding::
540 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
541 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
542 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
543 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
544 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
545 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
549 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
550 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
552 Customizing Threading
554 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
555 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
556 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
557 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
561 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
562 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
563 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
564 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
565 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
566 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
570 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
571 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
572 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
576 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
577 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
578 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
579 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
580 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
581 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
582 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
583 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
584 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
585 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
586 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
588 Alternative Approaches
590 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
591 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
593 Various Summary Stuff
595 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
596 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
597 * Summary Generation Commands::
598 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
602 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
603 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
604 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
605 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
606 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
610 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
611 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
612 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
613 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
614 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
615 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
616 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
617 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
618 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
622 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
623 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
624 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
625 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
626 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
627 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
628 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
629 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
630 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
634 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
635 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
636 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
637 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
638 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
639 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
640 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
644 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
645 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
649 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
650 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
651 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
652 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
656 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
657 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
658 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
659 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
660 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
661 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
662 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
663 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
664 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
665 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
666 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
667 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
668 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
672 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
673 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
674 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
676 Choosing a Mail Back End
678 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
679 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
680 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
681 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
682 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
683 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
684 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
689 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
690 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
691 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
692 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
693 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
694 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
698 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
699 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
700 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
701 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
702 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
703 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
707 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
708 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
709 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
710 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
711 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
715 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
719 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
720 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
721 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
725 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
726 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
730 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
731 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
732 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
736 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
737 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
738 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
740 The Gnus Diary Library
742 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
743 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
744 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
745 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
749 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
750 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
751 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
752 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
753 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
754 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
755 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
756 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
757 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
758 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
759 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
760 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
761 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
762 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
766 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
767 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
768 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
772 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
773 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
774 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
778 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
779 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
780 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
781 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
782 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
783 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
784 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
785 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
786 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
787 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
788 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
789 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
790 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
791 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
792 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
793 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
797 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
798 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
799 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
803 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
804 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
805 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
806 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
807 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
808 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
809 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
810 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
811 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
812 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
813 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
814 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
815 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
816 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
817 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
818 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
819 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
820 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
821 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
822 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
823 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
827 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
828 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
829 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
830 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
831 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
832 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
833 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
834 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
838 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
839 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
840 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were
842 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
843 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
847 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
848 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
849 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
850 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
854 * Spam Package Introduction::
855 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
856 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
857 * Spam and Ham Processors::
858 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
860 * Extending the Spam package::
861 * Spam Statistics Package::
863 Spam Statistics Package
865 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
866 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
867 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
871 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
872 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
873 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
874 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
875 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
876 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
877 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
878 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
879 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
883 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
884 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
885 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
886 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
887 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
888 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
889 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
890 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
891 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
895 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
896 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
897 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
898 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
899 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
900 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
901 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
905 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
906 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
907 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
908 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
912 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
913 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
914 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
915 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
916 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
917 * Group Info:: The group info format.
918 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
919 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
920 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
924 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
925 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
926 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
927 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
928 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
929 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
933 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
934 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
938 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
939 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
945 @chapter Starting Gnus
948 If you haven't used Emacs much before using Gnus, read @ref{Emacs for
953 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
954 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
955 your Emacs. If not, you should customize the variable
956 @code{gnus-select-method} as described in @ref{Finding the News}. For a
957 minimal setup for posting should also customize the variables
958 @code{user-full-name} and @code{user-mail-address}.
960 @findex gnus-other-frame
961 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
962 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
963 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
965 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
966 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
967 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
969 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
970 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
973 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
974 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
975 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
976 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
977 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
978 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
979 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
980 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
981 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
982 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
986 @node Finding the News
987 @section Finding the News
990 @vindex gnus-select-method
992 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
993 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
994 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
995 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
998 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
999 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1002 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1005 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1008 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1011 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1012 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1013 server is running Leafnode (which is a simple, standalone private news
1014 server); in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1016 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1018 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1019 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1020 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1021 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1022 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1023 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1024 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1026 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1027 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1028 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1029 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1031 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1032 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1033 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1034 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1035 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1036 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1037 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1038 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1039 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1042 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1044 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1045 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1046 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1047 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1048 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1049 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1051 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1053 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1054 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1055 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1056 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1057 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1058 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1061 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1062 you would typically set this variable to
1065 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1068 Note: the @acronym{NNTP} back end stores marks in marks files
1069 (@pxref{NNTP marks}). This feature makes it easy to share marks between
1070 several Gnus installations, but may slow down things a bit when fetching
1071 new articles. @xref{NNTP marks}, for more information.
1074 @node The First Time
1075 @section The First Time
1076 @cindex first time usage
1078 If no startup files exist (@pxref{Startup Files}), Gnus will try to
1079 determine what groups should be subscribed by default.
1081 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1082 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1083 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1084 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1087 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1088 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1089 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1091 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1092 help you with most common problems.
1094 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1095 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1099 @node The Server is Down
1100 @section The Server is Down
1101 @cindex server errors
1103 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1104 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1105 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1107 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1108 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1109 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1110 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1111 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1112 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1113 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1115 @findex gnus-no-server
1116 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1118 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1119 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1120 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1121 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1122 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1123 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1124 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1128 @section Slave Gnusae
1131 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1132 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1133 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1134 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1136 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1137 @file{.newsrc} file.
1139 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1140 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1141 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1142 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1143 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1144 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1145 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1148 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1149 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1150 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1151 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1152 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1153 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1154 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1155 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1157 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1158 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1160 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1161 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1162 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1163 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1164 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1171 @cindex subscription
1173 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1174 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1175 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1176 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1177 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1178 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1179 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1180 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1181 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1184 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1185 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1186 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1190 @node Checking New Groups
1191 @subsection Checking New Groups
1193 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1194 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1195 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1196 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1197 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1198 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1199 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1200 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1201 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1202 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1204 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1205 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1206 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1207 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1208 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1209 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1210 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1211 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1212 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1213 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1214 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1216 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1217 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1218 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1219 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1220 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1221 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1224 @node Subscription Methods
1225 @subsection Subscription Methods
1227 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1228 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1229 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1231 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1232 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1234 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1238 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1239 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1240 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1241 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1242 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1244 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1245 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1246 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1247 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1249 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1250 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1251 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1253 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1254 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1255 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1256 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1257 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1258 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1259 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1260 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1261 up. Or something like that.
1263 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1264 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1265 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1266 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1267 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1269 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1270 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1271 Kill all new groups.
1273 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1274 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1275 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1276 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1277 topic parameter that looks like
1283 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1286 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1291 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1292 A closely related variable is
1293 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1294 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1295 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1296 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1299 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1300 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1301 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1302 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1305 @node Filtering New Groups
1306 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1308 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1309 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1310 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1313 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1316 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1317 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1318 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1319 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1320 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1321 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1322 subscribing these groups.
1323 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1324 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1326 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1327 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1328 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1329 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1330 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1331 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1332 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1333 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1335 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1336 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1337 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1338 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1339 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1340 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1341 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1342 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1343 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1344 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1347 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1348 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1351 @node Changing Servers
1352 @section Changing Servers
1353 @cindex changing servers
1355 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1356 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1357 very flaky and you want to use another.
1359 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1360 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1364 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1365 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1366 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1367 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1370 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1371 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1372 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1373 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1375 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1376 @findex gnus-change-server
1377 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1378 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1379 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1380 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1381 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1383 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1384 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1385 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1386 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1387 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1389 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1390 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1391 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1392 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1393 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1394 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1396 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1397 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1398 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1399 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1401 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1402 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1403 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1404 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1405 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1406 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1407 cache for all groups).
1411 @section Startup Files
1412 @cindex startup files
1417 Most common Unix news readers use a shared startup file called
1418 @file{.newsrc}. This file contains all the information about what
1419 groups are subscribed, and which articles in these groups have been
1422 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1423 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1424 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1425 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1426 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1427 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1428 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1430 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1431 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1432 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1433 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1434 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1435 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1437 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1438 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1439 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1440 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1441 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1442 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1443 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1444 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1445 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which can be
1446 convenient if you use a different news reader occasionally, and you
1447 want to read a different subset of the available groups with that
1450 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1451 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1452 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1453 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1454 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1455 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1456 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1457 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1458 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1459 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1460 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1461 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1463 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1464 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1465 @vindex version-control
1466 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1467 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1468 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1469 If you want version control for this file, set
1470 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1471 @code{version-control} variable.
1473 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1474 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1475 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1476 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1477 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1478 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1479 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1480 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1481 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1482 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1485 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1486 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1488 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1489 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1492 @vindex gnus-init-file
1493 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1494 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1495 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus-init} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1496 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1497 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1498 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1499 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1500 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1501 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1502 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). If Emacs was invoked with
1503 the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial
1504 Options, ,Initial Options, emacs, The Emacs Manual}), Gnus doesn't read
1505 @code{gnus-init-file}.
1510 @cindex dribble file
1513 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1514 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1515 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1516 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1517 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1520 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1521 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1524 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1525 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1526 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1528 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1529 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1530 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1531 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1532 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1533 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1535 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1536 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1537 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1540 @node The Active File
1541 @section The Active File
1543 @cindex ignored groups
1545 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1546 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1547 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1549 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1550 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1551 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1552 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1553 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1554 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1555 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1558 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1559 @c if you set it to anything else.
1561 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1563 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1564 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1565 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1567 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1568 you actually subscribe to.
1570 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1571 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1572 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1573 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1575 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1576 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1577 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1578 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1579 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1580 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1582 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1583 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1584 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1587 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1588 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1589 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1590 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1591 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1592 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1594 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1595 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1597 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1598 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1600 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1601 secondary select methods.
1604 @node Startup Variables
1605 @section Startup Variables
1609 @item gnus-load-hook
1610 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1611 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1612 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1613 times you start Gnus.
1615 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1616 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1617 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1619 @item gnus-startup-hook
1620 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1621 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1623 @item gnus-started-hook
1624 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1625 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1628 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1629 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1630 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1631 generating the group buffer.
1633 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1634 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1635 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1636 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1637 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1638 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1639 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1640 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1642 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1643 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1644 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1645 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1646 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1647 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1649 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1650 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1651 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1653 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1654 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1655 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1657 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1658 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1659 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1660 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1666 @chapter Group Buffer
1667 @cindex group buffer
1669 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1671 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1672 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1673 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1674 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1675 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1676 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1677 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1678 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1679 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1680 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1681 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1682 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1683 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1684 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1685 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1686 @c human rights at 9...
1689 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1690 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1691 long as Gnus is active.
1695 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1696 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1697 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1698 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1699 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1700 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1701 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1702 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1708 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1709 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1710 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1711 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1712 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1713 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1714 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1715 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1716 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1717 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1718 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1719 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1720 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1721 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1722 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1723 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1724 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1728 @node Group Buffer Format
1729 @section Group Buffer Format
1732 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1733 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1734 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1737 You can customize the Group Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
1738 customize-apropos RET gnus-group-tool-bar}. This feature is only
1741 The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly depending on the
1742 cursor position. Therefore, moving around in the Group Buffer is
1743 slower. You can disable this via the variable
1744 @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}. Its default value depends on your
1747 @node Group Line Specification
1748 @subsection Group Line Specification
1749 @cindex group buffer format
1751 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1752 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1754 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1757 25: news.announce.newusers
1758 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1763 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1764 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1765 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1766 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1768 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1769 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1770 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1771 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1772 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1773 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1775 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1777 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1778 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1779 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1780 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1781 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1783 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1784 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1785 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1787 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1792 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1795 Whether the group is subscribed.
1798 Level of subscribedness.
1801 Number of unread articles.
1804 Number of dormant articles.
1807 Number of ticked articles.
1810 Number of read articles.
1813 Number of unseen articles.
1816 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1817 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1819 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1820 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1821 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1822 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1823 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1824 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1825 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job.
1827 The nnml backend (@pxref{Mail Spool}) has a feature called ``group
1828 compaction'' which circumvents this deficiency: the idea is to
1829 renumber all articles from 1, removing all gaps between numbers, hence
1830 getting a correct total count. Other backends may support this in the
1831 future. In order to keep your total article count relatively up to
1832 date, you might want to compact your groups (or even directly your
1833 server) from time to time. @xref{Misc Group Stuff}, @xref{Server Commands}.
1836 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1839 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1848 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1849 comment element in the group parameters.
1852 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1853 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1854 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1858 @samp{m} if moderated.
1861 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1867 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1873 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1877 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1880 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1881 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1882 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1883 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1884 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1887 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1889 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1893 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1896 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1900 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1901 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1902 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1903 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1906 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1907 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1908 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1909 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1910 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1911 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1916 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1917 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1918 group, or a bogus native group.
1921 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1922 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1923 @cindex group mode line
1925 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1926 The mode line can be changed by setting
1927 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1928 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1932 The native news server.
1934 The native select method.
1938 @node Group Highlighting
1939 @subsection Group Highlighting
1940 @cindex highlighting
1941 @cindex group highlighting
1943 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1944 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1945 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1946 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1947 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1949 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1953 (cond (window-system
1954 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1955 (defface my-group-face-1
1956 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1957 (defface my-group-face-2
1958 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1959 "Second group face")
1960 (defface my-group-face-3
1961 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1962 (defface my-group-face-4
1963 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1964 (defface my-group-face-5
1965 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1967 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1968 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1969 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1970 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1971 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1972 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1975 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1977 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1984 The number of unread articles in the group.
1988 Whether the group is a mail group.
1990 The level of the group.
1992 The score of the group.
1994 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1996 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1997 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1999 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
2000 topic being inserted.
2003 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
2004 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
2005 functions for snarfing info on the group.
2007 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
2008 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
2009 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
2010 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
2011 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
2014 @node Group Maneuvering
2015 @section Group Maneuvering
2016 @cindex group movement
2018 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2019 expected, hopefully.
2025 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2026 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2027 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2033 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2034 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2035 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2039 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2040 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2044 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2045 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2049 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2050 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2051 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2055 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2056 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2057 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2060 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2066 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2067 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2068 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2073 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2074 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2075 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2079 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2080 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2081 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2084 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2085 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2086 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2087 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2090 @vindex gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit
2091 If @code{gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit} is @code{t}, when a summary is
2092 exited, the point in the group buffer is moved to the next unread group.
2093 Otherwise, the point is set to the group just exited. The default is
2096 @node Selecting a Group
2097 @section Selecting a Group
2098 @cindex group selection
2103 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2104 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2105 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2106 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2107 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2108 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2109 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2110 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2111 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2112 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2114 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2115 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2116 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2118 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2119 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2124 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2125 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2126 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2127 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2128 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2132 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2133 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2134 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2135 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2136 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2137 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2138 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2139 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2140 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2141 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2144 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2145 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2146 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2147 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2148 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2151 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2152 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2153 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2154 doing any processing of its contents
2155 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2156 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2157 manner will have no permanent effects.
2161 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2162 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2163 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2164 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2165 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2166 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2167 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2168 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2169 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2170 most recently will be fetched.
2172 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2173 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2174 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2177 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2178 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2179 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2180 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2181 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2182 Which article this is is controlled by the
2183 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2189 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2192 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2195 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2197 @item unseen-or-unread
2198 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2199 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2203 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2207 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2208 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2210 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2211 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2212 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2213 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2217 @node Subscription Commands
2218 @section Subscription Commands
2219 @cindex subscription
2227 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2228 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2229 Toggle subscription to the current group
2230 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2236 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2237 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2238 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2239 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2245 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2246 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2247 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2253 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2254 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2257 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2258 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2259 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2260 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2261 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2267 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2268 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2272 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2273 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2276 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2277 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2278 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2279 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2280 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2281 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2282 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2283 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2284 @file{.newsrc} file.
2288 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2298 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2299 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2300 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2301 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2302 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2303 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2308 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2309 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2310 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2314 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2315 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2316 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2318 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2319 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2320 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2321 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2322 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2323 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2330 @section Group Levels
2334 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2335 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2336 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2337 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2338 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2340 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2346 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2347 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2348 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2349 prompted for a level.
2352 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2353 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2354 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2355 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2356 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2357 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2358 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2359 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2360 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2361 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2362 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2363 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2364 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2365 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2366 reasons of efficiency.
2368 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2369 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2371 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2372 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2373 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2374 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2375 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2376 groups are hidden, in a way.
2378 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2379 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2380 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2381 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2382 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2383 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2385 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2386 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2387 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2388 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2389 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2390 list of killed groups.)
2392 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2393 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2394 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2396 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2397 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2398 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2399 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2400 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2401 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2402 relevant valid ranges.
2404 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2405 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2406 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2407 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2408 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2409 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2412 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2413 one with the best level.
2415 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2416 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2417 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2420 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2421 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2422 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2423 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2426 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2427 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2428 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2429 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2431 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2432 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2433 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2434 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2435 to 5. The default is 6.
2439 @section Group Score
2444 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2445 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2446 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2449 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2450 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2451 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2452 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2453 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2454 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2455 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2456 least significant part.))
2458 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2459 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2460 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2461 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2462 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2463 action after each summary exit, you can add
2464 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2465 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2466 slow things down somewhat.
2469 @node Marking Groups
2470 @section Marking Groups
2471 @cindex marking groups
2473 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2474 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2475 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2476 bidding on those groups.
2478 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2479 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2480 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2488 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2489 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2495 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2496 Remove the mark from the current group
2497 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2501 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2502 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2506 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2507 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2511 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2512 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2516 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2517 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2518 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2521 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2523 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2524 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2525 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2526 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2527 the command to be executed.
2530 @node Foreign Groups
2531 @section Foreign Groups
2532 @cindex foreign groups
2534 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2535 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2536 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2537 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2540 Changes from the group editing commands are stored in
2541 @file{~/.newsrc.eld} (@code{gnus-startup-file}). An alternative is the
2542 variable @code{gnus-parameters}, @xref{Group Parameters}.
2548 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2549 @cindex making groups
2550 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2551 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2552 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2556 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2557 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2558 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2562 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2563 @cindex renaming groups
2564 Rename the current group to something else
2565 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2566 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2572 @findex gnus-group-customize
2573 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2577 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2578 @cindex renaming groups
2579 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2580 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2584 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2585 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2586 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2590 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2591 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2592 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2596 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2598 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2599 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2604 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2605 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2609 @cindex (ding) archive
2610 @cindex archive group
2611 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2612 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2613 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2614 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2615 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2616 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2617 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2621 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2623 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2624 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2625 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2626 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2630 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2632 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2633 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2634 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2638 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2639 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2641 Make a group based on some file or other
2642 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2643 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2644 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2645 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2646 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2647 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2648 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2649 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2650 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2654 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2655 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2656 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2657 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2661 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2665 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2666 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2667 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2668 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2669 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2670 @xref{Web Searches}.
2672 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2673 to a particular group by using a match string like
2674 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2678 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2679 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2680 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2684 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2685 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2686 This function will delete the current group
2687 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2688 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2689 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2690 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2691 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2695 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2696 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2697 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2701 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2702 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2703 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2706 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2709 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2710 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2711 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2712 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2713 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2714 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2718 @node Group Parameters
2719 @section Group Parameters
2720 @cindex group parameters
2722 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2723 Here's an example group parameter list:
2726 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2730 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2731 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2732 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2733 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2735 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2736 is an alist of regexps and values.
2738 The following group parameters can be used:
2743 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2746 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2749 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2750 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2751 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2752 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2753 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2755 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2756 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2757 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2758 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2759 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2760 list address instead.
2762 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2766 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2769 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2772 It is totally ignored
2773 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2774 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2776 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2777 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2778 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2779 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2780 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2782 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2783 @cindex mail list groups
2784 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2785 entering summary buffer.
2787 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2792 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2793 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2794 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2795 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2796 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2797 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2798 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2799 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2802 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2803 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2806 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2807 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2811 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2812 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2813 of whether it has any unread articles.
2815 This parameter cannot be set via @code{gnus-parameters}. See
2816 @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.
2818 @item broken-reply-to
2819 @cindex broken-reply-to
2820 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2821 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2822 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2823 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2824 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2825 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2829 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2830 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2834 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2835 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2836 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2841 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2842 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2843 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2844 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2845 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2846 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2847 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2849 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2850 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2851 doesn't accept articles.
2855 @cindex expiring mail
2856 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2857 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2858 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2860 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2863 @cindex total-expire
2864 @cindex expiring mail
2865 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2866 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2867 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2868 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2871 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2875 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2876 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2877 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2878 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2879 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2880 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2881 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2884 @cindex expiry-target
2885 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2886 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2889 @cindex score file group parameter
2890 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2891 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2892 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2895 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2896 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2897 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2898 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2901 @cindex admin-address
2902 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2903 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2904 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2905 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2909 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2910 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2914 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2917 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2918 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2921 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2925 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2927 Here are some examples:
2931 Display only unread articles.
2934 Display everything except expirable articles.
2936 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2937 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2941 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2942 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2943 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2944 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2945 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2949 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2950 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2951 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2955 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2956 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2957 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2961 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2962 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2963 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2965 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2967 @item ignored-charsets
2968 @cindex ignored-charset
2969 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2970 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2971 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2973 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2976 @cindex posting-style
2977 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2978 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2979 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2980 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2981 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2983 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2984 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2985 like this in the group parameters:
2990 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2991 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2994 If you're using topics to organize your group buffer
2995 (@pxref{Group Topics}), note that posting styles can also be set in
2996 the topics parameters. Posting styles in topic parameters apply to all
2997 groups in this topic. More precisely, the posting-style settings for a
2998 group result from the hierarchical merging of all posting-style
2999 entries in the parameters of this group and all the topics it belongs
3005 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
3006 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
3010 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
3011 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
3012 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
3013 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
3014 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
3018 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
3019 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
3020 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
3021 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
3023 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
3024 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
3025 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
3026 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
3029 if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
3030 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3034 To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
3035 like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
3036 When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
3037 like the following is generated:
3040 if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
3041 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3045 See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
3046 interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
3048 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3049 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3051 @item (agent parameters)
3052 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
3053 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3054 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3055 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3056 minimize the configuration effort.
3058 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3059 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3060 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3061 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3062 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3063 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3064 @code{eval}ed there.
3066 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
3067 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3068 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3069 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3070 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3071 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3072 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3073 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3076 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3079 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3080 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3081 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3084 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3087 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3088 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3089 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3090 into the group parameters for the group.
3092 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3093 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3094 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group.
3095 @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the (meaningless) result of the
3098 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3099 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3100 following is added to a group parameter
3103 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3104 '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3107 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3112 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
3113 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
3114 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
3115 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
3116 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
3118 @vindex gnus-parameters
3119 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3120 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect (For this
3121 case see @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.).
3125 (setq gnus-parameters
3127 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3128 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3129 (gnus-summary-line-format
3130 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3134 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3138 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3142 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3145 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3146 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3148 @vindex gnus-parameters-case-fold-search
3149 By default, whether comparing the group name and one of those regexps
3150 specified in @code{gnus-parameters} is done in a case-sensitive manner
3151 or a case-insensitive manner depends on the value of
3152 @code{case-fold-search} at the time when the comparison is done. The
3153 value of @code{case-fold-search} is typically @code{t}; it means, for
3154 example, the element @code{("INBOX\\.FOO" (total-expire . t))} might be
3155 applied to both the @samp{INBOX.FOO} group and the @samp{INBOX.foo}
3156 group. If you want to make those regexps always case-sensitive, set the
3157 value of the @code{gnus-parameters-case-fold-search} variable to
3158 @code{nil}. Otherwise, set it to @code{t} if you want to compare them
3159 always in a case-insensitive manner.
3161 You can define different sorting to different groups via
3162 @code{gnus-parameters}. Here is an example to sort an @acronym{NNTP}
3163 group by reverse date to see the latest news at the top and an
3164 @acronym{RSS} group by subject. In this example, the first group is the
3165 Debian daily news group @code{gmane.linux.debian.user.news} from
3166 news.gmane.org. The @acronym{RSS} group corresponds to the Debian
3167 weekly news RSS feed
3168 @url{http://packages.debian.org/unstable/newpkg_main.en.rdf},
3174 '(("nntp.*gmane\\.debian\\.user\\.news"
3175 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3176 (gnus-article-sort-functions '((not gnus-article-sort-by-date)))
3177 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3178 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
3180 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3181 (gnus-article-sort-functions 'gnus-article-sort-by-subject)
3182 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3183 (gnus-use-scoring t)
3184 (gnus-score-find-score-files-function 'gnus-score-find-single)
3185 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%d %I%(%[ %s %]%)\n"))))
3189 @node Listing Groups
3190 @section Listing Groups
3191 @cindex group listing
3193 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3201 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3202 List all groups that have unread articles
3203 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3204 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3205 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3206 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3213 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3214 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3215 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3216 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3217 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3218 unsubscribed groups).
3222 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3223 List all unread groups on a specific level
3224 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3225 with no unread articles.
3229 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3230 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3231 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3232 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3237 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3238 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3242 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3243 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3244 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3248 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3249 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3253 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3254 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3255 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3256 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3257 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3258 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3259 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3260 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3264 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3265 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3266 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3270 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3271 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3272 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3276 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3277 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3281 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3282 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3286 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3287 List groups limited within the current selection
3288 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3292 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3293 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3297 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3298 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3302 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3303 @cindex visible group parameter
3304 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3305 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3306 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3307 get the same effect.
3309 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3310 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3311 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3312 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3313 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3316 @node Sorting Groups
3317 @section Sorting Groups
3318 @cindex sorting groups
3320 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3321 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3322 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3323 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3324 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3325 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3330 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3331 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3332 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3334 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3335 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3336 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3338 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3339 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3340 Sort by group level.
3342 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3343 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3344 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3346 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3347 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3348 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3349 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3351 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3352 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3353 Sort by number of unread articles.
3355 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3356 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3357 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3359 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3360 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3361 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3366 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3367 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3371 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3372 some sorting criteria:
3376 @kindex G S a (Group)
3377 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3378 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3379 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3382 @kindex G S u (Group)
3383 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3384 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3385 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3388 @kindex G S l (Group)
3389 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3390 Sort the group buffer by group level
3391 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3394 @kindex G S v (Group)
3395 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3396 Sort the group buffer by group score
3397 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3400 @kindex G S r (Group)
3401 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3402 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3403 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3406 @kindex G S m (Group)
3407 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3408 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3409 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3412 @kindex G S n (Group)
3413 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3414 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3415 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3419 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3420 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3422 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3423 commands will sort in reverse order.
3425 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3429 @kindex G P a (Group)
3430 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3431 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3432 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3435 @kindex G P u (Group)
3436 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3437 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3438 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3441 @kindex G P l (Group)
3442 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3443 Sort the groups by group level
3444 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3447 @kindex G P v (Group)
3448 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3449 Sort the groups by group score
3450 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3453 @kindex G P r (Group)
3454 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3455 Sort the groups by group rank
3456 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3459 @kindex G P m (Group)
3460 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3461 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3462 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3465 @kindex G P n (Group)
3466 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3467 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3468 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3471 @kindex G P s (Group)
3472 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3473 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3477 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3481 @node Group Maintenance
3482 @section Group Maintenance
3483 @cindex bogus groups
3488 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3489 Find bogus groups and delete them
3490 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3494 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3495 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3496 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3497 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3498 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3502 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3503 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3504 @cindex expiring mail
3505 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3506 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3507 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3508 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3511 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3512 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3513 @cindex expiring mail
3514 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3515 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3520 @node Browse Foreign Server
3521 @section Browse Foreign Server
3522 @cindex foreign servers
3523 @cindex browsing servers
3528 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3529 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3530 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3531 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3534 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3535 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3536 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3537 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3539 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3544 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3545 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3549 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3550 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3553 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3554 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3555 Enter the current group and display the first article
3556 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3559 @kindex RET (Browse)
3560 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3561 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3565 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3566 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3567 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3573 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3574 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3578 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3579 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3583 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3584 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3585 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3590 @section Exiting Gnus
3591 @cindex exiting Gnus
3593 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3598 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3599 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3600 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3601 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3605 @findex gnus-group-exit
3606 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3607 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3611 @findex gnus-group-quit
3612 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3613 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3616 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3617 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3618 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3619 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3620 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3621 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3627 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3628 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3629 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3635 @section Group Topics
3638 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3639 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3640 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3641 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3642 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3643 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3647 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3648 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3659 2: alt.religion.emacs
3662 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3664 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3665 13: comp.sources.unix
3668 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3670 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3671 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3672 is a toggling command.)
3674 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3675 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3676 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3677 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3680 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3681 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3682 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3685 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3689 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3690 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3691 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3692 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3693 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3697 @node Topic Commands
3698 @subsection Topic Commands
3699 @cindex topic commands
3701 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3702 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3703 definitions slightly.
3705 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3706 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3707 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3708 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3709 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3710 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3712 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3719 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3720 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3721 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3725 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3727 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3728 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3729 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3730 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3733 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3734 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3735 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3736 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3740 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3741 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3742 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3743 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3749 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3750 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3751 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3755 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3756 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3757 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3760 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3761 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3762 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3763 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3764 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3766 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3767 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3771 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3772 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3779 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3781 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3782 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3783 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3784 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3785 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3786 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3790 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3796 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3797 Move the current group to some other topic
3798 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3799 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3803 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3804 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3808 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3809 Copy the current group to some other topic
3810 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3811 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3815 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3816 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3817 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3821 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3822 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3823 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3827 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3828 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3829 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3830 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3831 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3832 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3833 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3836 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3837 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3841 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3842 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3843 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3847 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3848 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3849 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3853 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3854 Toggle hiding empty topics
3855 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3859 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3860 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3861 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3862 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3865 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3866 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3867 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3868 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3869 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3872 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3873 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3874 @cindex expiring mail
3875 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3876 expiry process (if any)
3877 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3881 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3882 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3885 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3886 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3887 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3891 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3892 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3893 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3896 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3897 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3898 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3901 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3902 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3903 Go to the previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3907 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3908 @cindex group parameters
3909 @cindex topic parameters
3911 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3912 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3917 @node Topic Variables
3918 @subsection Topic Variables
3919 @cindex topic variables
3921 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3922 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3924 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3925 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3926 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3939 Number of groups in the topic.
3941 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3943 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3946 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3947 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3948 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3951 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3952 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3954 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3955 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3956 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3960 @subsection Topic Sorting
3961 @cindex topic sorting
3963 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3969 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3970 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3971 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3972 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3975 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3976 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3977 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3978 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3981 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3982 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3983 Sort the current topic by group level
3984 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3987 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3988 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3989 Sort the current topic by group score
3990 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3993 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3994 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3995 Sort the current topic by group rank
3996 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3999 @kindex T S m (Topic)
4000 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
4001 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
4002 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
4005 @kindex T S e (Topic)
4006 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
4007 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
4008 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
4011 @kindex T S s (Topic)
4012 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
4013 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
4014 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
4015 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
4019 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
4020 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
4024 @node Topic Topology
4025 @subsection Topic Topology
4026 @cindex topic topology
4029 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
4036 2: alt.religion.emacs
4039 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4041 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4042 13: comp.sources.unix
4046 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
4047 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
4048 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
4053 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
4054 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
4058 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
4059 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
4060 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
4061 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
4062 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
4063 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
4065 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
4066 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
4067 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
4070 @node Topic Parameters
4071 @subsection Topic Parameters
4072 @cindex topic parameters
4074 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
4075 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
4076 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
4077 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
4078 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
4080 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
4085 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
4086 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
4087 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
4090 @item subscribe-level
4091 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4092 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4093 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4097 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4098 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4099 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4100 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4107 2: alt.religion.emacs
4111 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4113 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4114 13: comp.sources.unix
4119 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4120 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4121 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4122 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4123 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4124 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4126 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4127 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4128 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4129 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4130 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4132 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4133 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4134 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4135 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4136 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4137 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4138 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4139 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4142 @node Misc Group Stuff
4143 @section Misc Group Stuff
4146 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4147 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4148 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4149 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4150 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4157 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Group)
4158 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
4159 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
4162 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map (kbd "v j d")
4165 (gnus-group-jump-to-group "nndraft:drafts")))
4168 On keys reserved for users in Emacs and on keybindings in general
4169 @xref{Keymaps, Keymaps, , emacs, The Emacs Editor}.
4173 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4174 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4175 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4179 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4180 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4181 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4182 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4183 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4184 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4185 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4189 @findex gnus-group-mail
4190 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4191 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4192 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4193 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4197 @findex gnus-group-news
4198 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4199 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4200 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4202 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4203 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4204 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4205 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4206 for this to work though.
4210 @findex gnus-group-compact-group
4212 Compact the group under point (@code{gnus-group-compact-group}).
4213 Currently implemented only in nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes
4214 gaps between article numbers, hence getting a correct total article
4219 Variables for the group buffer:
4223 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4224 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4225 is called after the group buffer has been
4228 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4229 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4230 is called after the group buffer is
4231 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4234 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4235 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4236 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4237 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4239 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4240 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4241 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4242 whether they are empty or not.
4244 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4245 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4246 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4247 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4251 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4252 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4255 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4256 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4257 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4258 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4259 is used to show non-@acronym{ASCII} group names. @code{((".*"
4260 utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the
4261 default is @code{nil}.
4265 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4266 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4271 @node Scanning New Messages
4272 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4273 @cindex new messages
4274 @cindex scanning new news
4280 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4281 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4282 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4283 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4284 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4285 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4290 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4291 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4292 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4293 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4294 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4295 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4296 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4298 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4299 @cindex activating groups
4301 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4302 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4307 @findex gnus-group-restart
4308 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4309 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4310 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4314 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4315 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4317 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4318 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4322 @node Group Information
4323 @subsection Group Information
4324 @cindex group information
4325 @cindex information on groups
4332 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4333 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4336 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
4337 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
4338 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
4339 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
4340 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4341 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
4342 used for fetching the file.
4344 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4345 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4349 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4350 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4352 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4353 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4356 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4357 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4358 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4362 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4363 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4364 @cindex control message
4365 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4366 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4367 group if given a prefix argument.
4369 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4370 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4371 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4372 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4374 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4375 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4376 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4380 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4382 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4383 @cindex describing groups
4384 @cindex group description
4385 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4386 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4387 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4391 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4392 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4393 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4400 @findex gnus-version
4401 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4405 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4406 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4409 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4412 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4413 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4417 @node Group Timestamp
4418 @subsection Group Timestamp
4420 @cindex group timestamps
4422 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4423 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4424 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4427 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4430 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4432 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4433 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4436 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4437 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4440 This will result in lines looking like:
4443 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4444 0: custom 19961002T012713
4447 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4448 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4452 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4453 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4456 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4457 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4461 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4462 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4463 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4464 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4466 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4472 @subsection File Commands
4473 @cindex file commands
4479 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4480 @vindex gnus-init-file
4481 @cindex reading init file
4482 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4483 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4487 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4488 @cindex saving .newsrc
4489 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4490 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4491 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4494 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4495 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4496 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4501 @node Sieve Commands
4502 @subsection Sieve Commands
4503 @cindex group sieve commands
4505 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4506 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4507 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4508 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4509 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4511 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4512 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4513 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4514 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4515 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4516 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4517 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4518 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4519 regenerate the Sieve script.
4521 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4522 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4523 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4524 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4525 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4526 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4527 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4528 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4529 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4530 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4533 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4534 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4539 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4545 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4546 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4547 @cindex generating sieve script
4548 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4549 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4553 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4554 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4555 @cindex updating sieve script
4556 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4557 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4558 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4563 @node Summary Buffer
4564 @chapter Summary Buffer
4565 @cindex summary buffer
4567 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4568 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4570 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4571 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4573 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4575 You can customize the Summary Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
4576 customize-apropos RET gnus-summary-tool-bar}. This feature is only
4580 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Summary)
4581 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
4582 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
4584 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map (kbd "v -") "LrS") ;; lower subthread
4588 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4589 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4590 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4591 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4592 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4593 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4594 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4595 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4596 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4597 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4598 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4599 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4600 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4601 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4602 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4603 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4604 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4605 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4606 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4607 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4608 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4609 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4610 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4611 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4612 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4613 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4614 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4615 or reselecting the current group.
4616 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4617 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4618 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4619 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4623 @node Summary Buffer Format
4624 @section Summary Buffer Format
4625 @cindex summary buffer format
4629 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4630 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4631 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4637 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4638 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4639 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4640 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4643 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4644 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4645 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4646 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4647 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4648 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4649 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4650 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4651 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4652 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4653 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4656 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4657 'mail-extract-address-components)
4660 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4661 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4662 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4663 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4666 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4667 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4669 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4670 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4671 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4672 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4673 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4675 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4676 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4677 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4678 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4679 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4680 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4682 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4684 The following format specification characters and extended format
4685 specification(s) are understood:
4691 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4692 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4694 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4695 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4696 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4698 Full @code{From} header.
4700 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4702 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4705 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4706 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4707 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4708 may be more thorough.
4710 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4713 Number of lines in the article.
4715 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4716 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4718 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4719 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4721 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4723 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4724 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4737 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4738 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4739 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4740 line-drawing glyphs.
4742 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4743 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4744 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4745 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4747 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4748 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4749 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4750 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4752 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4753 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4754 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4755 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4757 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4758 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4759 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4761 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4762 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4763 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4765 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4766 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4767 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4769 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4770 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4771 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4776 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4777 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4779 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4780 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4782 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4783 for adopted articles.
4785 One space for each thread level.
4787 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4789 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4792 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4793 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4794 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4797 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4799 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4800 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4801 default level. If the difference between
4802 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4803 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4811 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4813 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4819 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4820 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4822 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4823 article has any children.
4829 Desired cursor position (instead of after first colon).
4831 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4832 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4834 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4835 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4836 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
4837 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4838 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4839 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4842 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4843 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4844 There can only be one such area.
4846 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4847 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4848 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4849 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4850 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4851 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4853 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4854 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4856 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4859 @node To From Newsgroups
4860 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4864 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4865 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4866 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4867 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4868 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4872 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4873 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4874 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4878 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4879 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4882 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4883 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4886 @findex gnus-extra-header
4887 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4888 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4889 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4892 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4896 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4897 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4898 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4899 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4900 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4901 headers are used instead.
4903 To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
4904 has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
4905 @code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
4906 @samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
4907 customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
4908 @code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
4912 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4913 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4914 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
4915 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4916 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4917 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4920 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4921 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4922 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4923 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4925 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4929 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4931 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4932 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4933 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4934 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4938 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4941 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4942 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4945 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4946 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4947 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4953 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4954 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4957 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4958 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4960 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4961 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4962 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4963 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4965 Here are the elements you can play with:
4971 Unprefixed group name.
4973 Current article number.
4975 Current article score.
4979 Number of unread articles in this group.
4981 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4984 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4985 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4986 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4987 and no unselected ones.
4989 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4990 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4992 Subject of the current article.
4994 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4996 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4998 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5000 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5002 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
5004 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
5008 @node Summary Highlighting
5009 @subsection Summary Highlighting
5013 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5014 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5015 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
5016 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
5017 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5019 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
5020 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
5021 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
5022 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5024 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
5025 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
5026 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
5027 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
5029 @item gnus-summary-highlight
5030 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
5031 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
5032 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
5033 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
5034 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
5037 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
5038 ((> score default) . bold))
5040 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
5041 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
5045 @node Summary Maneuvering
5046 @section Summary Maneuvering
5047 @cindex summary movement
5049 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
5050 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
5052 None of these commands select articles.
5057 @kindex M-n (Summary)
5058 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
5059 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
5060 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
5061 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
5065 @kindex M-p (Summary)
5066 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
5067 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
5068 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
5069 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
5072 @kindex G g (Summary)
5073 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
5074 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
5075 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
5078 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
5079 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
5080 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
5081 to the group buffer.
5083 Variables related to summary movement:
5087 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
5088 @item gnus-auto-select-next
5089 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
5090 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
5091 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
5092 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
5093 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
5094 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
5095 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
5096 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
5097 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
5098 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
5099 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
5100 @pxref{Group Levels}.
5102 @item gnus-auto-select-same
5103 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
5104 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
5105 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
5106 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
5107 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
5108 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
5110 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
5112 @item gnus-summary-check-current
5113 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
5114 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
5115 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
5116 Instead, they will choose the current article.
5118 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
5119 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
5120 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
5121 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
5122 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
5123 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
5124 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
5125 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
5128 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
5129 the given number of lines from the top.
5134 @node Choosing Articles
5135 @section Choosing Articles
5136 @cindex selecting articles
5139 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
5140 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
5144 @node Choosing Commands
5145 @subsection Choosing Commands
5147 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
5148 and they all select and display an article.
5150 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
5151 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
5155 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5156 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5157 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
5158 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5160 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
5161 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
5162 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
5167 @kindex G n (Summary)
5168 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
5169 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
5170 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5175 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5176 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5177 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
5182 @kindex G N (Summary)
5183 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5184 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5189 @kindex G P (Summary)
5190 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5191 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5194 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5195 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5196 Go to the next article with the same subject
5197 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5200 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5201 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5202 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5203 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5207 @kindex G f (Summary)
5209 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5210 Go to the first unread article
5211 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5215 @kindex G b (Summary)
5217 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5218 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5219 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5220 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5225 @kindex G l (Summary)
5226 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5227 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5230 @kindex G o (Summary)
5231 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5233 @cindex article history
5234 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5235 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5236 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5237 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5238 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5239 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5244 @kindex G j (Summary)
5245 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5246 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5247 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5252 @node Choosing Variables
5253 @subsection Choosing Variables
5255 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5258 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5259 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5260 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5261 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5262 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5263 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5265 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5266 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5267 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
5268 @code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
5269 you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
5272 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5273 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5274 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5275 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5276 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5277 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5278 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5279 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5280 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
5281 articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5282 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5283 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5284 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5285 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5290 @node Paging the Article
5291 @section Scrolling the Article
5292 @cindex article scrolling
5297 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5298 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5299 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5300 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5301 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5303 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5304 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5305 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5306 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5307 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5308 what is considered uninteresting with
5309 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5310 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5313 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5314 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5315 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5318 @kindex RET (Summary)
5319 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5320 Scroll the current article one line forward
5321 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5324 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5325 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5326 Scroll the current article one line backward
5327 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5331 @kindex A g (Summary)
5333 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5334 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5335 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5336 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5337 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5338 the way it came from the server.
5340 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5341 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5342 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5345 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5350 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5355 @kindex A < (Summary)
5356 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5357 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5358 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5363 @kindex A > (Summary)
5364 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5365 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5369 @kindex A s (Summary)
5371 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5372 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5373 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5377 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5378 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5383 @node Reply Followup and Post
5384 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5387 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5388 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5389 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5390 * Canceling and Superseding::
5394 @node Summary Mail Commands
5395 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5397 @cindex composing mail
5399 Commands for composing a mail message:
5405 @kindex S r (Summary)
5407 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5408 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5409 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5410 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5411 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5416 @kindex S R (Summary)
5417 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5418 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5419 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5420 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5421 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5424 @kindex S w (Summary)
5425 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5426 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5427 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5428 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5429 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5430 present, that's used instead.
5433 @kindex S W (Summary)
5434 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5435 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5436 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5437 the process/prefix convention.
5440 @kindex S v (Summary)
5441 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5442 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5443 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5444 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5445 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5446 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5449 @kindex S V (Summary)
5450 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5451 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5452 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5453 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5456 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5457 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5458 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5459 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5460 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5461 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5462 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5463 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5466 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5467 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5468 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5469 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5470 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5474 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5475 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5476 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5477 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5478 Forward the current article to some other person
5479 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5480 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5481 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5482 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5483 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5484 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5485 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5486 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5487 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
5493 @kindex S m (Summary)
5494 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5495 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5496 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5497 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5498 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5503 @kindex S i (Summary)
5504 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5505 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5506 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5507 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5509 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5510 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5511 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5512 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5513 for this to work though.
5516 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5517 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5518 @cindex bouncing mail
5519 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5520 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5521 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5522 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5523 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5524 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5525 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5526 very well fail, though.
5529 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5530 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5531 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5532 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5533 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5534 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5535 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5536 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5537 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5538 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5540 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5541 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5542 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5543 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5544 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5546 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5547 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5550 @kindex S D e (Summary)
5551 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
5553 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
5554 if it were a new message before resending.
5557 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5558 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5559 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5560 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5561 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5564 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5565 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5566 @cindex crossposting
5567 @cindex excessive crossposting
5568 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5569 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5571 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5572 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5573 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5574 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5575 command understands the process/prefix convention
5576 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5580 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5581 Manual}, for more information.
5584 @node Summary Post Commands
5585 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5587 @cindex composing news
5589 Commands for posting a news article:
5595 @kindex S p (Summary)
5596 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5597 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5598 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5599 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5600 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5605 @kindex S f (Summary)
5606 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5607 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5608 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5612 @kindex S F (Summary)
5614 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5615 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5616 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5617 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5618 process/prefix convention.
5621 @kindex S n (Summary)
5622 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5623 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5624 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5627 @kindex S N (Summary)
5628 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5629 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5630 message through mail and include the original message
5631 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5632 the process/prefix convention.
5635 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5636 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5637 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5638 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5639 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5640 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5641 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5642 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5643 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5644 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5645 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5646 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5647 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
5650 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5651 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5653 @cindex making digests
5654 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5655 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5656 process/prefix convention.
5659 @kindex S u (Summary)
5660 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5661 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5662 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5663 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5666 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5667 Manual}, for more information.
5670 @node Summary Message Commands
5671 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5675 @kindex S y (Summary)
5676 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5677 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5678 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5679 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5680 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5685 @node Canceling and Superseding
5686 @subsection Canceling Articles
5687 @cindex canceling articles
5688 @cindex superseding articles
5690 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5691 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5693 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5695 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5697 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5698 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5699 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5700 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5701 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5702 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5704 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5705 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5708 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5709 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5710 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5712 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
5713 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
5714 message, Message Manual}).
5716 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5717 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5718 your original article.
5720 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5722 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5723 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5724 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5727 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5728 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5729 have posted almost the same article twice.
5731 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5732 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5733 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5734 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5735 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5736 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5737 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5738 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5739 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5740 canceled/superseded.
5742 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5744 @node Delayed Articles
5745 @section Delayed Articles
5746 @cindex delayed sending
5747 @cindex send delayed
5749 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5750 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5751 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5752 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5755 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5758 @findex gnus-delay-article
5759 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5760 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5761 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5762 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5766 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5767 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5768 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5769 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5772 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5773 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5774 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5777 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5778 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5779 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5780 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5781 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5782 that means a time tomorrow.
5785 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5786 couple of variables:
5789 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5790 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5791 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5792 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5794 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5795 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5796 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5797 formats described above.
5799 @item gnus-delay-group
5800 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5801 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5802 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5803 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5805 @item gnus-delay-header
5806 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5807 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5808 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5809 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5812 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5813 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5814 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5815 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5816 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5818 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5819 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5820 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5821 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5822 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5823 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5824 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5827 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5828 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5829 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5830 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5831 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5832 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5833 argument is ignored.
5835 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5836 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5837 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5841 @node Marking Articles
5842 @section Marking Articles
5843 @cindex article marking
5844 @cindex article ticking
5847 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5849 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5850 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5851 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5853 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5856 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
5860 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5861 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5862 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5863 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5864 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5865 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5869 @node Unread Articles
5870 @subsection Unread Articles
5872 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5877 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5878 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5880 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5881 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5882 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5883 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5884 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5885 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5886 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5889 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5890 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5892 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5893 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5894 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5895 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5899 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5900 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5902 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5907 @subsection Read Articles
5908 @cindex expirable mark
5910 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5915 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5916 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5917 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5920 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5921 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5924 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5925 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5926 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5929 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5930 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5933 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5934 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5937 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5938 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5941 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5942 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5945 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5946 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5949 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5950 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5953 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5954 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5958 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5959 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5960 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5964 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5965 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5967 One more special mark, though:
5971 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5972 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5974 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5975 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5976 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5977 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5983 @subsection Other Marks
5984 @cindex process mark
5987 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5993 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5994 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5995 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5996 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5997 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
6000 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
6001 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
6002 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
6003 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
6006 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
6007 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
6008 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
6011 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
6012 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
6013 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6016 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
6017 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
6018 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
6019 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
6022 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
6023 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
6024 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
6025 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
6026 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
6027 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
6030 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
6031 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
6032 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
6033 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
6036 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
6037 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
6038 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
6039 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
6040 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
6044 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
6045 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
6046 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
6047 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
6048 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
6049 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
6052 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
6053 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
6054 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
6055 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
6056 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
6057 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
6061 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
6062 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
6063 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
6064 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
6065 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
6068 @vindex gnus-process-mark
6069 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
6070 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
6071 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
6072 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
6073 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
6077 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
6078 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
6079 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
6081 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
6082 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
6083 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
6087 @subsection Setting Marks
6088 @cindex setting marks
6090 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
6095 @kindex M c (Summary)
6096 @kindex M-u (Summary)
6097 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
6098 @cindex mark as unread
6099 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
6100 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
6106 @kindex M t (Summary)
6107 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
6108 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
6109 @xref{Article Caching}.
6114 @kindex M ? (Summary)
6115 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
6116 Mark the current article as dormant
6117 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6121 @kindex M d (Summary)
6123 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
6124 Mark the current article as read
6125 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
6129 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
6130 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
6131 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
6136 @kindex M k (Summary)
6137 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
6138 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
6139 and then select the next unread article
6140 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
6144 @kindex M K (Summary)
6145 @kindex C-k (Summary)
6146 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
6147 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
6148 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
6151 @kindex M C (Summary)
6152 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
6153 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
6154 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
6157 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
6158 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
6159 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
6160 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
6163 @kindex M H (Summary)
6164 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
6165 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
6166 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
6169 @kindex M h (Summary)
6170 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
6171 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
6172 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
6175 @kindex C-w (Summary)
6176 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
6177 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
6178 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
6181 @kindex M V k (Summary)
6182 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
6183 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
6184 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
6188 @kindex M e (Summary)
6190 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
6191 Mark the current article as expirable
6192 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
6195 @kindex M b (Summary)
6196 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6197 Set a bookmark in the current article
6198 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6201 @kindex M B (Summary)
6202 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6203 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6204 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6207 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6208 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6209 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6210 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6213 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6214 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6215 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6216 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6219 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6220 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6221 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6222 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6223 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6226 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6227 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6228 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6229 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6230 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6231 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6232 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6233 The default is @code{t}.
6236 @node Generic Marking Commands
6237 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6239 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6240 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6241 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6242 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6243 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6246 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6247 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6250 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6251 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6252 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6253 to list in this manual.
6255 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6256 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6257 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6258 article, you could say something like:
6262 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6263 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6264 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6272 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6273 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6277 @node Setting Process Marks
6278 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6279 @cindex setting process marks
6281 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6282 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6283 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6284 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6285 articles into the cache. For more information,
6286 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6293 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6294 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6295 Mark the current article with the process mark
6296 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6297 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6301 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6302 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6303 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6304 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6307 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6308 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6309 Remove the process mark from all articles
6310 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6313 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6314 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6315 Invert the list of process marked articles
6316 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6319 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6320 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6321 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6322 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6325 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6326 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6327 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6328 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6331 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6332 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6333 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6336 @kindex M P g (Summary)
6337 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6338 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6341 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6342 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6343 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6344 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6347 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6348 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6349 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6350 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6353 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6354 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6355 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6356 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6359 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6360 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6361 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6364 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6365 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6366 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6367 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6370 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6371 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6372 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
6375 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6376 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6377 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6378 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6381 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6382 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6383 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6384 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6387 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6388 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6389 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6390 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6393 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6394 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6395 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6396 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6400 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6401 set process marks based on article body contents.
6408 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6409 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6410 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6413 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6414 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6415 additional articles.
6421 @kindex / / (Summary)
6422 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6423 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6424 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6428 @kindex / a (Summary)
6429 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6430 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6431 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6435 @kindex / R (Summary)
6436 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
6437 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
6438 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
6442 @kindex / A (Summary)
6443 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-address
6444 Limit the summary buffer to articles in which contents of From, To or Cc
6445 header match a given address (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-address}). If
6446 given a prefix, exclude matching articles.
6449 @kindex / S (Summary)
6450 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons
6451 Limit the summary buffer to articles that aren't part of any displayed
6452 threads (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons}). If given a prefix,
6453 limit to articles that are part of displayed threads.
6456 @kindex / x (Summary)
6457 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6458 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6459 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6460 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6465 @kindex / u (Summary)
6467 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6468 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6469 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6470 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6471 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6474 @kindex / m (Summary)
6475 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6476 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6477 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6480 @kindex / t (Summary)
6481 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6482 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6483 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6484 articles younger than that number of days.
6487 @kindex / n (Summary)
6488 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6489 With prefix @samp{n}, limit the summary buffer to the next @samp{n}
6490 articles. If not given a prefix, use the process marked articles
6491 instead. (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}).
6494 @kindex / w (Summary)
6495 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6496 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6497 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6501 @kindex / . (Summary)
6502 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6503 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6504 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6507 @kindex / v (Summary)
6508 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6509 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6510 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6513 @kindex / p (Summary)
6514 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6515 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6516 group parameter predicate
6517 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6518 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6521 @kindex / r (Summary)
6522 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
6523 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
6524 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
6529 @kindex M S (Summary)
6530 @kindex / E (Summary)
6531 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6532 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6533 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6536 @kindex / D (Summary)
6537 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6538 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6539 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6542 @kindex / * (Summary)
6543 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6544 Include all cached articles in the limit
6545 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6548 @kindex / d (Summary)
6549 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6550 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6551 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6554 @kindex / M (Summary)
6555 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6556 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6559 @kindex / T (Summary)
6560 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6561 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6564 @kindex / c (Summary)
6565 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6566 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6567 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6570 @kindex / C (Summary)
6571 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6572 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6573 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6574 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6577 @kindex / N (Summary)
6578 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6579 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6580 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6583 @kindex / o (Summary)
6584 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6585 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6586 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6589 @kindex / b (Summary)
6590 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies
6591 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have bodies that match a
6592 certain regexp (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies}). If given a
6593 prefix, reverse the limit. This command is quite slow since it
6594 requires selecting each article to find the matches.
6597 @kindex / h (Summary)
6598 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-headers
6599 Like the previous command, only limit to headers instead
6600 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-headers}).
6608 @cindex article threading
6610 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6611 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6612 hierarchical fashion.
6614 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6615 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6616 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6617 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6618 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6619 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6620 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6622 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6626 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6629 A tree-like article structure.
6632 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6635 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6636 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6637 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6638 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6639 called loose threads.
6641 @item thread gathering
6642 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6644 @item sparse threads
6645 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6646 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6652 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6653 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6657 @node Customizing Threading
6658 @subsection Customizing Threading
6659 @cindex customizing threading
6662 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6663 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6664 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6665 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6670 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6673 @cindex loose threads
6676 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6677 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6678 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6679 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6680 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6681 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6683 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6684 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6685 There are four possible values:
6689 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6690 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6691 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6692 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6693 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6698 @cindex adopting articles
6703 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6704 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6705 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6706 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6709 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6710 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6711 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6712 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6713 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6714 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6715 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6716 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6717 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6718 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6721 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6722 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6723 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6727 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6728 display them after one another.
6731 Don't gather loose threads.
6734 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6735 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6736 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6737 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6738 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6739 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6740 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6741 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6742 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6743 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6744 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6746 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6747 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6748 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6751 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6752 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6753 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6754 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6755 simplification is used.
6757 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6758 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6759 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6760 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6762 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6764 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6770 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6771 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6772 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6773 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6778 (mapconcat 'identity
6779 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6781 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6784 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6787 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6788 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6789 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6790 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6791 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6792 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6794 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6797 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6798 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6799 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6801 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6802 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6805 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6806 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6807 Remove excessive whitespace.
6809 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6810 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6811 Remove all whitespace.
6814 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6817 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6818 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6819 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6820 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6821 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6822 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6823 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6824 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6826 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6827 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6828 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6829 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6830 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6831 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6832 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6833 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6834 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6838 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6839 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6840 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6841 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6843 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6844 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6845 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6848 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6852 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6853 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6859 @node Filling In Threads
6860 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6863 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6864 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6865 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6866 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
6867 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
6868 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
6869 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
6870 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
6871 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
6872 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6873 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6874 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
6877 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6878 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6879 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6881 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6882 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6883 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
6886 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6887 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6888 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6889 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6890 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6891 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6892 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6893 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6894 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6895 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6896 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6897 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6898 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6899 @code{nil} by default.
6901 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6902 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6903 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6904 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6905 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6906 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6907 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6909 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6910 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6911 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6916 @node More Threading
6917 @subsubsection More Threading
6920 @item gnus-show-threads
6921 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6922 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6923 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6924 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6925 slower and more awkward.
6927 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6928 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6929 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6932 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6933 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6934 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
6939 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6940 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6941 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6944 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6945 unread, but you get my drift.)
6948 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6949 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6950 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6951 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6952 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6953 threads are expunged.
6955 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6956 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6957 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6960 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6961 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6962 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6963 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6964 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6965 result in a new thread.
6967 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6968 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6969 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6972 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6973 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6974 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6975 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6976 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6977 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6978 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6979 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6980 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6981 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6982 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6987 @node Low-Level Threading
6988 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6992 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6993 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6994 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6996 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6997 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6998 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6999 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
7000 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
7001 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
7002 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
7003 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
7004 meaningful. Here's one example:
7007 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
7009 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
7010 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
7012 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
7014 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
7021 @node Thread Commands
7022 @subsection Thread Commands
7023 @cindex thread commands
7029 @kindex T k (Summary)
7030 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
7031 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
7032 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
7033 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
7034 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
7039 @kindex T l (Summary)
7040 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
7041 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
7042 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
7043 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
7046 @kindex T i (Summary)
7047 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
7048 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
7049 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
7052 @kindex T # (Summary)
7053 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
7054 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
7055 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
7058 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
7059 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
7060 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
7061 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
7064 @kindex T T (Summary)
7065 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
7066 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
7069 @kindex T s (Summary)
7070 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
7071 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
7072 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
7075 @kindex T h (Summary)
7076 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
7077 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
7080 @kindex T S (Summary)
7081 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
7082 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
7085 @kindex T H (Summary)
7086 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
7087 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
7090 @kindex T t (Summary)
7091 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
7092 Re-thread the current article's thread
7093 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
7094 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
7097 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
7098 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
7099 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
7100 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
7103 @kindex T M-^ (Summary)
7104 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-children
7105 Make the current article the parent of the marked articles
7106 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-children}).
7110 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
7111 understand the numeric prefix.
7116 @kindex T n (Summary)
7118 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
7120 @kindex M-down (Summary)
7121 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
7122 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
7125 @kindex T p (Summary)
7127 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
7129 @kindex M-up (Summary)
7130 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
7131 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
7134 @kindex T d (Summary)
7135 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
7136 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
7139 @kindex T u (Summary)
7140 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
7141 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
7144 @kindex T o (Summary)
7145 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
7146 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
7149 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
7150 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
7151 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
7152 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
7153 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
7154 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
7155 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
7156 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
7157 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
7158 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
7159 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
7160 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
7164 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
7165 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
7167 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
7168 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
7169 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date-reverse
7170 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
7171 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7172 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
7173 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
7174 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7175 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
7176 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
7177 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
7178 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
7179 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
7180 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
7181 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
7182 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
7184 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
7185 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
7186 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
7187 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
7188 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date-reverse},
7189 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
7190 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
7191 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
7192 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
7193 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
7195 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
7196 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
7197 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
7199 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
7200 last function in the list. You should probably always include
7201 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
7202 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
7203 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
7204 ascending article order.
7206 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
7207 by number, you could do something like:
7210 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7211 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7212 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7213 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
7216 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
7217 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
7218 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
7219 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
7220 which the articles arrived.
7222 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
7226 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7227 '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
7228 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
7231 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
7232 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
7233 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
7234 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
7237 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
7238 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
7239 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
7240 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
7241 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
7242 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
7243 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
7244 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7245 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7246 variable. It is very similar to the
7247 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7248 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7249 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7250 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7251 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7252 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7253 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7255 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7259 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7260 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7261 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7264 You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
7265 @xref{Group Parameters}.
7268 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7269 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7270 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7271 @cindex article pre-fetch
7274 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7275 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7276 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7277 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7278 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7280 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7281 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
7283 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7284 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7285 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7286 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7287 connection is blocked.
7289 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7290 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7291 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7292 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
7294 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7295 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7296 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7297 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7300 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7303 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7304 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7305 happen automatically.
7307 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7308 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7309 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7310 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7311 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7312 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7313 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7315 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7316 @findex gnus-async-unread-p
7317 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7318 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7319 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7320 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7321 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-unread-p}, which
7322 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7323 article data structure as the only parameter.
7325 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7326 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7329 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7330 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7331 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7332 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7335 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7338 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7339 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7340 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7342 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7343 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7344 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7345 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7349 Remove articles when they are read.
7352 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7355 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7357 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7358 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7359 @c from the next group.
7362 @node Article Caching
7363 @section Article Caching
7364 @cindex article caching
7367 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7368 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7369 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7370 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7371 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7373 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7375 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7376 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7377 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7378 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7379 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7380 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7381 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7382 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7384 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7385 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7386 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7387 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7388 as dormant, and don't worry.
7390 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7392 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7393 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7394 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7395 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7396 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7397 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7398 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7399 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7400 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7401 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7403 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7404 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7405 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7406 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7407 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7408 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7409 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7410 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7411 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7412 not then be downloaded by this command.
7414 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7415 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7416 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7417 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7418 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7419 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7421 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7422 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7423 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7424 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7425 variables, the group is not cached.
7427 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7428 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7429 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7430 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7431 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7432 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7433 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7434 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7435 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7438 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7439 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7440 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7441 where, isn't that cool?
7443 @node Persistent Articles
7444 @section Persistent Articles
7445 @cindex persistent articles
7447 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7448 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7449 useful in my opinion.
7451 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7452 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7453 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7454 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7455 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7456 the expiry going on at the news server.
7458 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7459 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7460 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7466 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7467 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7470 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7471 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7472 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7473 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7477 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7479 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7480 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7481 interested in persistent articles:
7484 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7488 @node Article Backlog
7489 @section Article Backlog
7491 @cindex article backlog
7493 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7494 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7495 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7496 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7497 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7498 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7499 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7500 increase memory usage some.
7502 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7503 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7504 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7505 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7506 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7507 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7508 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7510 The default value is 20.
7513 @node Saving Articles
7514 @section Saving Articles
7515 @cindex saving articles
7517 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7518 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7519 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7520 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7521 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7523 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7524 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7525 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7527 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7528 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7529 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7531 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7532 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7533 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7534 deleted before saving.
7540 @kindex O o (Summary)
7542 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7543 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7544 Save the current article using the default article saver
7545 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7548 @kindex O m (Summary)
7549 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7550 Save the current article in a Unix mail box (mbox) file
7551 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7554 @kindex O r (Summary)
7555 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7556 Save the current article in Rmail format
7557 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7560 @kindex O f (Summary)
7561 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7562 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7563 Save the current article in plain file format
7564 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7567 @kindex O F (Summary)
7568 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7569 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7570 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7573 @kindex O b (Summary)
7574 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7575 Save the current article body in plain file format
7576 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7579 @kindex O h (Summary)
7580 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7581 Save the current article in mh folder format
7582 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7585 @kindex O v (Summary)
7586 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7587 Save the current article in a VM folder
7588 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7592 @kindex O p (Summary)
7594 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7595 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7596 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7597 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7598 complete headers in the piped output.
7601 @kindex O P (Summary)
7602 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7603 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7604 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7605 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7606 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7607 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7608 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7612 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7613 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7614 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7615 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7616 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7617 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7618 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7619 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7620 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7621 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7622 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7623 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7627 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7628 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7629 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the eight ready-made
7630 functions below, or you can create your own.
7634 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7635 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7636 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7637 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7638 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
7639 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7640 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7642 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7643 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7644 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7645 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7646 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7647 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7649 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7650 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7651 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7652 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7653 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7654 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7655 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7657 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7658 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7659 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7660 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7661 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7662 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7664 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7665 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7666 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7667 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7668 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7670 @item gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
7671 @findex gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
7672 Write the article body straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7673 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7674 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7675 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7677 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7678 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7679 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7680 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7681 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7684 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7685 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7686 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7687 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7688 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7690 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7691 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7692 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7693 reader to use this setting.
7696 The symbol of each function may have the following properties:
7700 The value non-@code{nil} means save decoded articles. This is
7701 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-save-in-file},
7702 @code{gnus-summary-save-body-in-file},
7703 @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file}, and
7704 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}.
7707 The value specifies an alternative function which appends, not
7708 overwrites, articles to a file. This implies that when saving many
7709 articles at a time, @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} is bound to
7710 @code{t} and all articles are saved in a single file. This is
7711 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file} and
7712 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}.
7715 The value specifies the symbol of a variable of which the value
7716 specifies headers to be saved. If it is omitted,
7717 @code{gnus-save-all-headers} and @code{gnus-saved-headers} control what
7718 headers should be saved.
7721 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7722 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7723 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7724 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7727 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7728 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7729 available functions that generate names:
7733 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7734 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7735 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7737 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7738 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7739 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7741 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7742 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7743 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7745 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7746 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7747 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7749 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7750 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7751 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7754 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7755 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7756 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7757 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7758 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7762 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7763 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7764 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7765 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7768 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7769 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7770 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7771 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7772 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7773 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7774 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7775 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7776 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7778 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7779 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7780 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7781 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7783 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7784 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7785 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7788 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7789 lots of mail groups called things like
7790 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7791 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7792 following will do just that:
7795 (defun my-save-name (group)
7796 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7797 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7799 (setq gnus-split-methods
7800 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7805 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7806 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7807 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7808 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7809 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7810 all the files in the top level directory
7811 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7812 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7813 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7814 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7816 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7817 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7818 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7819 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7820 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7823 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7827 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
7828 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7829 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
7832 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7833 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7834 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7835 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7838 @node Decoding Articles
7839 @section Decoding Articles
7840 @cindex decoding articles
7842 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7843 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7846 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7847 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7848 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7849 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7850 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7851 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7855 @cindex article series
7856 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7857 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7858 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7859 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7860 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7862 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7863 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7864 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7866 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7867 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7868 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7870 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7871 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7872 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7875 @node Uuencoded Articles
7876 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7878 @cindex uuencoded articles
7883 @kindex X u (Summary)
7884 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7885 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7886 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7889 @kindex X U (Summary)
7890 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7891 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7892 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7895 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7896 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7897 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7900 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7901 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7902 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7903 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7907 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7908 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7909 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7910 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7911 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7913 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7914 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7915 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7916 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7919 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7920 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7921 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7922 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7923 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7924 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7928 @node Shell Archives
7929 @subsection Shell Archives
7931 @cindex shell archives
7932 @cindex shared articles
7934 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7935 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7936 some commands to deal with these:
7941 @kindex X s (Summary)
7942 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7943 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7946 @kindex X S (Summary)
7947 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7948 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7951 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7952 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7953 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7956 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7957 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7958 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7959 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7963 @node PostScript Files
7964 @subsection PostScript Files
7970 @kindex X p (Summary)
7971 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7972 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7975 @kindex X P (Summary)
7976 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7977 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7978 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7981 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7982 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7983 View the current PostScript series
7984 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7987 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7988 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7989 View and save the current PostScript series
7990 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7995 @subsection Other Files
7999 @kindex X o (Summary)
8000 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
8001 Save the current series
8002 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
8005 @kindex X b (Summary)
8006 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
8007 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
8008 doesn't really work yet.
8012 @node Decoding Variables
8013 @subsection Decoding Variables
8015 Adjective, not verb.
8018 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
8019 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
8020 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
8024 @node Rule Variables
8025 @subsubsection Rule Variables
8026 @cindex rule variables
8028 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
8029 variables are of the form
8032 (list '(regexp1 command2)
8039 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8040 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8042 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
8043 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
8046 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8047 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
8050 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
8051 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
8052 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
8053 user and default view rules.
8055 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
8056 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
8057 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
8062 @node Other Decode Variables
8063 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
8066 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
8068 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
8069 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
8070 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
8071 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
8072 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
8076 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
8077 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
8080 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
8081 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
8082 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
8085 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
8086 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
8087 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
8088 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
8089 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
8092 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
8093 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
8094 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
8096 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
8097 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
8098 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
8099 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
8100 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
8103 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
8104 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
8105 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
8107 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
8108 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
8109 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
8110 looking for files to display.
8112 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
8113 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
8114 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
8117 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
8118 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
8119 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
8122 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
8123 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
8124 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
8127 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
8128 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
8129 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
8132 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
8133 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
8134 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
8135 decoded articles as unread.
8137 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
8138 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
8139 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
8140 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
8142 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
8143 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
8144 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
8146 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
8147 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
8149 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
8150 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
8151 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
8152 @code{metamail} for viewing.
8154 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8155 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8156 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
8157 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
8158 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
8159 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
8160 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
8161 simply dropped them.
8166 @node Uuencoding and Posting
8167 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
8171 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8172 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8173 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
8174 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
8175 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
8176 for you when you post the article.
8178 @item gnus-uu-post-length
8179 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
8180 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
8181 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
8183 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
8184 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
8185 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
8186 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
8187 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
8188 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
8189 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
8191 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8192 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8193 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
8194 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
8195 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
8196 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
8197 Default is @code{t}.
8203 @subsection Viewing Files
8204 @cindex viewing files
8205 @cindex pseudo-articles
8207 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
8208 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
8209 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
8210 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
8211 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
8212 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
8213 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
8215 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
8216 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
8217 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
8218 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
8220 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
8221 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
8222 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
8224 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
8225 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
8226 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
8227 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
8228 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
8230 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
8231 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
8232 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
8233 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
8234 a list of parameters to that command.
8236 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
8237 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
8238 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
8240 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
8241 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
8242 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
8245 @node Article Treatment
8246 @section Article Treatment
8248 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
8249 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
8250 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
8251 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
8252 these articles easier.
8255 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
8256 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
8257 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
8258 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
8259 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
8260 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
8261 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
8262 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
8263 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
8264 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
8265 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
8269 @node Article Highlighting
8270 @subsection Article Highlighting
8271 @cindex highlighting
8273 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
8274 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8279 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8280 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8281 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8282 Do much highlighting of the current article
8283 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8284 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8287 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8288 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8289 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8290 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8291 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8292 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8293 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8294 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8295 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8296 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8297 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8298 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8301 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8302 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8303 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8305 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8308 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8310 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8311 If the article size in bytes is bigger than this variable (which is
8312 25000 by default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8314 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8315 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8316 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8318 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8319 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8320 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8321 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8322 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8323 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8325 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8326 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8327 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8329 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8330 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8331 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8333 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8334 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8335 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8336 that it's a citation.
8338 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8339 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8340 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8342 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8343 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8344 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8346 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8347 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8348 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8349 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8351 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8352 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8353 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
8354 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
8355 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
8362 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8363 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8364 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8365 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8366 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8367 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8368 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8369 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8374 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8377 @node Article Fontisizing
8378 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8380 @cindex article emphasis
8382 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8383 @kindex W e (Summary)
8384 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8385 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8386 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8387 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8389 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8390 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8391 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8392 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8393 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8394 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8395 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8396 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8400 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8401 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8402 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8411 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8412 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8413 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8414 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8415 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8416 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8417 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8418 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8419 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8420 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8421 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8422 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8423 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8425 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8426 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8427 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8431 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8434 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8436 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8437 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8438 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8439 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8441 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8444 @node Article Hiding
8445 @subsection Article Hiding
8446 @cindex article hiding
8448 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8449 too much cruft in most articles.
8454 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8455 @findex gnus-article-hide
8456 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8457 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8458 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8461 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8462 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8463 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8467 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8468 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8469 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8470 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8473 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8474 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8475 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8479 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8480 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8481 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8482 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8483 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8484 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8485 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8486 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8490 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8491 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8492 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8493 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8498 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8499 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8500 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8501 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8504 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8505 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8506 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8507 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8510 @cindex stripping advertisements
8511 @cindex advertisements
8512 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8513 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8514 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8515 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8516 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8517 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8518 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8519 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8520 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8521 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8524 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8525 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8526 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8530 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8531 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8532 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8533 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8534 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8535 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8536 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8537 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8538 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8539 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8540 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8543 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8544 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8550 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8551 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8552 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8553 customizing the hiding:
8557 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8558 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8559 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8560 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8561 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8562 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8563 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8568 Starting point of the hidden text.
8570 Ending point of the hidden text.
8572 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8574 Number of lines of hidden text.
8577 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8578 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8579 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8580 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8581 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8586 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8587 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8589 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8590 following two variables:
8593 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8594 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8595 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8596 50), hide the cited text.
8598 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8599 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8600 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8605 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8606 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8607 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8608 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8609 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8610 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8614 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8615 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8616 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8618 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8619 citation customization.
8621 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8625 @node Article Washing
8626 @subsection Article Washing
8628 @cindex article washing
8630 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8631 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8633 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8634 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8637 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8638 articles by default.
8643 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8644 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8648 Force redisplaying of the current article
8649 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8650 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8651 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8652 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8655 @kindex W l (Summary)
8656 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8657 Remove page breaks from the current article
8658 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8662 @kindex W r (Summary)
8663 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8664 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8665 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8666 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8667 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8668 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8670 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8671 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8672 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8673 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8676 @kindex W m (Summary)
8677 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8678 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8681 @kindex W i (Summary)
8682 @findex gnus-summary-idna-message
8683 Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
8684 encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
8685 unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
8686 string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
8687 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
8692 @kindex W t (Summary)
8694 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8695 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8696 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8699 @kindex W v (Summary)
8700 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8701 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8702 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8705 @kindex W o (Summary)
8706 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8707 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8710 @kindex W d (Summary)
8711 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8712 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8714 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8716 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8717 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8718 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8719 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8722 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8723 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8724 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8725 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8728 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8729 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8730 @cindex Outlook Express
8731 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8732 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8733 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8736 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8737 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8738 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8739 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8740 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8741 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8742 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8743 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
8744 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8745 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8748 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8749 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8750 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
8751 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8754 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8755 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8756 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8757 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8760 @kindex W w (Summary)
8761 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8762 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8764 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8768 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8769 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8770 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8773 @kindex W C (Summary)
8774 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8775 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8776 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8779 @kindex W c (Summary)
8780 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8781 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8782 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8783 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8784 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8787 @kindex W q (Summary)
8788 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8789 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8790 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
8791 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
8792 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
8793 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
8794 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8795 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8796 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8799 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8800 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8801 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
8802 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
8803 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
8804 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8805 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8806 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8809 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8810 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8811 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8812 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8813 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8816 @kindex W A (Summary)
8817 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
8818 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
8819 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
8820 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
8821 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
8824 @kindex W u (Summary)
8825 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8826 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8827 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8828 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8829 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8832 @kindex W h (Summary)
8833 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8834 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8835 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8836 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
8838 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
8839 the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
8840 (@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
8842 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8843 The default is to use the function specified by
8844 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8845 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8846 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
8847 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8855 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
8857 @item w3m-standalone
8858 Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
8861 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
8864 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
8867 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
8872 @kindex W b (Summary)
8873 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8874 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8875 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8878 @kindex W B (Summary)
8879 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8880 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8881 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8884 @kindex W p (Summary)
8885 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8886 Verify a signed control message
8887 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
8888 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
8889 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
8890 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8891 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
8892 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8895 @kindex W s (Summary)
8896 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8897 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
8898 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
8899 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8902 @kindex W a (Summary)
8903 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8904 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8905 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8908 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8909 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8910 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8911 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8914 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8915 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8916 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8917 lines with a single empty line.
8918 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8921 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8922 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8923 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8924 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8927 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8928 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8929 Do all the three commands above
8930 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8933 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8934 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8935 Remove all blank lines
8936 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8939 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8940 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8941 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8942 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8945 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8946 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8947 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8948 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8952 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8955 @node Article Header
8956 @subsection Article Header
8958 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8963 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8964 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8965 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8968 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8969 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8970 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8971 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8974 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8975 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8976 Fold all the message headers
8977 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8980 @kindex W E w (Summary)
8981 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8982 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8983 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8988 @node Article Buttons
8989 @subsection Article Buttons
8992 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8993 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8994 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8995 button on these references.
8997 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8998 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8999 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
9000 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
9001 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
9005 @item gnus-button-alist
9006 @vindex gnus-button-alist
9007 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
9010 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
9016 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
9017 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
9018 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
9019 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
9020 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
9023 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
9024 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
9025 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
9028 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
9029 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
9030 avoid false matches. Often variables named
9031 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
9032 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
9034 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
9037 This function will be called when you click on this button.
9040 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
9041 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
9045 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
9048 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
9051 @item gnus-header-button-alist
9052 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
9053 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
9054 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
9055 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
9058 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
9061 @var{header} is a regular expression.
9064 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
9067 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
9068 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
9070 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
9072 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
9073 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
9074 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
9075 default values of the variables above.
9077 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
9079 @item gnus-button-man-handler
9080 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
9081 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
9082 argument with a string naming the man page.
9084 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
9086 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
9087 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
9088 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
9090 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
9091 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
9092 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
9093 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
9094 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
9095 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
9096 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
9097 @code{ask}, always query the user what to do. If it is a function, this
9098 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
9099 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
9100 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
9101 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
9103 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
9104 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
9105 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
9106 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
9107 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
9110 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
9111 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
9112 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
9113 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
9115 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
9117 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
9118 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
9119 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
9120 argument, the string naming the URL.
9123 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
9124 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
9125 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
9129 @item gnus-article-button-face
9130 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
9131 Face used on buttons.
9133 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
9134 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
9135 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
9139 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
9142 @node Article Button Levels
9143 @subsection Article button levels
9144 @cindex button levels
9145 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
9146 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
9147 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
9148 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
9149 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
9150 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
9151 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
9152 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
9155 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
9156 (setq gnus-parameters
9157 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
9158 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
9159 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
9164 @item gnus-button-browse-level
9165 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
9166 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
9167 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
9168 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
9169 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
9171 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
9172 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
9173 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
9174 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
9175 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
9176 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
9177 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
9178 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
9179 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
9180 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
9181 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
9182 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
9183 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
9185 @item gnus-button-man-level
9186 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
9187 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
9188 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
9190 @item gnus-button-message-level
9191 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
9192 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
9193 Related variables and functions include
9194 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
9195 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
9196 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
9197 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
9199 @item gnus-button-tex-level
9200 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
9201 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
9202 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
9203 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
9204 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
9205 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
9211 @subsection Article Date
9213 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
9214 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
9215 when the article was sent.
9220 @kindex W T u (Summary)
9221 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
9222 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
9223 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
9226 @kindex W T i (Summary)
9227 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
9229 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
9230 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
9233 @kindex W T l (Summary)
9234 @findex gnus-article-date-local
9235 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
9238 @kindex W T p (Summary)
9239 @findex gnus-article-date-english
9240 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
9241 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
9244 @kindex W T s (Summary)
9245 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
9246 @findex gnus-article-date-user
9247 @findex format-time-string
9248 Display the date using a user-defined format
9249 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
9250 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
9251 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
9252 for a list of possible format specs.
9255 @kindex W T e (Summary)
9256 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
9257 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
9258 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
9259 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
9260 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
9263 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
9266 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
9267 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
9268 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
9271 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
9272 into wonderful absurdities.
9274 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
9277 (gnus-start-date-timer)
9280 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
9281 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
9285 @kindex W T o (Summary)
9286 @findex gnus-article-date-original
9287 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
9288 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
9289 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
9290 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
9291 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
9295 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
9296 preferred format automatically.
9299 @node Article Display
9300 @subsection Article Display
9305 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9306 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9308 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9309 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9311 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9312 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9314 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9315 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9317 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9318 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9320 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9325 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9326 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9327 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9328 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9331 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9332 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9333 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9334 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9337 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9338 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9339 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9342 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9343 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9344 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9347 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9348 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9349 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9350 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9353 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9354 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9355 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9356 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9359 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9360 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9361 Remove all images from the article buffer
9362 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9368 @node Article Signature
9369 @subsection Article Signature
9371 @cindex article signature
9373 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9374 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9375 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9376 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9377 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9378 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9379 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9380 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9381 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9384 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9385 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9386 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9387 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9388 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9389 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9390 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9391 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9394 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9397 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9398 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9399 signature when displaying articles.
9403 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9406 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9409 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9410 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9412 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9413 in question is not a signature.
9416 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9417 listed above. Here's an example:
9420 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9421 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9424 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9425 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9426 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9427 signature after all.
9430 @node Article Miscellanea
9431 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9435 @kindex A t (Summary)
9436 @findex gnus-article-babel
9437 Translate the article from one language to another
9438 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9444 @section MIME Commands
9445 @cindex MIME decoding
9447 @cindex viewing attachments
9449 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9450 instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9456 @kindex K v (Summary)
9457 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9460 @kindex K o (Summary)
9461 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9464 @kindex K O (Summary)
9465 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
9466 from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
9467 via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
9470 @kindex K r (Summary)
9471 Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
9474 @kindex K d (Summary)
9475 Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
9479 @kindex K c (Summary)
9480 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9483 @kindex K e (Summary)
9484 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9487 @kindex K i (Summary)
9488 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9491 @kindex K | (Summary)
9492 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9495 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9500 @kindex K b (Summary)
9501 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9502 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9506 @kindex K m (Summary)
9507 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9508 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9509 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9510 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9511 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9514 @kindex X m (Summary)
9515 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9516 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9517 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9518 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9521 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9522 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9523 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9524 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9527 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9528 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9529 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9530 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9533 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9534 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9535 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9536 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9538 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9539 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9540 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9541 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9542 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9543 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9546 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9547 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9548 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9549 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9556 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9557 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9558 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9559 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9562 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9565 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9569 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9570 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9571 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9572 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9573 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9574 default is @code{nil}.
9576 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9577 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9580 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9581 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9582 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9583 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9584 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}. Only
9585 single-part yEnc encoded attachments can be decoded. There's no support
9586 for encoding in Gnus.
9588 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9589 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9590 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9591 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9592 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9593 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9594 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9595 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9597 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9598 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9599 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9600 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9601 displayed. This variable overrides
9602 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9603 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9606 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9607 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9608 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9610 You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
9611 display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
9612 those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
9613 (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
9614 Emacs MIME Manual}).
9616 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9617 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9618 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9619 default value is @code{nil}.
9621 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9622 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9623 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9624 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9625 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9626 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9627 save all jpegs into some directory).
9629 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9632 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9633 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9635 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9636 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9637 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9638 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9639 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9642 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9643 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9644 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9646 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9647 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9648 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9650 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9651 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9652 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9654 If displaying "text/html" is discouraged, see
9655 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}, images or other material inside a
9656 "multipart/related" part might be overlooked when this variable is
9657 @code{nil}. @ref{Display Customization, Display Customization, ,
9658 emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}.
9660 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9661 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9662 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
9663 overrides @code{nil} values of
9664 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
9665 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
9667 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9668 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9669 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9670 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9672 Ready-made functions include@*
9673 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9674 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9675 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9676 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9677 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9678 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9679 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9680 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9681 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9682 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9683 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9684 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9686 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9687 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9689 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9690 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9691 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9694 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9695 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9696 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9697 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9701 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9710 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9711 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9712 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9713 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9714 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9715 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9716 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
9718 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9719 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9720 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9721 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9723 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9724 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
9725 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9726 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9727 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9728 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9729 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9730 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9731 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9733 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9734 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9735 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
9736 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9737 quoted-printable header encoding.
9739 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9740 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9741 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9745 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9748 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9749 means encode all charsets),
9751 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9752 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9753 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9760 @cindex coding system aliases
9761 @cindex preferred charset
9763 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
9764 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
9765 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
9767 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9769 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9770 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9773 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9774 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9777 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9778 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
9780 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9783 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9786 This will almost do the right thing.
9788 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9792 (codepage-setup 1251)
9793 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9797 @node Article Commands
9798 @section Article Commands
9805 @kindex A P (Summary)
9806 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9807 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9808 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9809 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9810 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9811 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9816 @node Summary Sorting
9817 @section Summary Sorting
9818 @cindex summary sorting
9820 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9821 can't really see why you'd want that.
9826 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9827 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9828 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9831 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9832 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9833 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9836 @kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
9837 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
9838 Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
9841 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9842 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9843 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9846 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9847 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9848 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9851 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9852 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9853 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9856 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9857 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9858 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9861 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9862 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9863 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9866 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9867 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9868 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9871 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9872 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9873 Sort using the default sorting method
9874 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9877 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9878 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9879 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9880 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9881 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9885 @node Finding the Parent
9886 @section Finding the Parent
9887 @cindex parent articles
9888 @cindex referring articles
9893 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9894 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9895 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9896 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
9897 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9898 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9899 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9900 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9901 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9903 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9904 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9905 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9906 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9907 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9911 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9912 @kindex A R (Summary)
9913 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9914 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9917 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9918 @kindex A T (Summary)
9919 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9920 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9921 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9922 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9923 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9924 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9925 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9927 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9928 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9929 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9930 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9931 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9932 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9935 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9936 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9938 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9939 You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
9940 belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
9941 for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
9942 thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
9943 You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9945 Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
9946 been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
9947 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
9950 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9951 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9952 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9953 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
9954 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
9955 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9958 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9959 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9960 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9963 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9964 then ask Google if that fails:
9967 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9969 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9972 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9973 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9974 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
9975 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9976 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
9977 group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
9978 not support this at all.
9981 @node Alternative Approaches
9982 @section Alternative Approaches
9984 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9985 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9988 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9989 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9994 @subsection Pick and Read
9995 @cindex pick and read
9997 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9998 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9999 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
10000 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
10002 @findex gnus-pick-mode
10003 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
10004 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
10005 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
10006 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
10007 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
10009 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
10014 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
10015 Pick the article or thread on the current line
10016 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
10017 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
10018 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
10019 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
10020 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
10021 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
10024 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
10025 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
10026 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
10027 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
10031 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
10032 Unpick the thread or article
10033 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
10034 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
10035 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
10036 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
10037 the thread or article at that line.
10041 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
10042 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
10043 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
10044 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
10045 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
10046 will still be visible when you are reading.
10050 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
10051 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
10052 which is mapped to the same function
10053 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
10055 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
10058 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
10061 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
10062 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
10064 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
10065 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
10066 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
10068 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
10069 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
10070 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
10071 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
10072 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
10073 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
10074 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
10077 @node Binary Groups
10078 @subsection Binary Groups
10079 @cindex binary groups
10081 @findex gnus-binary-mode
10082 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
10083 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
10084 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
10085 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
10086 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
10087 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
10090 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
10091 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
10092 command, when you have turned on this mode
10093 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
10095 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
10096 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
10100 @section Tree Display
10103 @vindex gnus-use-trees
10104 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
10105 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
10106 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
10107 in the tree buffer.
10109 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
10112 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
10113 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
10114 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
10116 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
10117 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
10118 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
10119 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
10120 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
10122 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
10123 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
10124 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
10125 default is @code{modeline}.
10127 @item gnus-tree-line-format
10128 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
10129 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
10130 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
10131 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
10132 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
10133 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
10139 The name of the poster.
10141 The @code{From} header.
10143 The number of the article.
10145 The opening bracket.
10147 The closing bracket.
10152 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
10154 Variables related to the display are:
10157 @item gnus-tree-brackets
10158 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
10159 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
10160 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
10162 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
10163 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
10164 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
10166 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
10168 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10169 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10170 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
10171 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
10175 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
10176 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
10177 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
10178 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
10179 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
10180 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
10181 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
10182 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
10183 other windows displayed next to it.
10185 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
10189 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
10190 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
10193 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
10194 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
10195 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10196 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
10197 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
10198 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
10199 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
10203 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
10206 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
10216 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
10221 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
10222 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
10224 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
10226 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
10232 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
10233 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
10234 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
10237 (setq gnus-use-trees t
10238 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10239 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
10240 (gnus-add-configuration
10244 (summary 0.75 point)
10249 @xref{Window Layout}.
10252 @node Mail Group Commands
10253 @section Mail Group Commands
10254 @cindex mail group commands
10256 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
10257 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
10259 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
10260 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10265 @kindex B e (Summary)
10266 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
10267 @cindex expiring mail
10268 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
10269 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
10270 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
10271 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
10274 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
10275 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
10276 @cindex expiring mail
10277 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
10278 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
10279 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
10280 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
10283 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
10284 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
10285 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
10286 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
10287 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
10288 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
10291 @kindex B m (Summary)
10293 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
10294 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
10295 Move the article from one mail group to another
10296 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10297 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10300 @kindex B c (Summary)
10302 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
10303 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
10304 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
10305 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10306 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10309 @kindex B B (Summary)
10310 @cindex crosspost mail
10311 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
10312 Crosspost the current article to some other group
10313 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
10314 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
10315 be properly updated.
10318 @kindex B i (Summary)
10319 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
10320 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
10321 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
10322 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10325 @kindex B I (Summary)
10326 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
10327 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
10328 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
10329 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10332 @kindex B r (Summary)
10333 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
10334 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
10335 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
10336 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
10337 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
10338 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
10339 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
10340 (which is the default).
10344 @kindex B w (Summary)
10345 @kindex e (Summary)
10346 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
10347 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
10348 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
10349 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
10350 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
10351 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
10352 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
10355 @kindex B q (Summary)
10356 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
10357 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
10358 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
10359 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10362 @kindex B t (Summary)
10363 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10364 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10365 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10368 @kindex B p (Summary)
10369 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10370 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10371 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10372 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10373 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10374 article from your news server (or rather, from
10375 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10376 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10377 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10378 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10379 just not have arrived yet.
10382 @kindex K E (Summary)
10383 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10384 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10385 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10386 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10387 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10391 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10392 @cindex moving articles
10393 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
10394 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10395 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10396 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10397 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10398 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10399 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10402 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10403 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10404 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10405 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10409 @node Various Summary Stuff
10410 @section Various Summary Stuff
10413 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10414 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10415 * Summary Generation Commands::
10416 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10420 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10421 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10422 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10423 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10424 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10425 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10427 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10428 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10429 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10432 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10433 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10434 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10436 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10437 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10438 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10439 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10440 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10441 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10444 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10445 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10446 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10447 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10448 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10450 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10451 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10452 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10455 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10456 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10457 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10458 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10459 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10460 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10461 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
10462 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10463 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10464 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10466 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10467 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10468 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10469 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10470 list of articles to be selected.
10472 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10473 the list in one particular group:
10476 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10477 (if (string= group "some.group")
10478 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10482 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10483 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10484 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10485 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
10486 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
10489 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
10490 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
10491 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
10492 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
10493 variable will be used instead.
10495 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
10496 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
10497 buffers. For example:
10500 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10501 '(message-use-followup-to
10502 (gnus-visible-headers .
10503 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10506 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
10510 @node Summary Group Information
10511 @subsection Summary Group Information
10516 @kindex H f (Summary)
10517 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10518 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10519 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
10520 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
10521 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
10522 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
10523 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
10524 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
10525 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
10528 @kindex H d (Summary)
10529 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10530 Give a brief description of the current group
10531 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10532 rereading the description from the server.
10535 @kindex H h (Summary)
10536 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10537 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10538 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10541 @kindex H i (Summary)
10542 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10543 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10547 @node Searching for Articles
10548 @subsection Searching for Articles
10553 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10554 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10555 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10556 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10559 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10560 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10561 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10562 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10565 @kindex M-S (Summary)
10566 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward
10567 Repeat the previous search forwards
10568 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward}).
10571 @kindex M-R (Summary)
10572 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward
10573 Repeat the previous search backwards
10574 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward}).
10577 @kindex & (Summary)
10578 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10579 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10580 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10581 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10582 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10583 search backward instead.
10585 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10586 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10589 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10590 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10591 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10592 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10595 @node Summary Generation Commands
10596 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10601 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10602 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10603 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10606 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10607 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10608 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10609 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10612 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10613 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10614 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10615 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10618 @kindex Y t (Summary)
10619 @findex gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles
10620 Pull all ticked articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10621 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles}).
10626 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10627 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10633 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10634 @kindex A D (Summary)
10635 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10636 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10637 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10638 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10639 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10640 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10641 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10642 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10645 @vindex gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit
10646 The variable @code{gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit} controls what
10647 article should be selected after exiting a digest group. Valid values
10652 Select the next article.
10655 Select the next unread article.
10657 @item next-noselect
10658 Move the cursor to the next article. This is the default.
10660 @item next-unread-noselect
10661 Move the cursor to the next unread article.
10664 If it has any other value or there is no next (unread) article, the
10665 article selected before entering to the digest group will appear.
10668 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10669 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10670 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10671 several documents into one biiig group
10672 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10673 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10674 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10675 command understands the process/prefix convention
10676 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10679 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10680 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10681 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10682 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10683 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10684 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10687 @kindex = (Summary)
10688 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10689 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10690 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10693 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10694 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10695 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10696 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10699 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10700 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10701 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10702 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10707 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10708 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10709 @cindex summary exit
10710 @cindex exiting groups
10712 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10713 group and return you to the group buffer.
10720 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10721 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
10722 @kindex q (Summary)
10723 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10724 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10725 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10726 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10727 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10728 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10729 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10730 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10731 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10732 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10733 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10734 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10738 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10739 @kindex Q (Summary)
10740 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10741 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10742 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10746 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10747 @kindex c (Summary)
10748 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10749 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10750 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10751 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10754 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10755 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10756 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10757 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10760 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10761 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10762 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10763 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10766 @kindex Z p (Summary)
10767 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
10768 Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
10769 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
10773 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10774 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
10775 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10776 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10777 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10778 all articles, both read and unread.
10782 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10783 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10784 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10785 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10786 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10787 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10788 articles, both read and unread.
10791 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10792 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10793 Exit the group and go to the next group
10794 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10797 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10798 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10799 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10800 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10803 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10804 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10805 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10806 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10807 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10808 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10811 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10812 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10813 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10814 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10816 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10817 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10818 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10819 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10820 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10821 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10822 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10823 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10824 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10825 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10826 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10827 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10829 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10831 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10832 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10833 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10834 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10835 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10836 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10837 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10838 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10839 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10842 @node Crosspost Handling
10843 @section Crosspost Handling
10847 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10848 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10849 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10850 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10851 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10852 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10855 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10856 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10857 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10858 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10859 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10861 @cindex cross-posting
10863 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
10864 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10865 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
10866 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10867 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
10868 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10869 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10870 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10871 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10872 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10873 the cross reference mechanism.
10875 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10876 @cindex overview.fmt
10877 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10878 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10879 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10880 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10881 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10882 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10885 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10886 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10887 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10892 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10895 @node Duplicate Suppression
10896 @section Duplicate Suppression
10898 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10899 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10900 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10901 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10906 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10907 is evil and not very common.
10910 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10911 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10914 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10915 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
10918 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10921 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10922 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10924 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10925 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10926 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10927 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10928 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10929 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10930 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10933 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10934 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10935 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10936 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10937 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10938 saw the article in.
10941 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10942 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10943 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10945 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10946 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10947 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10948 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10949 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10950 session are suppressed.
10952 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10953 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10954 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10955 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10957 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10958 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10959 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10960 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10963 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10964 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10965 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10966 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10967 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10968 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10969 to you to figure out, I think.
10974 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10975 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
10976 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
10981 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
10982 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
10983 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
10984 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10987 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10988 or newer is recommended.
10992 The variables that control security functionality on reading messages
10996 @item mm-verify-option
10997 @vindex mm-verify-option
10998 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10999 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
11000 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
11002 @item mm-decrypt-option
11003 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
11004 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
11005 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
11006 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
11009 @vindex mml1991-use
11010 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
11011 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
11012 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
11016 @vindex mml2015-use
11017 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
11018 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
11019 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
11024 By default the buttons that display security information are not
11025 shown, because they clutter reading the actual e-mail. You can type
11026 @kbd{K b} manually to display the information. Use the
11027 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types} and
11028 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} variables to control this
11029 permanently. @ref{MIME Commands} for further details, and hints on
11030 how to customize these variables to always display security
11033 @cindex snarfing keys
11034 @cindex importing PGP keys
11035 @cindex PGP key ring import
11036 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
11037 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
11038 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
11039 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
11040 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
11041 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
11042 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
11043 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
11044 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
11047 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
11050 This happens to also be the default action defined in
11051 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
11053 More information on how to set things for sending outgoing signed and
11054 encrypted messages up can be found in the message manual
11055 (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
11058 @section Mailing List
11059 @cindex mailing list
11062 @kindex A M (summary)
11063 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
11064 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
11065 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
11066 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
11069 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
11074 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
11075 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
11076 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
11079 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
11080 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
11081 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
11084 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
11085 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
11086 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
11090 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
11091 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
11092 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
11095 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
11096 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
11097 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
11100 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
11101 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
11102 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
11107 @node Article Buffer
11108 @chapter Article Buffer
11109 @cindex article buffer
11111 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
11112 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
11113 tell Gnus otherwise.
11116 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
11117 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
11118 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
11119 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
11120 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
11124 @node Hiding Headers
11125 @section Hiding Headers
11126 @cindex hiding headers
11127 @cindex deleting headers
11129 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
11130 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
11132 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
11133 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
11134 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
11135 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
11136 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
11137 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
11138 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
11139 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
11140 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
11142 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
11146 @item gnus-visible-headers
11147 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
11148 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
11149 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
11150 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
11152 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
11153 the article and the subject, you'd say:
11156 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
11159 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
11162 @item gnus-ignored-headers
11163 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
11164 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
11165 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
11166 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
11167 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
11169 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
11170 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
11173 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
11176 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
11179 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
11180 variable will have no effect.
11184 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
11185 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
11186 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
11187 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
11188 the headers are to be displayed.
11190 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
11191 and then the subject, you might say something like:
11194 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
11197 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
11198 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
11200 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
11201 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
11202 You can hide further boring headers by setting
11203 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
11204 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
11205 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
11206 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
11209 These conditions are:
11212 Remove all empty headers.
11214 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
11215 @code{Newsgroups} header.
11217 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
11218 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
11221 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
11224 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11225 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
11227 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11228 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11230 Remove the @code{Cc} header if it only contains the address identical to
11231 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11233 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
11236 Remove the @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} header if it is very long.
11238 Remove all @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} headers if there are more than one.
11241 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
11244 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
11245 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
11248 This is also the default value for this variable.
11252 @section Using MIME
11253 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11255 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
11256 while people stand around yawning.
11258 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
11259 while all newsreaders die of fear.
11261 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
11262 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
11263 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
11265 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
11266 @findex gnus-display-mime
11267 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
11268 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
11269 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
11270 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
11272 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
11273 @acronym{MIME} button:
11276 @findex gnus-article-press-button
11277 @item RET (Article)
11278 @kindex RET (Article)
11279 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
11280 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
11281 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
11282 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
11283 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
11284 object is displayed inline.
11286 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
11287 @item M-RET (Article)
11288 @kindex M-RET (Article)
11290 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11291 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
11293 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
11295 @kindex t (Article)
11296 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
11297 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
11299 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
11301 @kindex C (Article)
11302 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11303 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
11305 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
11307 @kindex o (Article)
11308 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
11309 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
11311 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
11312 @item C-o (Article)
11313 @kindex C-o (Article)
11314 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
11315 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
11316 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
11317 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
11318 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
11319 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
11321 @findex gnus-mime-replace-part
11323 @kindex r (Article)
11324 Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
11325 external body refering to the file via the message/external-body
11326 @acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
11328 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
11330 @kindex d (Article)
11331 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
11332 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
11333 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
11335 @c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
11337 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
11339 @kindex c (Article)
11340 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
11341 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
11342 without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
11343 charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
11344 @ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
11345 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
11346 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
11347 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11349 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
11351 @kindex p (Article)
11352 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
11353 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
11354 @file{.mailcap} file.
11356 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
11358 @kindex i (Article)
11359 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
11360 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
11361 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
11362 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
11363 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
11364 Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
11365 automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
11366 @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
11367 Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11369 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
11371 @kindex E (Article)
11372 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
11373 viewer is available, use an external viewer
11374 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
11376 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
11378 @kindex e (Article)
11379 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
11380 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
11382 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
11384 @kindex | (Article)
11385 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
11387 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
11389 @kindex . (Article)
11390 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
11391 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
11395 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
11396 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
11397 @acronym{MIME} manual.
11399 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
11400 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
11401 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
11402 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
11403 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
11404 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
11405 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
11406 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
11407 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
11409 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
11411 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
11414 @node Customizing Articles
11415 @section Customizing Articles
11416 @cindex article customization
11418 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
11419 exist. You can call these functions interactively
11420 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
11421 called automatically when you select the articles.
11423 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
11424 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
11425 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
11426 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
11428 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
11429 for sensible values.
11433 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
11436 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
11439 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
11442 @code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
11445 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
11448 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
11452 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
11453 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
11454 regexps in the list.
11457 A list where the first element is not a string:
11459 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
11460 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
11461 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
11465 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
11470 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
11471 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
11472 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
11473 considered to contain just a single part.
11475 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
11476 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
11477 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
11478 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
11479 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
11480 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
11481 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
11484 @c Avoid sort of redundant entries in the same section for the printed
11485 @c manual, but add them in info to allow `i gnus-treat-foo-bar RET' or
11487 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize
11488 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize-head
11489 @vindex gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences
11490 @vindex gnus-treat-overstrike
11491 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-cr
11492 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body
11493 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines
11494 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines
11495 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-pem
11496 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines
11497 @vindex gnus-treat-unsplit-urls
11498 @vindex gnus-treat-wash-html
11499 @vindex gnus-treat-date-english
11500 @vindex gnus-treat-date-iso8601
11501 @vindex gnus-treat-date-lapsed
11502 @vindex gnus-treat-date-local
11503 @vindex gnus-treat-date-original
11504 @vindex gnus-treat-date-user-defined
11505 @vindex gnus-treat-date-ut
11506 @vindex gnus-treat-from-picon
11507 @vindex gnus-treat-mail-picon
11508 @vindex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
11509 @vindex gnus-treat-display-smileys
11510 @vindex gnus-treat-body-boundary
11511 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
11512 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
11513 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
11514 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
11515 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
11516 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
11517 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
11518 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
11519 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
11520 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
11521 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
11522 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
11523 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
11524 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
11525 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
11526 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
11527 @vindex gnus-treat-translate
11528 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
11529 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
11530 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
11531 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
11532 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
11535 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
11536 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
11537 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
11538 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
11541 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
11542 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
11544 @xref{Article Buttons}.
11546 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
11547 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
11548 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
11549 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
11550 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
11551 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
11552 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
11553 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
11554 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
11555 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
11557 @xref{Article Washing}.
11559 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
11560 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
11561 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
11562 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
11563 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
11564 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
11565 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
11567 @xref{Article Date}.
11569 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
11570 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
11571 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
11575 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
11577 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
11579 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
11580 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
11581 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
11585 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
11586 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
11590 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
11591 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
11595 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
11596 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
11597 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
11598 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11599 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
11600 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11601 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
11602 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11603 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
11604 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11605 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
11606 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11607 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
11608 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11609 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
11610 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11611 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
11612 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11613 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
11614 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11616 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11618 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
11619 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11620 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
11621 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11622 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
11623 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11625 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11627 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
11628 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11629 @vindex gnus-treat-translate
11630 @item gnus-treat-translate
11631 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
11632 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
11633 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11635 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
11636 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11637 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
11638 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11639 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
11640 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11641 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
11642 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11644 @xref{Article Header}.
11649 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11650 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11651 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11652 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11653 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11657 @node Article Keymap
11658 @section Article Keymap
11660 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11661 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11662 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11663 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11666 @kindex v (Article)
11667 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Article)
11668 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
11669 command or better use it as a prefix key.
11671 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11676 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11677 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11678 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11679 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11682 @kindex DEL (Article)
11683 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11684 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11685 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11688 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11689 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11690 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11691 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11692 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11695 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11696 @findex gnus-article-mail
11697 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11698 given a prefix, include the mail.
11701 @kindex s (Article)
11702 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11703 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11704 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11707 @kindex ? (Article)
11708 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11709 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11710 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11713 @kindex TAB (Article)
11714 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11715 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11716 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11719 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11720 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11721 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11724 @kindex R (Article)
11725 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11726 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11727 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11728 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11732 @kindex F (Article)
11733 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11734 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11735 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11736 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11744 @section Misc Article
11748 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11749 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11750 @cindex article buffers, several
11751 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11752 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11755 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11756 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11757 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11758 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
11759 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11761 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11762 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11763 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11764 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11765 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11766 the contents of the article buffer.
11768 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11769 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11770 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11772 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11773 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11774 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11775 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11777 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11778 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11779 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11780 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11782 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11783 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11784 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11785 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
11786 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
11787 with two extensions:
11792 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11793 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11794 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11799 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11802 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11805 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11806 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11807 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11810 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11813 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11816 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11821 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
11825 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11827 @item gnus-break-pages
11828 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11829 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11830 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11831 paging will not be done.
11833 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11834 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11835 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11839 @cindex internationalized domain names
11840 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11841 @item gnus-use-idna
11842 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11843 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
11844 @samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
11845 for how to compose such messages. This requires
11846 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
11847 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
11852 @node Composing Messages
11853 @chapter Composing Messages
11854 @cindex composing messages
11857 @cindex sending mail
11862 @cindex using s/mime
11863 @cindex using smime
11865 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11866 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11867 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11868 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11869 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11870 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11873 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11874 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11875 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
11876 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11877 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11878 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11879 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11880 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11881 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11884 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11885 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11891 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11894 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11895 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11896 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11897 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11898 @code{nil} include all headers.
11900 @item gnus-add-to-list
11901 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11902 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11903 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11905 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11906 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11907 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
11908 about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
11909 interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
11910 receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
11911 non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
11912 matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
11914 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11915 press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
11917 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11918 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11919 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11920 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11921 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11926 @node Posting Server
11927 @section Posting Server
11929 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11930 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11932 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11934 It can be quite complicated.
11936 @vindex gnus-post-method
11937 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11938 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11939 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11940 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11941 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11942 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11943 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11944 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11945 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11948 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11951 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11952 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11953 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11954 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11956 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11957 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11959 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11960 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11963 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11964 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11966 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11967 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11968 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11969 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11970 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
11971 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11972 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11973 package correctly. An example:
11976 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11977 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11980 To the thing similar to this, there is
11981 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your @acronym{ISP}
11982 requires the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication.
11983 @xref{POP before SMTP}.
11985 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11986 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11987 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11989 @node POP before SMTP
11990 @section POP before SMTP
11991 @cindex pop before smtp
11992 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
11993 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
11995 Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
11996 authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
11997 mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
11998 a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
11999 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
12002 (setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
12003 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
12007 It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
12008 whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
12009 does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
12010 @code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
12011 Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
12012 @code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
12013 set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
12014 correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
12016 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
12017 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
12018 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
12019 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
12020 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
12021 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
12024 (setq mail-source-primary-source
12025 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12026 :password "secret"))
12030 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
12031 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
12034 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
12036 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
12037 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12038 :password "secret")))
12039 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
12042 @node Mail and Post
12043 @section Mail and Post
12045 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
12049 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
12050 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
12051 @cindex mailing lists
12053 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
12054 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
12055 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
12056 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
12057 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
12058 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
12059 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
12060 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
12061 still a pain, though.
12063 @item gnus-user-agent
12064 @vindex gnus-user-agent
12067 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
12068 User-Agent header. It can be a list of symbols or a string. Valid
12069 symbols are @code{gnus} (show Gnus version) and @code{emacs} (show Emacs
12070 version). In addition to the Emacs version, you can add @code{codename}
12071 (show (S)XEmacs codename) or either @code{config} (show system
12072 configuration) or @code{type} (show system type). If you set it to a
12073 string, be sure to use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
12077 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
12078 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
12079 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
12082 @findex ispell-message
12084 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
12087 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
12088 you're in, you could say something like the following:
12091 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
12095 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
12096 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
12098 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
12101 Modify to suit your needs.
12103 @vindex gnus-message-highlight-citation
12104 If @code{gnus-message-highlight-citation} is t, different levels of
12105 citations are highlighted like in Gnus article buffers also in message
12108 @node Archived Messages
12109 @section Archived Messages
12110 @cindex archived messages
12111 @cindex sent messages
12113 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
12114 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
12115 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
12116 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
12119 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
12120 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
12123 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
12124 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
12125 use to store sent messages. The default is @code{"archive"}, and when
12126 actually being used it is expanded into:
12129 (nnfolder "archive"
12130 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
12131 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
12132 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
12133 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
12137 @vindex gnus-update-message-archive-method
12138 Note: a server like this is saved in the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file first
12139 so that it may be used as a real method of the server which is named
12140 @code{"archive"} (that is, for the case where
12141 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} is set to @code{"archive"}) ever
12142 since. If it once has been saved, it will never be updated by default
12143 even if you change the value of @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
12144 afterward. Therefore, the server @code{"archive"} doesn't necessarily
12145 mean the @code{nnfolder} server like this at all times. If you want the
12146 saved method to reflect always the value of
12147 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, set the
12148 @code{gnus-update-message-archive-method} variable to a non-@code{nil}
12149 value. The default value of this variable is @code{nil}.
12152 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
12153 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
12154 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
12155 directory chosen, you could say something like:
12158 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
12159 '(nnfolder "archive"
12160 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
12161 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
12162 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
12165 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
12167 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
12168 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
12169 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
12171 This variable can be used to do the following:
12175 Messages will be saved in that group.
12177 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
12178 message will not be stored in the select method given by
12179 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
12180 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
12181 has the default value shown above. Then setting
12182 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
12183 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
12184 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
12187 @item a list of strings
12188 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
12190 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
12191 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
12194 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
12199 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
12201 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
12204 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
12206 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
12209 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
12211 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
12212 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
12213 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
12214 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
12217 More complex stuff:
12219 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
12220 '((if (message-news-p)
12225 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
12226 messages in one file per month:
12229 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
12230 '((if (message-news-p)
12232 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
12235 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
12236 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
12238 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
12239 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
12240 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
12241 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
12242 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
12243 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
12244 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
12245 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
12246 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
12247 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
12249 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
12250 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
12251 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
12252 this will disable archiving.
12255 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
12256 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
12257 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
12258 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
12259 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
12262 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
12263 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
12264 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
12267 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
12268 but the latter is the preferred method.
12270 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
12271 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
12272 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
12274 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
12275 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
12276 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
12277 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
12278 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
12279 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
12280 changed in the future.
12285 @node Posting Styles
12286 @section Posting Styles
12287 @cindex posting styles
12290 All them variables, they make my head swim.
12292 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
12293 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
12294 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
12297 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
12298 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
12299 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
12300 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
12301 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
12306 (signature "Peace and happiness")
12307 (organization "What me?"))
12309 (signature "Death to everybody"))
12310 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
12311 (organization "Emacs is it")))
12314 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
12315 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
12316 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
12317 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
12318 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
12319 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
12320 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
12321 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
12323 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
12324 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
12325 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
12326 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
12327 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
12328 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
12329 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
12330 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
12331 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
12332 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
12333 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
12334 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
12335 said to @dfn{match}.
12337 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
12338 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
12339 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
12340 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
12341 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
12342 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
12343 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
12344 name can be one of:
12347 @item @code{signature}
12348 @item @code{signature-file}
12349 @item @code{x-face-file}
12350 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
12351 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
12355 Note that the @code{signature-file} attribute honors the variable
12356 @code{message-signature-directory}.
12358 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
12359 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
12360 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
12361 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
12362 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
12364 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
12365 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
12366 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
12367 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
12368 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
12369 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
12370 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
12371 references chars lines xref extra.
12373 @vindex message-reply-headers
12375 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
12376 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
12377 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
12379 @findex message-mail-p
12380 @findex message-news-p
12382 So here's a new example:
12385 (setq gnus-posting-styles
12387 (signature-file "~/.signature")
12389 (x-face-file "~/.xface")
12390 (x-url (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
12391 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
12393 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
12394 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
12395 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
12396 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
12397 (signature my-news-signature))
12398 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
12399 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
12400 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
12401 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
12402 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
12403 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
12404 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
12405 (address "user@@bar.foo")
12406 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
12407 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
12409 (From (save-excursion
12410 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
12411 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
12413 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
12416 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
12417 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
12418 if you fill many roles.
12419 You may also use @code{message-alternative-emails} instead.
12420 @xref{Message Headers, ,Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
12426 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
12427 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
12428 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
12429 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
12430 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
12432 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
12433 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
12434 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
12435 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
12436 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
12440 @vindex nndraft-directory
12441 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
12442 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
12443 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
12444 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
12445 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
12446 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
12448 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
12449 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
12450 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
12451 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
12452 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
12453 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
12454 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
12455 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
12456 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
12458 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
12459 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
12460 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
12461 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
12462 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
12463 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
12464 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
12465 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
12466 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
12467 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
12468 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
12469 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
12470 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
12471 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
12473 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
12474 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
12475 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
12477 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
12478 @kindex D e (Draft)
12479 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
12480 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
12481 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
12483 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
12486 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
12487 @kindex D s (Draft)
12488 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
12489 @kindex D S (Draft)
12490 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
12491 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
12492 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
12493 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
12494 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
12497 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
12498 @kindex D t (Draft)
12499 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
12500 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
12501 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
12504 @node Rejected Articles
12505 @section Rejected Articles
12506 @cindex rejected articles
12508 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
12509 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
12510 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
12511 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
12513 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
12514 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
12515 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
12516 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
12517 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
12519 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
12520 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
12521 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
12523 @node Signing and encrypting
12524 @section Signing and encrypting
12526 @cindex using s/mime
12527 @cindex using smime
12529 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
12530 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
12531 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
12532 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
12534 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
12535 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
12536 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
12537 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
12538 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
12539 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
12540 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
12541 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
12542 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
12543 automatically encrypted messages.
12545 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
12546 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
12547 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
12552 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
12553 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
12555 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12558 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
12559 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12561 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12564 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
12565 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12567 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12570 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
12571 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
12573 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12576 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
12577 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
12579 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12582 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
12583 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
12585 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12588 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
12589 @findex mml-unsecure-message
12590 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
12594 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
12596 @node Select Methods
12597 @chapter Select Methods
12598 @cindex foreign groups
12599 @cindex select methods
12601 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
12602 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
12603 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
12604 personal mail group.
12606 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
12607 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
12608 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
12609 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
12610 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
12611 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
12613 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
12614 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
12616 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
12619 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
12620 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
12621 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
12622 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
12623 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
12625 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
12628 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
12629 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
12630 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
12631 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
12632 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
12633 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
12634 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
12635 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
12636 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
12640 @node Server Buffer
12641 @section Server Buffer
12643 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
12644 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
12645 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
12646 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
12647 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
12648 back end represents a virtual server.
12650 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
12651 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
12652 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
12653 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
12655 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
12656 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
12657 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
12658 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
12659 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
12660 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
12661 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
12663 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
12664 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
12667 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
12668 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
12669 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
12670 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
12671 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
12672 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
12673 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
12676 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
12677 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
12680 @node Server Buffer Format
12681 @subsection Server Buffer Format
12682 @cindex server buffer format
12684 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
12685 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
12686 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
12687 variable, with some simple extensions:
12692 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
12695 The name of this server.
12698 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
12701 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
12704 Whether this server is agentized.
12707 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
12708 The mode line can also be customized by using the
12709 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
12710 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12720 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12723 @node Server Commands
12724 @subsection Server Commands
12725 @cindex server commands
12731 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Server)
12732 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
12733 command or better use it as a prefix key.
12737 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12738 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12742 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12743 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12746 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12747 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12748 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12752 @findex gnus-server-exit
12753 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12757 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12758 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12762 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12763 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12767 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12768 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12772 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12773 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12777 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12778 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12779 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12784 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12785 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12786 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12787 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12791 @findex gnus-server-compact-server
12793 Compact all groups in the server under point
12794 (@code{gnus-server-compact-server}). Currently implemented only in
12795 nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes gaps between article numbers,
12796 hence getting a correct total article count.
12801 @node Example Methods
12802 @subsection Example Methods
12804 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12807 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12810 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12816 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12817 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12820 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12821 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12823 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12824 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12828 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12831 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
12832 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
12834 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
12835 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
12836 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
12840 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
12843 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
12846 Here's the method for a public spool:
12850 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
12851 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
12857 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
12858 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
12859 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12860 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
12861 should probably look something like this:
12865 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
12866 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
12867 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
12868 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12871 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
12872 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
12873 configuration to the example above:
12876 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12879 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
12880 an indirect connection:
12882 (setq gnus-select-method
12884 (nntp-address "news.server.example")
12885 (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
12886 (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
12887 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12888 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
12889 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
12890 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)))
12893 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
12894 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
12895 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
12899 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12900 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
12901 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
12902 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12905 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
12906 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
12907 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
12908 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
12911 @node Creating a Virtual Server
12912 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
12914 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12915 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12917 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12918 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
12919 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12921 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
12923 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
12924 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12925 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12926 will contain the following:
12936 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
12937 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12940 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12941 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12942 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12945 @node Server Variables
12946 @subsection Server Variables
12947 @cindex server variables
12948 @cindex server parameters
12950 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12951 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12952 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12953 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12954 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12956 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12957 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12958 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12959 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12960 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12961 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12962 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12963 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12964 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12968 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12969 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12970 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12973 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
12975 @node Servers and Methods
12976 @subsection Servers and Methods
12978 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12979 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12980 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12981 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12985 @node Unavailable Servers
12986 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12988 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12989 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12990 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12991 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12992 actually the case or not.
12994 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12995 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12996 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12997 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12998 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12999 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
13000 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
13001 it will regard that server as ``down''.
13003 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
13004 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
13006 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
13007 with the following commands:
13013 @findex gnus-server-open-server
13014 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
13015 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
13019 @findex gnus-server-close-server
13020 Close the connection (if any) to the server
13021 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
13025 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
13026 Mark the current server as unreachable
13027 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
13030 @kindex M-o (Server)
13031 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
13032 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
13033 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
13036 @kindex M-c (Server)
13037 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
13038 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
13039 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
13043 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
13044 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
13045 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
13049 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
13050 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
13056 @section Getting News
13057 @cindex reading news
13058 @cindex news back ends
13060 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
13061 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
13062 or it can read from a local spool.
13065 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
13066 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
13074 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
13075 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
13076 server as the, uhm, address.
13078 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
13079 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
13080 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
13081 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13083 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
13084 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
13085 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
13087 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
13092 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
13093 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
13094 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
13096 @cindex authentication
13097 @cindex nntp authentication
13098 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
13099 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
13100 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
13101 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
13102 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
13103 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
13104 present in this hook.
13106 @item nntp-authinfo-function
13107 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
13108 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
13109 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
13110 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
13111 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
13112 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
13113 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
13114 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
13115 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
13116 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
13117 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
13121 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
13124 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
13126 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
13127 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
13128 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
13129 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
13130 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
13131 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
13132 @samp{force} is explained below.
13136 Here's an example file:
13139 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
13140 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
13143 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
13144 have to be first, for instance.
13146 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
13147 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
13148 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
13149 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
13150 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
13151 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
13152 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
13154 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
13155 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
13161 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
13162 previously mentioned.
13164 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
13166 @item nntp-server-action-alist
13167 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
13168 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
13169 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
13170 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
13173 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
13174 '(("innd" (ding))))
13177 You probably don't want to do that, though.
13179 The default value is
13182 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
13183 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
13184 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
13187 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
13188 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
13190 @item nntp-maximum-request
13191 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
13192 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
13193 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
13194 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
13195 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
13196 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
13197 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
13199 @item nntp-connection-timeout
13200 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
13201 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
13202 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
13203 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
13204 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
13205 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
13206 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
13207 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
13208 no timeouts are done.
13210 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
13211 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
13212 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
13213 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
13216 @item nntp-xover-commands
13217 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
13218 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
13220 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
13221 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
13225 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
13226 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
13227 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
13228 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
13229 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
13230 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
13231 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
13232 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
13233 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
13234 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
13235 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
13237 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
13238 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
13239 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
13241 @item nntp-record-commands
13242 @vindex nntp-record-commands
13243 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
13244 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
13245 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
13246 that doesn't seem to work.
13248 @item nntp-open-connection-function
13249 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
13250 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
13251 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
13252 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
13253 Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
13254 in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
13255 indirect ones (three pre-made).
13257 @item nntp-never-echoes-commands
13258 @vindex nntp-never-echoes-commands
13259 Non-@code{nil} means the nntp server never echoes commands. It is
13260 reported that some nntps server doesn't echo commands. So, you may want
13261 to set this to non-@code{nil} in the method for such a server setting
13262 @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream} for
13263 example. The default value is @code{nil}. Note that the
13264 @code{nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands} variable
13265 overrides the @code{nil} value of this variable.
13267 @item nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
13268 @vindex nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
13269 List of functions that never echo commands. Add or set a function which
13270 you set to @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to this list if it does
13271 not echo commands. Note that a non-@code{nil} value of the
13272 @code{nntp-never-echoes-commands} variable overrides this variable. The
13273 default value is @code{(nntp-open-network-stream)}.
13275 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
13276 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
13277 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
13278 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
13279 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
13280 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
13281 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
13284 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
13287 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
13288 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
13293 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
13294 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
13295 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
13296 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
13300 @node Direct Functions
13301 @subsubsection Direct Functions
13302 @cindex direct connection functions
13304 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
13305 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
13306 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
13307 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13310 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
13311 @item nntp-open-network-stream
13312 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
13315 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
13316 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
13317 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
13318 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
13319 installed. You then define a server as follows:
13322 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
13323 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
13325 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
13326 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
13327 (nntp-port-number )
13328 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
13331 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
13332 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
13333 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
13334 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
13335 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
13336 then define a server as follows:
13339 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
13340 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
13342 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
13343 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
13344 (nntp-port-number 563)
13345 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
13348 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
13349 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
13350 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
13351 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
13352 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
13353 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
13354 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
13355 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
13359 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13360 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
13361 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
13364 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
13365 session, which is not a good idea.
13369 @node Indirect Functions
13370 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
13371 @cindex indirect connection functions
13373 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
13374 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13375 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
13376 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
13377 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
13378 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13381 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13382 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13383 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
13384 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
13385 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
13387 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13390 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13391 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13392 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13393 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13395 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13396 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13397 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13398 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
13399 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
13400 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
13401 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
13402 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
13406 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13407 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13409 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13410 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13411 Does essentially the same, but uses
13412 @uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} instead of @samp{telnet}
13413 to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
13415 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
13418 @item nntp-via-netcat-command
13419 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-command
13420 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
13421 intermediate host. The default is @samp{nc}. You can also use other
13422 programs like @uref{http://www.imasy.or.jp/~gotoh/ssh/connect.html,
13425 @item nntp-via-netcat-switches
13426 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-switches
13427 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13428 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{nil}.
13430 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13431 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13432 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13433 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13435 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13436 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13437 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13438 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}.
13441 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13442 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13443 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
13444 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
13446 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13449 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
13450 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
13451 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
13454 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
13455 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
13456 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13457 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
13459 @item nntp-via-user-password
13460 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
13461 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
13463 @item nntp-via-envuser
13464 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
13465 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
13466 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
13467 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
13469 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
13470 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
13471 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
13472 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
13476 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13477 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13481 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
13486 @item nntp-via-user-name
13487 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
13488 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
13490 @item nntp-via-address
13491 @vindex nntp-via-address
13492 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
13497 @node Common Variables
13498 @subsubsection Common Variables
13500 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
13501 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
13502 affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
13503 default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
13504 variables individually).
13508 @item nntp-pre-command
13509 @vindex nntp-pre-command
13510 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
13511 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
13512 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
13513 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
13516 @vindex nntp-address
13517 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13519 @item nntp-port-number
13520 @vindex nntp-port-number
13521 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13522 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
13523 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
13524 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
13525 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
13526 not work with named ports.
13528 @item nntp-end-of-line
13529 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
13530 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
13531 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
13532 using a non native telnet connection function.
13534 @item nntp-telnet-command
13535 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
13536 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
13537 @samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
13538 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13541 @item nntp-telnet-switches
13542 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
13543 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
13549 @subsubsection NNTP marks
13550 @cindex storing NNTP marks
13552 Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
13553 servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
13554 in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
13555 Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
13556 (@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
13557 that of a news server, for example marks for the group
13558 @samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
13559 the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
13561 Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
13562 directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
13563 and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
13564 in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
13565 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13567 Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
13568 the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
13569 installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
13570 servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
13571 However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
13572 D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
13573 get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
13575 Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
13576 if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
13577 variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13583 @item nntp-marks-is-evil
13584 @vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
13585 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
13586 default is @code{nil}.
13588 @item nntp-marks-directory
13589 @vindex nntp-marks-directory
13590 The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
13596 @subsection News Spool
13600 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
13601 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
13602 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
13605 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
13606 anything else) as the address.
13608 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
13609 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
13610 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
13611 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
13615 @item nnspool-inews-program
13616 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
13617 Program used to post an article.
13619 @item nnspool-inews-switches
13620 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
13621 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
13623 @item nnspool-spool-directory
13624 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
13625 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
13626 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
13628 @item nnspool-nov-directory
13629 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
13630 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
13631 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
13633 @item nnspool-lib-dir
13634 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
13635 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
13637 @item nnspool-active-file
13638 @vindex nnspool-active-file
13639 The name of the active file.
13641 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
13642 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
13643 The name of the group descriptions file.
13645 @item nnspool-history-file
13646 @vindex nnspool-history-file
13647 The name of the news history file.
13649 @item nnspool-active-times-file
13650 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
13651 The name of the active date file.
13653 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
13654 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
13655 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
13658 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13659 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13661 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
13662 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
13663 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
13670 @section Getting Mail
13671 @cindex reading mail
13674 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
13678 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
13679 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
13680 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
13681 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
13682 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
13683 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
13684 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
13685 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
13686 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
13687 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
13688 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
13689 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
13690 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
13694 @node Mail in a Newsreader
13695 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
13697 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
13698 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
13699 of a culture shock.
13701 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
13702 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
13704 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
13705 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
13706 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
13707 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
13709 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
13711 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
13712 deleted? How awful!
13714 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
13715 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
13716 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
13717 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
13720 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
13721 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
13722 they want to treat a message.
13724 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
13725 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
13726 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
13727 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
13728 archived somewhere else.
13730 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
13731 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
13732 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
13733 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
13734 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
13736 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
13737 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
13738 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
13740 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
13741 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
13744 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
13745 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
13746 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
13747 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
13748 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
13750 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
13751 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
13752 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
13753 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
13754 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
13755 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
13759 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
13760 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
13762 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
13763 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
13764 and things will happen automatically.
13766 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
13767 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13770 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13773 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
13774 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
13775 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
13776 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
13777 like any other group.
13779 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
13782 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13783 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13784 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13788 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
13789 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
13790 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
13793 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
13794 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
13795 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
13798 @node Splitting Mail
13799 @subsection Splitting Mail
13800 @cindex splitting mail
13801 @cindex mail splitting
13802 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
13804 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
13805 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
13806 to be split into groups.
13809 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13810 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13811 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13812 ("mail.other" "")))
13815 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
13816 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
13817 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
13818 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
13819 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
13820 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
13821 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
13824 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
13828 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
13829 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
13831 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13832 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
13833 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
13834 mail belongs in that group.
13836 @cindex @samp{bogus} group
13837 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
13838 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
13839 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
13840 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
13841 to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
13842 that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
13843 will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
13844 splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
13845 see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
13847 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
13848 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
13849 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
13850 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
13851 thinks should carry this mail message.
13853 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
13854 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
13855 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
13856 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
13858 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
13859 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
13860 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
13861 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
13862 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
13864 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
13867 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
13868 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
13869 links. If that's the case for you, set
13870 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
13871 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
13873 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
13874 @findex nnmail-split-history
13875 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
13876 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
13877 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
13878 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
13881 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
13882 Header lines longer than the value of
13883 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
13886 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
13887 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
13888 By default, splitting does not decode headers, so you can not match on
13889 non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. But it is useful if you want to match
13890 articles based on the raw header data. To enable it, set the
13891 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} variable to a non-@code{nil} value.
13892 In addition, the value of the @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
13893 variable is used for decoding non-@acronym{MIME} encoded string when
13894 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} is non-@code{nil}. The default
13895 value is @code{nil} which means not to decode non-@acronym{MIME} encoded
13896 string. A suitable value for you will be @code{undecided} or be the
13897 charset used normally in mails you are interested in.
13899 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13900 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
13901 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
13902 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
13903 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
13904 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
13905 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
13906 other kinds of entries.)
13908 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
13909 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
13910 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
13911 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
13912 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
13913 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
13914 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
13915 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
13916 month's rent money.
13920 @subsection Mail Sources
13922 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
13923 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
13924 maildir, for instance.
13927 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
13928 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
13929 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
13933 @node Mail Source Specifiers
13934 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
13936 @cindex mail server
13939 @cindex mail source
13941 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
13942 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
13947 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
13950 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
13951 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
13952 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
13955 The following mail source types are available:
13959 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
13965 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
13966 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
13967 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
13971 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13974 An example file mail source:
13977 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
13980 Or using the default file name:
13986 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
13987 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
13988 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
13989 mail spool while moving the mail.
13991 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13995 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13998 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
14002 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
14005 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
14007 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
14010 Alter this script to fit the @samp{movemail} and temporary
14011 file you want to use.
14015 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
14016 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
14017 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
14018 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
14019 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
14020 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
14021 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
14022 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
14023 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
14024 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
14026 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
14027 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
14028 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
14029 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
14035 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
14039 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
14043 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
14044 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
14045 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
14046 predicate are considered.
14050 Script run before/after fetching mail.
14054 An example directory mail source:
14057 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
14062 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
14068 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
14069 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
14072 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
14073 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
14074 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
14075 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
14076 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
14079 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
14083 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
14084 the user is prompted.
14087 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
14088 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
14091 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
14094 The valid format specifier characters are:
14098 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
14099 included in this string.
14102 The name of the server.
14105 The port number of the server.
14108 The user name to use.
14111 The password to use.
14114 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
14115 corresponding keywords.
14118 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
14119 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
14122 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
14123 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
14126 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
14127 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
14128 mail should be moved to.
14130 @item :authentication
14131 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
14132 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
14137 @vindex pop3-movemail
14138 @vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
14139 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
14140 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server}
14141 is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be left on the @acronym{POP} server
14142 after fetching when using @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers
14143 maintain no state information between sessions, so what the client
14144 believes is there and what is actually there may not match up. If they
14145 do not, then you may get duplicate mails or the whole thing can fall
14146 apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
14148 Here are some examples for getting mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
14149 Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server, using the default user
14150 name, and default fetcher:
14156 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
14159 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
14160 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
14163 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
14166 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
14170 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
14171 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
14172 contains exactly one mail.
14178 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
14179 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
14182 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
14183 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
14185 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
14186 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
14187 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
14190 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
14191 from locking problems).
14195 Two example maildir mail sources:
14198 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
14199 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
14203 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
14208 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
14209 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
14210 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
14211 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
14212 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
14214 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
14215 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
14221 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
14222 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
14225 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
14226 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
14229 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
14233 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
14237 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
14238 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
14239 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
14240 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
14242 @item :authentication
14243 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
14244 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
14245 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
14246 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
14249 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
14250 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
14251 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
14257 The valid format specifier characters are:
14261 The name of the server.
14264 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
14267 The port number of the server.
14270 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
14271 corresponding keywords.
14274 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
14275 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
14278 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
14279 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
14280 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
14281 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
14282 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
14283 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
14286 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
14287 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
14288 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
14289 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
14292 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
14293 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
14297 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
14300 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
14302 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
14306 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
14307 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
14308 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
14310 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
14311 required for url "4.0pre.46".
14313 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
14319 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
14320 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
14323 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
14327 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
14331 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
14332 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
14336 An example webmail source:
14339 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
14341 :password "secret")
14346 @item Common Keywords
14347 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
14353 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
14354 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
14359 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
14364 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
14365 useful when you use local mail and news.
14370 @subsubsection Function Interface
14372 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
14373 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
14374 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
14375 consider the following mail-source setting:
14378 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
14379 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
14382 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
14383 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
14384 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
14385 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
14386 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
14388 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
14391 @node Mail Source Customization
14392 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
14394 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
14395 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
14399 @item mail-source-crash-box
14400 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
14401 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
14402 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
14404 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
14405 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
14406 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
14407 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
14408 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
14409 (This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
14410 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
14411 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
14413 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
14414 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
14415 If non-@code{nil}, ask for confirmation before deleting old incoming
14416 files. This variable only applies when
14417 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
14419 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
14420 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
14421 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
14423 @item mail-source-directory
14424 @vindex mail-source-directory
14425 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
14426 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
14427 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
14428 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
14430 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
14431 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
14432 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
14433 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
14434 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
14435 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
14438 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
14439 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
14440 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
14442 @item mail-source-movemail-program
14443 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
14444 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
14445 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
14450 @node Fetching Mail
14451 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
14453 @vindex mail-sources
14454 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
14455 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
14456 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
14457 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
14459 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
14460 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
14463 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
14464 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
14469 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14470 :password "secret")))
14473 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
14477 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
14478 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14481 :password "secret")))
14485 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
14486 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
14487 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
14488 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
14489 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
14490 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
14494 @node Mail Back End Variables
14495 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
14497 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
14501 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14502 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14503 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
14504 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
14506 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
14507 @item nnmail-split-hook
14508 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
14509 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
14510 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
14511 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
14512 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
14513 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
14514 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
14515 in the buffer will show up in any files.
14516 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
14519 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14520 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14521 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14522 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14523 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
14524 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
14525 starting to handle the new mail) and
14526 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
14527 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
14528 default file modes the new mail files get:
14531 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14532 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
14534 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14535 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
14538 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
14539 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
14540 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
14541 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
14542 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
14543 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
14544 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
14546 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
14547 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
14548 @findex delete-file
14549 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
14551 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14552 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14553 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
14554 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
14555 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
14557 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14558 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14559 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
14560 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
14561 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
14563 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
14564 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
14565 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
14570 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
14571 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
14572 @cindex mail splitting
14573 @cindex fancy mail splitting
14575 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
14576 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
14577 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
14578 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
14579 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
14580 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
14582 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
14585 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
14586 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
14587 ;; @r{from real errors.}
14588 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
14590 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
14591 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
14592 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
14593 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
14594 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
14595 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
14596 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
14597 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
14598 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
14599 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
14600 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
14601 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
14602 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
14603 (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
14604 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
14605 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
14606 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
14610 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
14611 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
14612 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
14617 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
14618 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
14620 @c Don't fold this line.
14621 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split} [@var{invert-partial}])
14622 The split can be a list containing at least three elements. If the
14623 first element @var{field} (a regexp matching a header) contains
14624 @var{value} (also a regexp) then store the message as specified by
14627 If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
14628 @var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
14629 @var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
14630 @var{split} is processed.
14632 The last element @var{invert-partial} is optional. If it is
14633 non-@code{nil}, the match-partial-words behavior controlled by the
14634 variable @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} (see below) is
14635 be inverted. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
14637 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
14638 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
14639 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
14640 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
14641 stored in one or more groups.
14643 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
14644 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
14645 process all @var{split}s in the list.
14648 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
14649 this message. Use with extreme caution.
14651 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
14652 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
14653 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
14654 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
14657 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
14658 body of the messages:
14661 (defun split-on-body ()
14665 (goto-char (point-min))
14666 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
14670 The buffer is narrowed to the message in question when @var{function}
14671 is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called after
14672 @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
14673 above. Also note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will
14674 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
14675 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
14676 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
14678 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
14679 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
14680 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
14681 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
14682 should return a split.
14685 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
14689 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
14691 Normally, @var{value} in these splits must match a complete @emph{word}
14692 according to the fundamental mode syntax table. In other words, all
14693 @var{value}'s will be implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers,
14694 which are word delimiters. Therefore, if you use the following split,
14698 (any "joe" "joemail")
14702 messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will normally not be filed
14703 in @samp{joemail}. If you want to alter this behavior, you can use any
14704 of the following three ways:
14708 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
14709 You can set the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
14710 to non-@code{nil} in order to ignore word boundaries and instead the
14711 match becomes more like a grep. This variable controls whether partial
14712 words are matched during fancy splitting. The default value is
14715 Note that it influences all @var{value}'s in your split rules.
14718 @var{value} beginning with @code{.*} ignores word boundaries in front of
14719 a word. Similarly, if @var{value} ends with @code{.*}, word boundaries
14720 in the rear of a word will be ignored. For example, the @var{value}
14721 @code{"@@example\\.com"} does not match @samp{foo@@example.com} but
14722 @code{".*@@example\\.com"} does.
14725 You can set the @var{invert-partial} flag in your split rules of the
14726 @samp{(@var{field} @var{value} @dots{})} types, aforementioned in this
14727 section. If the flag is set, word boundaries on both sides of a word
14728 are ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
14729 @code{nil}. Contrarily, if the flag is set, word boundaries are not
14730 ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
14731 non-@code{nil}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
14734 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
14735 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
14736 they are expanded as specified by the variable
14737 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
14738 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
14739 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
14740 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
14744 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
14746 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
14747 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
14749 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
14752 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
14753 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
14754 when all this splitting is performed.
14756 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
14757 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
14758 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
14761 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
14764 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
14765 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
14767 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
14768 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
14769 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
14770 groupings 1 through 9.
14772 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
14773 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
14774 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
14775 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
14776 groups when users send to an address using different case
14777 (i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
14780 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
14781 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
14782 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
14783 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
14784 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
14785 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
14786 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
14787 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
14788 it once per thread.
14790 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
14791 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
14792 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
14793 using the colon feature, like so:
14795 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
14796 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
14798 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
14799 ;; @r{other splits go here}
14803 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
14804 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
14805 in the file specified by the variable
14806 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
14807 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
14808 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
14809 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
14810 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
14811 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
14812 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
14813 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
14814 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
14815 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
14816 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
14817 300 kBytes in size.)
14818 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14819 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
14820 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
14821 messages goes into the new group.
14823 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
14824 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
14825 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
14826 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
14827 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
14828 ``outgoing'' group.
14831 @node Group Mail Splitting
14832 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
14833 @cindex mail splitting
14834 @cindex group mail splitting
14836 @findex gnus-group-split
14837 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
14838 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
14839 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
14840 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
14841 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
14842 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
14843 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
14844 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
14846 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
14847 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
14848 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
14849 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
14851 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
14852 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
14853 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
14854 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
14855 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
14856 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
14857 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
14859 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
14860 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
14861 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
14862 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
14863 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
14864 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
14865 @code{gnus-group-split}.
14867 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
14868 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
14869 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
14870 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
14871 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
14872 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
14873 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
14874 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
14875 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
14876 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
14877 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
14878 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
14879 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
14881 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
14886 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
14887 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
14889 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
14890 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
14891 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
14892 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
14894 ((split-spec . catch-all))
14897 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
14898 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
14899 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
14902 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
14903 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
14904 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
14908 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
14909 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
14910 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
14914 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
14917 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
14918 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
14919 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
14920 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
14921 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
14922 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
14923 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
14924 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
14925 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
14927 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
14928 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
14929 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
14930 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
14931 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
14932 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
14933 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
14934 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
14935 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
14937 @findex gnus-group-split-update
14938 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
14939 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
14940 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
14941 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
14942 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
14945 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
14948 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
14949 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
14950 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
14951 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
14952 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
14955 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
14956 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
14957 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
14958 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
14960 @node Incorporating Old Mail
14961 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
14962 @cindex incorporating old mail
14963 @cindex import old mail
14965 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
14966 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
14967 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
14970 Doing so can be quite easy.
14972 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
14973 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
14974 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
14975 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
14976 your @code{nnml} groups.
14982 Go to the group buffer.
14985 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
14986 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14989 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
14992 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
14993 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14996 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
14997 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
15000 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
15001 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
15002 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
15003 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
15004 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
15006 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
15007 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
15008 using the new mail back end.
15011 @node Expiring Mail
15012 @subsection Expiring Mail
15013 @cindex article expiry
15014 @cindex expiring mail
15016 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
15017 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
15018 different approach to mail reading.
15020 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
15021 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
15022 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
15023 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
15024 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
15025 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
15028 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
15029 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
15030 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
15031 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
15032 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
15033 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
15034 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
15035 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
15036 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
15038 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
15039 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
15040 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
15041 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
15042 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
15043 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
15044 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
15047 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
15048 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
15049 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
15050 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
15051 into its own group.)
15053 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
15054 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
15055 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
15056 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
15057 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
15058 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
15059 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
15060 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
15063 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
15064 Groups that match the regular expression
15065 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
15066 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
15067 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
15069 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
15070 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
15071 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
15072 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
15073 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15075 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
15077 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
15078 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
15079 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
15082 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
15083 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
15084 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
15085 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
15086 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
15088 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
15089 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
15092 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
15093 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
15096 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
15097 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
15099 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
15100 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
15101 don't really mix very well.
15103 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
15104 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
15105 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
15106 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
15109 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
15110 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
15111 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
15112 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
15115 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15117 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15119 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
15121 ((string= group "mail.junk")
15123 ((string= group "important")
15129 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
15130 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
15132 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
15133 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
15134 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
15137 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
15138 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
15140 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
15141 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
15142 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
15143 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
15144 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
15145 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
15146 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
15147 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
15148 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
15149 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
15150 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
15151 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
15152 name or @code{delete}.
15154 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
15156 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
15159 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
15160 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
15161 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
15162 expire mail to groups according to the variable
15163 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
15166 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
15167 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
15168 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
15169 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
15170 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
15173 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
15174 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
15175 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
15176 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
15177 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
15178 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
15180 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
15181 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
15182 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
15183 easier for procmail users.
15185 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
15186 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
15187 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
15188 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
15189 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
15190 caution. Even more dangerous is the
15191 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
15192 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
15193 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
15194 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
15195 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
15196 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
15197 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
15200 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
15202 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
15203 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
15204 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
15205 auto-expire turned on.
15209 @subsection Washing Mail
15210 @cindex mail washing
15211 @cindex list server brain damage
15212 @cindex incoming mail treatment
15214 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
15215 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
15216 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
15217 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
15218 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
15219 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
15221 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
15222 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
15223 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
15226 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
15227 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
15228 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
15229 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
15232 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
15233 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
15234 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
15235 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
15236 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
15239 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
15240 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
15241 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
15242 Emacs running on MS machines.
15246 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
15247 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
15248 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
15249 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
15252 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
15253 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
15254 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
15255 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
15257 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
15258 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
15259 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
15260 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
15261 into a feature by documenting it.)
15263 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
15264 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
15265 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
15266 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
15267 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
15268 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
15269 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
15272 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
15273 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
15276 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
15277 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
15280 This can also be done non-destructively with
15281 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
15283 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
15284 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
15285 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
15287 @item nnmail-ignore-broken-references
15288 @findex nnmail-ignore-broken-references
15289 @c @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
15292 Some mail user agents (e.g. Eudora and Pegasus) produce broken
15293 @code{References} headers, but correct @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This
15294 function will get rid of the @code{References} header if the headers
15295 contain a line matching the regular expression
15296 @code{nnmail-broken-references-mailers}.
15300 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
15301 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
15302 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
15306 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
15307 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
15308 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
15315 @subsection Duplicates
15317 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
15318 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
15319 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
15320 @cindex duplicate mails
15321 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
15322 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
15323 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
15324 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
15325 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
15326 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
15327 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
15328 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
15329 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
15330 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
15331 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
15332 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
15333 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
15335 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
15336 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
15337 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
15338 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
15340 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
15343 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
15344 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
15348 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
15349 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
15350 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
15351 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
15352 (any mail "mail.misc")
15353 ;; @r{Other rules.}
15359 (setq nnmail-split-methods
15360 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
15361 ;; @r{Other rules.}
15365 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
15366 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
15367 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
15368 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
15369 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
15372 @node Not Reading Mail
15373 @subsection Not Reading Mail
15375 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
15376 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
15377 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
15379 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
15380 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
15381 mail, which should help.
15383 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15384 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
15385 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
15386 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15387 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15388 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
15389 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
15390 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
15391 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
15392 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
15393 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
15395 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
15396 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
15400 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
15401 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
15403 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
15404 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
15405 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
15407 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
15408 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
15409 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
15413 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
15414 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
15415 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
15416 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
15417 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
15418 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
15419 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
15423 @node Unix Mail Box
15424 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
15426 @cindex unix mail box
15428 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
15429 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
15430 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
15431 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
15432 which group it belongs in.
15434 Virtual server settings:
15437 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
15438 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
15439 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
15442 @item nnmbox-active-file
15443 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
15444 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
15445 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
15447 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
15448 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
15449 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
15450 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
15455 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
15459 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
15460 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
15461 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
15462 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
15463 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
15465 Virtual server settings:
15468 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
15469 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
15470 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
15472 @item nnbabyl-active-file
15473 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
15474 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
15475 @file{~/.rmail-active}
15477 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15478 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15479 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
15485 @subsubsection Mail Spool
15487 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
15489 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
15490 format. It should be used with some caution.
15492 @vindex nnml-directory
15493 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
15494 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
15495 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
15496 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
15498 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
15501 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
15502 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
15503 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
15504 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
15505 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
15506 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
15507 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
15508 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
15510 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
15511 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
15512 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
15513 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
15515 @cindex self contained nnml servers
15517 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
15518 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15519 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15520 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
15521 for a group are usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
15522 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
15523 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
15524 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
15527 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
15528 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
15529 them next time it starts.
15531 Virtual server settings:
15534 @item nnml-directory
15535 @vindex nnml-directory
15536 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
15537 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
15540 @item nnml-active-file
15541 @vindex nnml-active-file
15542 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
15543 @file{~/Mail/active}.
15545 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
15546 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
15547 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15548 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
15550 @item nnml-get-new-mail
15551 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
15552 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
15555 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
15556 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
15557 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15558 default is @code{nil}.
15560 @item nnml-nov-file-name
15561 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
15562 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
15564 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15565 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15566 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
15568 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
15569 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
15570 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15571 default is @code{nil}.
15573 @item nnml-marks-file-name
15574 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
15575 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
15577 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
15578 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
15579 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
15580 files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
15581 (@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
15582 If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
15583 as the file extension specifying the compression program. You can set it
15584 to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
15585 equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
15587 @item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
15588 @vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
15589 Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
15590 bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
15591 if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil}.
15595 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
15596 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
15597 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
15598 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
15599 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
15600 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
15601 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
15606 @subsubsection MH Spool
15608 @cindex mh-e mail spool
15610 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
15611 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
15612 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
15613 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
15616 Virtual server settings:
15619 @item nnmh-directory
15620 @vindex nnmh-directory
15621 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
15622 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
15625 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
15626 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15627 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
15631 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
15632 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
15633 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
15634 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
15635 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
15636 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
15637 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
15642 @subsubsection Maildir
15646 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
15647 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
15648 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
15649 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
15650 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
15653 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
15654 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
15655 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
15656 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
15657 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
15658 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
15659 that appear as group in Gnus.
15661 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
15662 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
15663 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
15665 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
15666 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
15667 another, and you will keep your marks.
15669 Virtual server settings:
15673 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
15674 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
15675 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
15676 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
15677 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
15678 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
15679 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
15680 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
15681 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
15682 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
15684 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
15685 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
15686 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
15687 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
15688 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
15689 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
15690 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
15691 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
15692 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
15693 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
15696 @item target-prefix
15697 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
15698 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
15699 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
15702 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
15703 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
15704 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
15705 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
15706 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
15707 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
15708 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
15709 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
15710 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
15712 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
15713 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
15714 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
15715 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
15716 symlinks pointing to them will be).
15718 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
15719 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
15720 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
15721 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
15722 @code{force} argument.
15724 @item directory-files
15725 This should be a function with the same interface as
15726 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
15727 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
15728 parameter is optional; the default is
15729 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
15730 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
15731 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
15732 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
15733 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
15734 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
15737 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
15738 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
15739 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
15740 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
15741 value is @code{nil}.
15743 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
15744 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
15745 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
15746 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
15747 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
15750 @subsubsection Group parameters
15752 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
15753 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
15754 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
15755 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
15756 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
15757 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
15760 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
15761 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
15762 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
15763 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
15764 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
15765 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
15766 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
15767 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
15768 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
15772 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
15773 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
15774 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
15775 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
15776 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
15777 @code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
15778 and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
15779 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
15780 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
15781 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
15782 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
15783 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
15784 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
15787 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
15789 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
15791 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
15792 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
15793 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
15794 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
15795 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
15796 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
15797 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
15798 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
15799 article. So that form can refer to
15800 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
15801 article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
15802 does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
15803 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
15806 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
15807 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
15808 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
15809 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
15810 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
15811 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
15812 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
15813 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
15814 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
15815 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
15816 contain extra copies of the articles.
15818 @item directory-files
15819 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
15820 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
15821 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
15822 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
15824 @item distrust-Lines:
15825 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
15826 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
15827 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
15830 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
15831 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15832 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
15833 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
15834 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
15835 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15838 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
15839 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15840 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
15841 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
15842 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
15843 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15844 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15846 @item nov-cache-size
15847 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
15848 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
15849 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
15850 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
15851 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
15852 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
15853 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
15854 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
15855 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
15856 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
15857 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
15860 @subsubsection Article identification
15861 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
15862 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
15863 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
15864 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
15865 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
15866 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
15867 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
15868 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
15869 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
15870 request the article in the summary buffer.
15872 @subsubsection NOV data
15873 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
15874 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
15875 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
15876 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
15877 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
15878 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
15879 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
15880 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
15881 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
15882 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
15883 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
15885 @subsubsection Article marks
15886 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
15887 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
15888 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15889 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
15890 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15891 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
15892 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
15893 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
15895 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
15896 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
15897 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
15898 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
15899 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
15900 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
15901 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
15902 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
15903 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
15907 @subsubsection Mail Folders
15909 @cindex mbox folders
15910 @cindex mail folders
15912 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
15913 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
15914 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
15915 numbers and arrival dates.
15917 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
15919 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
15920 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15921 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15922 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
15923 Marks for a group are usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
15924 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
15925 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
15926 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
15927 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
15928 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
15930 Virtual server settings:
15933 @item nnfolder-directory
15934 @vindex nnfolder-directory
15935 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
15936 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
15937 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
15939 @item nnfolder-active-file
15940 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
15941 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
15943 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15944 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15945 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15946 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
15948 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
15949 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15950 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
15951 default is @code{t}
15953 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15954 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15955 @cindex backup files
15956 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
15957 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
15958 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
15959 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
15962 (defun turn-off-backup ()
15963 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
15965 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
15968 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15969 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15970 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
15971 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
15972 extract some information from it before removing it.
15974 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15975 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15976 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15977 default is @code{nil}.
15979 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15980 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15981 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
15983 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
15984 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
15985 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
15986 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15988 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15989 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15990 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15991 default is @code{nil}.
15993 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15994 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15995 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
15997 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
15998 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
15999 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
16000 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
16005 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
16006 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
16007 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
16008 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
16009 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
16010 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
16013 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
16014 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
16016 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
16017 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
16018 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
16019 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
16020 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
16022 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
16023 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
16024 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
16025 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
16026 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
16027 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
16028 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
16029 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
16032 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
16033 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
16034 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
16035 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
16040 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
16041 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
16042 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
16043 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
16044 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
16045 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
16046 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
16047 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
16048 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
16049 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
16050 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
16051 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
16052 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
16057 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
16058 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
16059 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
16060 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
16061 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
16062 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
16063 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
16064 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
16065 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
16066 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
16067 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
16068 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
16069 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
16070 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
16072 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
16073 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
16078 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
16079 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
16080 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
16081 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
16082 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
16083 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
16084 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
16085 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
16086 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
16087 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
16088 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
16089 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
16090 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
16091 provided by the active file and overviews.
16093 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
16094 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
16095 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
16096 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
16097 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
16100 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
16101 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
16106 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
16107 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
16108 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
16109 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
16110 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
16111 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
16112 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
16116 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
16117 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
16118 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
16119 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
16120 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
16121 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
16122 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
16123 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
16124 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
16126 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
16127 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
16128 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
16129 friendly mail back end all over.
16133 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
16134 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
16137 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
16138 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
16139 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
16140 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
16141 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
16142 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
16143 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
16144 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
16147 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
16148 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
16149 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
16150 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
16151 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
16152 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
16153 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
16154 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
16155 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
16156 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
16157 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
16159 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
16160 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
16161 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
16162 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
16163 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
16166 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
16167 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
16168 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
16169 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
16170 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
16171 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
16172 removed in the future.
16174 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
16175 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
16176 on your file system.
16178 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
16179 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
16184 @node Browsing the Web
16185 @section Browsing the Web
16187 @cindex browsing the web
16191 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
16192 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
16193 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
16194 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
16195 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
16196 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
16197 even know what a news group is.
16199 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
16200 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
16201 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
16202 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
16203 you mad in the end.
16205 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
16208 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
16209 interfaces to these sources.
16213 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
16214 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
16215 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
16216 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
16217 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
16218 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
16221 All the web sources require Emacs/W3 and the url library or those
16222 alternatives to work.
16224 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
16225 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
16226 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
16227 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
16228 though, you should be ok.
16230 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
16231 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
16232 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
16233 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
16234 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
16236 @node Archiving Mail
16237 @subsection Archiving Mail
16238 @cindex archiving mail
16239 @cindex backup of mail
16241 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
16242 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
16243 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
16244 marks is fairly simple.
16246 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
16247 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
16250 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
16251 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
16252 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
16253 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
16254 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
16255 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
16256 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
16257 before you restore the data.
16259 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
16260 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
16261 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
16262 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
16263 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
16264 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
16265 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
16266 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
16267 is unnecessary in that case.
16270 @subsection Web Searches
16275 @cindex Usenet searches
16276 @cindex searching the Usenet
16278 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
16279 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
16280 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
16281 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
16282 searches without having to use a browser.
16284 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
16285 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
16286 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
16287 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
16288 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
16290 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
16291 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
16292 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
16293 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
16294 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
16295 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
16296 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
16297 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
16298 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
16299 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
16302 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
16303 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
16304 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
16305 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
16306 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
16307 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
16309 You must have the @code{url} and @code{W3} package or those alternatives
16310 (try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{mm-url} variable group)
16311 installed to be able to use @code{nnweb}.
16313 Virtual server variables:
16318 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
16319 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
16320 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
16323 @vindex nnweb-search
16324 The search string to feed to the search engine.
16326 @item nnweb-max-hits
16327 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
16328 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
16331 @item nnweb-type-definition
16332 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
16333 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
16334 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
16339 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
16343 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
16346 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
16349 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
16353 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
16360 @subsection Slashdot
16364 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
16365 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
16366 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
16368 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
16369 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
16372 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
16373 '((nnslashdot "")))
16376 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
16377 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
16378 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
16379 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
16380 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
16383 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
16384 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
16386 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
16387 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
16388 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
16389 @samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
16390 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
16391 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
16392 @acronym{HTML} forms.
16394 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
16397 @item nnslashdot-threaded
16398 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
16399 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
16400 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
16401 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
16402 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
16403 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
16405 @item nnslashdot-login-name
16406 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
16407 The login name to use when posting.
16409 @item nnslashdot-password
16410 @vindex nnslashdot-password
16411 The password to use when posting.
16413 @item nnslashdot-directory
16414 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
16415 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
16416 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
16418 @item nnslashdot-active-url
16419 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
16420 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
16421 information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
16422 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
16424 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
16425 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
16426 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
16428 @item nnslashdot-article-url
16429 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
16430 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
16431 article. The default is
16432 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
16434 @item nnslashdot-threshold
16435 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
16436 The score threshold. The default is -1.
16438 @item nnslashdot-group-number
16439 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
16440 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
16441 updated. The default is 0.
16448 @subsection Ultimate
16450 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
16452 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
16453 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
16454 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
16455 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16457 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
16458 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
16459 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
16460 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
16461 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
16462 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
16463 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
16465 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
16468 @item nnultimate-directory
16469 @vindex nnultimate-directory
16470 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
16471 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
16476 @subsection Web Archive
16478 @cindex Web Archive
16480 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
16481 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
16482 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
16483 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
16486 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
16487 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
16488 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
16489 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
16490 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
16491 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
16492 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
16493 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
16495 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
16498 @item nnwarchive-directory
16499 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
16500 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
16501 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
16503 @item nnwarchive-login
16504 @vindex nnwarchive-login
16505 The account name on the web server.
16507 @item nnwarchive-passwd
16508 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
16509 The password for your account on the web server.
16517 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
16518 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
16519 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
16520 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
16521 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
16523 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
16524 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16526 Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
16527 system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
16528 text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
16531 @kindex G R (Group)
16532 Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
16533 prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
16534 The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
16535 and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
16537 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
16538 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
16539 subscribe to groups.
16541 The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
16542 @code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
16543 names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
16544 coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
16545 variable. If it is @code{nil}, in Emacs the coding system defaults to
16546 the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system}. If you are using
16547 XEmacs and want to use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names, you should set
16548 the value for the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} variable properly.
16550 The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
16551 @acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
16552 and a @samp{text/html} part.
16555 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
16556 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
16559 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
16560 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
16564 @defun nnrss-opml-export
16565 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
16566 @acronym{OPML} format.
16569 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
16572 @item nnrss-directory
16573 @vindex nnrss-directory
16574 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
16575 @file{~/News/rss/}.
16577 @item nnrss-file-coding-system
16578 @vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
16579 The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
16580 data files. The default is the value of
16581 @code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
16582 in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
16584 @item nnrss-use-local
16585 @vindex nnrss-use-local
16586 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
16587 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
16588 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
16589 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
16590 download script using @command{wget}.
16592 @item nnrss-wash-html-in-text-plain-parts
16593 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{nnrss} renders text in @samp{text/plain}
16594 parts as @acronym{HTML}. The function specified by the
16595 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} variable (@pxref{Display Customization,
16596 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) will be used
16597 to render text. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default, text will
16598 simply be folded. Leave it @code{nil} if you prefer to see
16599 @samp{text/html} parts.
16602 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
16603 the summary buffer.
16606 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
16607 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
16609 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
16611 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
16612 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
16615 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
16619 (require 'browse-url)
16621 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
16623 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
16626 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
16627 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
16630 (browse-url (cdr url))
16631 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
16632 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
16634 (eval-after-load "gnus"
16635 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
16636 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
16637 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
16640 Even if you have added @code{"text/html"} to the
16641 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
16642 Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
16643 Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
16644 more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
16645 @samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
16646 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
16647 Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
16648 @code{nnrss} groups:
16651 ;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
16652 (eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
16654 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
16655 '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
16656 . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
16658 ;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
16661 '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
16665 @node Customizing W3
16666 @subsection Customizing W3
16672 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/W3 (or those
16673 alternatives) to display web pages. Emacs/W3 is documented in its own
16674 manual, but there are some things that may be more relevant for Gnus
16677 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/W3 follow links
16678 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
16679 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
16682 (eval-after-load "w3"
16684 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
16685 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
16686 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
16687 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
16689 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
16692 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in W3-rendered
16693 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
16700 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
16702 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
16703 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
16704 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
16705 specify the network address of the server.
16707 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
16708 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
16709 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
16710 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
16711 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
16712 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
16714 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
16715 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
16716 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
16717 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
16719 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
16720 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
16721 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
16722 usage explained in this section.
16724 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
16725 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
16726 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
16730 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
16731 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
16732 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
16734 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16735 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
16736 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
16738 (nnimap-server-port 143)
16739 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16740 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
16741 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
16742 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
16743 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
16744 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
16745 (nnimap-stream network))
16746 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
16748 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
16749 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
16750 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
16753 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
16754 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
16755 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
16756 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
16758 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
16763 @item nnimap-address
16764 @vindex nnimap-address
16766 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
16767 server name if not specified.
16769 @item nnimap-server-port
16770 @vindex nnimap-server-port
16771 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
16773 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
16776 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16777 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
16780 @item nnimap-list-pattern
16781 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
16782 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
16783 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
16784 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
16785 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
16786 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
16788 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
16789 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
16790 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
16793 Example server specification:
16796 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16797 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
16798 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
16801 @item nnimap-stream
16802 @vindex nnimap-stream
16803 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
16804 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
16805 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
16806 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
16807 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
16809 Example server specification:
16812 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16813 (nnimap-stream ssl))
16816 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
16820 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
16821 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
16823 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
16825 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
16826 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
16829 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
16830 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
16832 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
16833 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
16835 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
16837 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
16840 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
16841 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
16842 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
16843 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
16844 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
16845 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
16846 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
16847 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
16848 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
16851 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
16852 needed. It is available from
16853 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
16855 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
16856 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
16857 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
16858 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
16859 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
16860 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
16861 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
16864 @vindex imap-ssl-program
16865 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
16866 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
16867 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
16868 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
16869 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
16870 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
16873 @vindex imap-shell-program
16874 @vindex imap-shell-host
16875 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
16876 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
16878 @item nnimap-authenticator
16879 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
16881 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
16882 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
16884 Example server specification:
16887 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16888 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
16891 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
16895 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
16896 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
16898 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
16901 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
16902 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
16904 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
16906 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
16908 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
16911 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
16913 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
16914 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
16915 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
16916 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
16917 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
16918 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
16921 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
16922 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
16923 running in circles yet?
16925 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
16926 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
16929 The possible options are:
16934 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
16937 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
16938 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
16939 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
16940 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
16942 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
16947 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
16948 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
16950 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
16951 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
16952 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
16953 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
16954 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
16957 Probably the only reason for frobbing this would be if you're trying
16958 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
16961 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
16962 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16963 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
16964 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16967 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
16968 as ticked for other users.
16970 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
16972 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
16973 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
16975 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
16976 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
16977 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
16978 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
16980 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
16981 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
16982 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
16983 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
16985 However, if @code{nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil}
16986 is true, this variable has no effect since the search logic
16987 is reversed, as described below.
16989 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
16990 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
16992 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
16993 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
16994 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
16995 @ref{NNTP}. An example of an .authinfo line for an IMAP server, is:
16998 machine students.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis port imap
17001 Note that it should be @code{port imap}, or @code{port 143}, if you
17002 use a @code{nnimap-stream} of @code{tls} or @code{ssl}, even if the
17003 actual port number used is port 993 for secured IMAP. For
17004 convenience, Gnus will accept @code{port imaps} as a synonym of
17007 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
17008 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
17010 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
17011 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
17014 @item nnimap-nov-is-evil
17015 @vindex nnimap-nov-is-evil
17016 @cindex Courier @acronym{IMAP} server
17017 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
17019 Never generate or use a local @acronym{NOV} database. Defaults to the
17020 value of @code{gnus-agent}.
17022 Using a @acronym{NOV} database usually makes header fetching much
17023 faster, but it uses the @code{UID SEARCH UID} command, which is very
17024 slow on some servers (notably some versions of Courier). Since the Gnus
17025 Agent caches the information in the @acronym{NOV} database without using
17026 the slow command, this variable defaults to true if the Agent is in use,
17027 and false otherwise.
17029 @item nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil
17030 @vindex nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil
17031 @cindex Courier @acronym{IMAP} server
17032 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
17034 Avoid the @code{UID SEARCH UID @var{message numbers} NOT SINCE
17035 @var{date}} command, which is slow on some @acronym{IMAP} servers
17036 (notably, some versions of Courier). Instead, use @code{UID SEARCH SINCE
17037 @var{date}} and prune the list of expirable articles within Gnus.
17039 When Gnus expires your mail (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), it starts with a
17040 list of expirable articles and asks the IMAP server questions like ``Of
17041 these articles, which ones are older than a week?'' While this seems
17042 like a perfectly reasonable question, some IMAP servers take a long time
17043 to answer it, since they seemingly go looking into every old article to
17044 see if it is one of the expirable ones. Curiously, the question ``Of
17045 @emph{all} articles, which ones are newer than a week?'' seems to be
17046 much faster to answer, so setting this variable causes Gnus to ask this
17047 question and figure out the answer to the real question itself.
17049 This problem can really sneak up on you: when you first configure Gnus,
17050 everything works fine, but once you accumulate a couple thousand
17051 messages, you start cursing Gnus for being so slow. On the other hand,
17052 if you get a lot of email within a week, setting this variable will
17053 cause a lot of network traffic between Gnus and the IMAP server.
17058 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
17059 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
17060 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
17061 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
17062 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
17063 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
17068 @node Splitting in IMAP
17069 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
17070 @cindex splitting imap mail
17072 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
17073 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
17074 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
17075 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
17076 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
17080 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
17081 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
17082 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
17084 Here are the variables of interest:
17088 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
17089 @cindex splitting, crosspost
17091 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
17093 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
17094 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
17095 found will be used.
17097 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
17099 @item nnimap-split-inbox
17100 @cindex splitting, inbox
17102 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
17104 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
17105 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
17106 splitting is disabled!
17109 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
17110 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
17113 No nnmail equivalent.
17115 @item nnimap-split-rule
17116 @cindex splitting, rules
17117 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
17119 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
17122 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
17123 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
17124 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
17125 Neither did I, we need examples.
17128 (setq nnimap-split-rule
17130 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
17131 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
17132 ("INBOX.private" "")))
17135 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
17136 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
17137 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
17139 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
17140 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
17144 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
17147 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
17148 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
17150 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
17151 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
17152 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
17153 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
17155 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
17156 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
17157 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
17158 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
17159 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
17160 them every time you fetch new mail.)
17162 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
17163 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
17164 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
17166 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
17167 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
17168 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
17170 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
17172 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
17173 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
17174 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
17177 (setq nnimap-split-rule
17178 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
17179 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
17180 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
17181 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
17182 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
17185 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
17186 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
17187 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
17188 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
17189 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
17190 group/function elements.
17192 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
17194 @item nnimap-split-predicate
17196 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
17198 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
17199 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
17201 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
17202 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
17203 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
17206 @item nnimap-split-fancy
17207 @cindex splitting, fancy
17208 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
17209 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
17211 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
17212 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
17213 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
17215 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
17216 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
17217 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
17218 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
17223 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
17224 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
17227 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
17229 @item nnimap-split-download-body
17230 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
17231 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
17233 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
17234 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
17235 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
17236 splitting function that analyzes the body to split the article.
17240 @node Expiring in IMAP
17241 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
17242 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
17244 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
17245 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
17246 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
17247 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
17248 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
17249 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
17252 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
17253 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
17254 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
17255 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
17256 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
17257 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
17258 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
17259 messages. Most do, fortunately.
17261 If expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail seems very slow, try setting the server
17262 variable @code{nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil}.
17266 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
17267 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
17269 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
17270 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
17272 @item nnmail-expiry-target
17274 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
17275 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
17276 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
17277 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
17281 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
17282 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
17283 @cindex editing imap acls
17284 @cindex Access Control Lists
17285 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
17286 @kindex G l (Group)
17287 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
17289 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
17290 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
17291 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
17294 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
17295 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
17296 editing window with detailed instructions.
17298 Some possible uses:
17302 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
17303 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
17304 follow the list without subscribing to it.
17306 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
17307 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
17308 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
17312 @node Expunging mailboxes
17313 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
17317 @cindex manual expunging
17318 @kindex G x (Group)
17319 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
17321 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
17322 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
17323 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
17325 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
17328 @node A note on namespaces
17329 @subsection A note on namespaces
17330 @cindex IMAP namespace
17333 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
17334 by the following text in the RFC2060:
17337 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
17339 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
17340 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
17341 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
17342 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
17344 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
17345 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
17346 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
17347 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
17348 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
17349 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
17352 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
17353 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
17354 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
17356 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
17357 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
17358 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
17359 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
17360 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
17361 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
17362 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
17363 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
17366 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
17367 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
17368 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
17370 @node Debugging IMAP
17371 @subsection Debugging IMAP
17372 @cindex IMAP debugging
17373 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
17375 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
17376 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
17377 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behavior, chances
17378 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
17380 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
17381 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
17382 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
17383 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
17384 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
17385 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
17386 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
17390 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
17391 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
17398 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
17399 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
17400 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
17401 @code{BAD}---but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
17404 @node Other Sources
17405 @section Other Sources
17407 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
17408 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
17412 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
17413 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
17414 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
17415 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
17416 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
17420 @node Directory Groups
17421 @subsection Directory Groups
17423 @cindex directory groups
17425 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
17426 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
17429 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
17430 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
17431 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
17432 back end to read directories. Big deal.
17434 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
17435 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
17436 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
17437 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
17438 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
17440 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
17442 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
17443 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
17444 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
17445 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
17448 @node Anything Groups
17449 @subsection Anything Groups
17452 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
17453 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
17454 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
17457 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
17458 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
17459 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
17460 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
17461 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
17462 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
17463 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
17464 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
17465 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
17466 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
17469 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
17470 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
17471 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
17472 in the article buffer, just as usual.
17474 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
17475 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
17476 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
17477 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
17479 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
17480 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
17481 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
17482 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
17483 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
17484 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
17485 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
17486 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
17491 @item nneething-map-file-directory
17492 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
17493 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
17494 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
17496 @item nneething-exclude-files
17497 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
17498 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
17499 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
17501 @item nneething-include-files
17502 @vindex nneething-include-files
17503 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
17504 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
17506 @item nneething-map-file
17507 @vindex nneething-map-file
17508 Name of the map files.
17512 @node Document Groups
17513 @subsection Document Groups
17515 @cindex documentation group
17518 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
17519 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
17525 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
17530 The standard Unix mbox file.
17532 @cindex MMDF mail box
17534 The MMDF mail box format.
17537 Several news articles appended into a file.
17539 @cindex rnews batch files
17541 The rnews batch transport format.
17544 Netscape mail boxes.
17547 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
17549 @item standard-digest
17550 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
17553 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
17555 @item lanl-gov-announce
17556 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
17558 @cindex forwarded messages
17559 @item rfc822-forward
17560 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
17563 The Outlook mail box.
17566 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
17569 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
17572 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
17575 An RFC934-forwarded message.
17581 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
17584 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
17590 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
17591 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
17592 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
17595 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
17596 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
17597 group. And that's it.
17599 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
17600 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
17601 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
17602 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
17603 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
17604 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
17605 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
17606 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
17607 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
17608 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
17610 Virtual server variables:
17613 @item nndoc-article-type
17614 @vindex nndoc-article-type
17615 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
17616 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
17617 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
17618 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
17619 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
17621 @item nndoc-post-type
17622 @vindex nndoc-post-type
17623 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
17624 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
17629 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
17633 @node Document Server Internals
17634 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
17636 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
17637 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
17638 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
17639 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
17641 First, here's an example document type definition:
17645 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
17646 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
17649 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
17650 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
17651 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
17652 types can be defined with very few settings:
17655 @item first-article
17656 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
17657 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
17660 @item article-begin
17661 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
17662 says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
17663 complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
17664 use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
17666 @item article-begin-function
17667 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
17668 of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
17671 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
17672 article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
17673 simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
17675 @item head-begin-function
17676 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
17677 the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
17680 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
17681 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
17684 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
17685 to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
17686 a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
17688 @item body-begin-function
17689 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
17690 of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
17693 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
17694 more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
17695 can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
17697 @item body-end-function
17698 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
17699 the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
17702 If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
17703 before this regexp will be totally ignored.
17706 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
17707 regexp will be totally ignored.
17711 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
17712 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
17713 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
17714 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
17715 something that's palatable for Gnus:
17718 @item prepare-body-function
17719 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
17720 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
17721 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
17723 @item article-transform-function
17724 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
17725 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
17726 body of the article.
17728 @item generate-head-function
17729 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
17730 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
17731 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
17732 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
17734 @item generate-article-function
17735 If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
17736 Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
17737 parameter when requesting all articles.
17739 @item dissection-function
17740 If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
17741 overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
17742 @code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
17743 @code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
17744 @code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
17745 @code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
17749 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
17754 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17755 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17756 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
17757 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
17758 (head-end . "^ ?$")
17759 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
17760 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
17761 (subtype digest guess))
17764 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
17765 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
17766 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
17767 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
17768 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
17770 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
17771 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
17772 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
17773 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
17774 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
17775 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
17776 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
17777 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
17778 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
17779 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
17780 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
17781 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
17789 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
17790 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
17791 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
17793 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
17794 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
17795 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
17798 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
17799 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
17800 that interested in doing things properly.
17802 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
17803 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
17806 First some terminology:
17811 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
17812 get news and/or mail from.
17815 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
17816 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
17819 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
17823 @item message packets
17824 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
17825 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
17826 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17828 @item response packets
17829 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
17830 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
17831 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17841 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
17842 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
17843 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
17844 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
17847 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
17850 You put the packet in your home directory.
17853 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
17854 the native or secondary server.
17857 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
17858 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
17861 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
17865 You transfer this packet to the server.
17868 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
17871 You then repeat until you die.
17875 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
17876 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
17879 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
17880 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
17881 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
17885 @node SOUP Commands
17886 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
17888 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
17892 @kindex G s b (Group)
17893 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
17894 Pack all unread articles in the current group
17895 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
17896 process/prefix convention.
17899 @kindex G s w (Group)
17900 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
17901 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
17904 @kindex G s s (Group)
17905 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
17906 Send all replies from the replies packet
17907 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
17910 @kindex G s p (Group)
17911 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
17912 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
17915 @kindex G s r (Group)
17916 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
17917 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
17920 @kindex O s (Summary)
17921 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
17922 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
17923 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
17924 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17929 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
17934 @item gnus-soup-directory
17935 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
17936 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
17937 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
17939 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
17940 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
17941 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
17942 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
17944 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
17945 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
17946 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
17947 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
17949 @item gnus-soup-packer
17950 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
17951 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17952 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
17954 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
17955 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
17956 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17957 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17959 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
17960 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
17961 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
17963 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17964 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17965 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
17966 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
17972 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
17975 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
17976 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
17977 you can read them at leisure.
17979 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
17983 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
17984 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
17985 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
17986 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
17988 @item nnsoup-directory
17989 @vindex nnsoup-directory
17990 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
17991 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
17993 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
17994 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
17995 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
17996 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
17998 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
17999 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
18000 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
18001 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
18002 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
18004 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
18005 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
18006 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
18007 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
18009 @item nnsoup-active-file
18010 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
18011 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
18012 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
18013 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
18014 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
18016 @item nnsoup-packer
18017 @vindex nnsoup-packer
18018 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
18019 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
18021 @item nnsoup-unpacker
18022 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
18023 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
18024 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
18026 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
18027 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
18028 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
18031 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
18032 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
18033 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
18036 @item nnsoup-always-save
18037 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
18038 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
18044 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
18046 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
18047 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
18048 more for that to happen.
18050 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
18051 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
18052 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
18055 In specific, this is what it does:
18058 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
18059 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
18062 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
18063 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
18064 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
18067 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
18068 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
18069 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
18072 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
18073 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
18074 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
18076 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
18082 @item nngateway-address
18083 @vindex nngateway-address
18084 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
18086 @item nngateway-header-transformation
18087 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
18088 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
18089 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
18090 transformation should be called, and defaults to
18091 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
18092 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
18095 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
18096 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
18097 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
18100 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
18103 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
18106 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
18109 The following pre-defined functions exist:
18111 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
18114 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
18115 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
18116 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
18118 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
18120 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
18121 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
18122 @code{nngateway-address}.
18130 (setq gnus-post-method
18132 "mail2news@@replay.com"
18133 (nngateway-header-transformation
18134 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
18137 So, to use this, simply say something like:
18140 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
18145 @node Combined Groups
18146 @section Combined Groups
18148 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
18152 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
18153 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
18157 @node Virtual Groups
18158 @subsection Virtual Groups
18160 @cindex virtual groups
18161 @cindex merging groups
18163 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
18166 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
18167 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
18168 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
18170 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
18171 regexp to match component groups.
18173 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
18174 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
18175 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
18176 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
18177 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
18178 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
18179 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
18180 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
18182 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
18183 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
18186 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
18189 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
18190 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
18192 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
18193 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
18194 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
18195 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
18198 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
18201 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
18202 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
18203 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
18205 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
18206 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
18207 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
18208 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
18209 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
18211 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
18212 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
18213 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
18215 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
18216 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} variable is non-@code{nil} (which
18217 is the default), @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread
18218 articles when entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil}
18219 and you read articles in a component group after the virtual group has
18220 been activated, the read articles from the component group will show up
18221 when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this effect if you
18222 have two virtual groups that have a component group in common. If
18223 that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}. Or you can
18224 just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before you enter
18225 it---it'll have much the same effect.
18227 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
18228 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
18229 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
18230 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
18231 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
18232 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
18233 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
18235 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
18236 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
18238 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
18239 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
18243 @node Kibozed Groups
18244 @subsection Kibozed Groups
18248 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
18249 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
18250 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
18251 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
18253 @kindex G k (Group)
18254 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
18257 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
18258 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
18259 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
18260 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
18262 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
18263 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
18264 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
18266 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
18267 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
18268 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
18269 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
18270 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
18271 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
18272 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
18273 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
18275 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
18276 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
18277 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
18278 Stranger things have happened.
18280 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
18281 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
18283 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
18284 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
18285 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
18286 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
18287 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
18288 information on what groups have been searched through to find
18289 component articles.
18291 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
18292 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
18295 @node Email Based Diary
18296 @section Email Based Diary
18298 @cindex email based diary
18301 This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
18302 and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
18303 sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
18304 reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
18305 Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
18306 namely, as event reminders.
18308 Here is a typical scenario:
18312 You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
18313 to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
18315 So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
18317 You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
18319 From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
18320 is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
18321 appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
18323 Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
18324 of the night you're gonna have.
18326 Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
18327 message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
18330 The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
18331 (that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
18332 real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
18333 explained in the sections below.
18336 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
18337 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
18338 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
18342 @node The NNDiary Back End
18343 @subsection The NNDiary Back End
18345 @cindex the nndiary back end
18347 @code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
18348 Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
18349 @code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
18350 the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
18351 directory per group.
18353 Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
18354 @code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
18355 of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
18356 Timestamp} to see how it's done.
18359 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
18360 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
18361 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
18364 @node Diary Messages
18365 @subsubsection Diary Messages
18366 @cindex nndiary messages
18367 @cindex nndiary mails
18369 @code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
18370 presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
18371 @code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
18372 @code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
18373 @code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
18374 @code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
18375 crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
18379 For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
18380 either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
18381 (separated by a comma).
18383 A field is either an integer, or a range.
18385 A range is two integers separated by a dash.
18387 Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
18388 @code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
18389 for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
18391 As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
18392 mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
18393 that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
18395 The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
18396 value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
18397 values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
18398 zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
18399 list of available time zone values, see the variable
18400 @code{nndiary-headers}.
18403 As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
18404 for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
18405 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
18410 X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
18413 X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
18415 X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
18418 @node Running NNDiary
18419 @subsubsection Running NNDiary
18420 @cindex running nndiary
18421 @cindex nndiary operation modes
18423 @code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
18424 and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
18425 mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
18426 from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
18427 as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
18428 mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
18430 One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
18431 ``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
18432 sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
18433 messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
18434 being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
18435 the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
18436 (which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
18439 In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
18444 Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
18445 line in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
18448 (setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
18451 You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
18452 headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
18453 Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
18454 multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
18455 source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
18457 As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
18458 @file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
18467 Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
18468 that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
18470 @defvar nndiary-mail-sources
18471 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
18472 @code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
18473 @code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
18476 @defvar nndiary-split-methods
18477 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
18478 @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
18481 Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
18482 (something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
18483 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
18485 Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
18486 @file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
18487 autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
18488 also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
18489 diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
18491 @node Customizing NNDiary
18492 @subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
18493 @cindex customizing nndiary
18494 @cindex nndiary customization
18496 Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
18497 The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
18498 browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
18499 two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
18501 @defvar nndiary-reminders
18502 This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
18503 appointments (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
18504 before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
18505 diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
18509 @defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
18510 Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
18515 @node The Gnus Diary Library
18516 @subsection The Gnus Diary Library
18518 @cindex the gnus diary library
18520 Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
18521 so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
18522 @code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
18523 useful things for you.
18525 In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
18528 (require 'gnus-diary)
18531 Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
18532 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
18533 (sorry if you used them before).
18537 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
18538 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
18539 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
18540 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
18543 @node Diary Summary Line Format
18544 @subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
18545 @cindex diary summary buffer line
18546 @cindex diary summary line format
18548 Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
18549 something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
18550 the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
18551 see the event's date.
18553 @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
18554 summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
18555 for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
18556 while @code{d} corresponds to an approximative remaining time until the
18557 next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
18559 For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
18560 @code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
18561 expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
18564 E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
18567 In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
18568 following line to your diary groups'parameters:
18571 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
18574 However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
18575 Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
18576 with the following user options:
18578 @defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
18579 Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
18580 Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
18581 diary groups'parameters.
18584 @defvar gnus-diary-time-format
18585 Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
18586 used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
18589 @defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
18590 Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
18591 times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
18592 format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
18593 you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
18596 @node Diary Articles Sorting
18597 @subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
18598 @cindex diary articles sorting
18599 @cindex diary summary lines sorting
18600 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
18601 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
18602 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
18604 @code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
18605 Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
18606 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
18607 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
18608 your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
18610 @code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
18611 @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
18612 buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
18613 default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
18616 @node Diary Headers Generation
18617 @subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
18618 @cindex diary headers generation
18619 @findex gnus-diary-check-message
18621 @code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
18622 @code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
18623 headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
18624 required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
18627 This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
18628 moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
18629 automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c D c} in @code{message-mode}
18630 and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the process of converting
18631 a usual mail to a diary one.
18633 This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
18634 all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
18635 you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
18638 @node Diary Group Parameters
18639 @subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
18640 @cindex diary group parameters
18642 When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
18643 automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
18644 summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
18645 diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
18646 @code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
18647 to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
18648 on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
18649 automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
18651 @node Sending or Not Sending
18652 @subsection Sending or Not Sending
18654 Well, assuming you've read all of the above, here are two final notes on
18655 mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
18659 @code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
18660 messsages for real. This means for instance that you can give
18661 appointments to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
18662 sending the diary message to them as well.
18664 However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
18665 can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
18666 message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
18667 comes in very handy for private appointments.
18670 @node Gnus Unplugged
18671 @section Gnus Unplugged
18676 @cindex Gnus unplugged
18678 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
18679 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
18680 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
18681 read news. Believe it or not.
18683 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
18684 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
18685 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
18686 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
18687 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
18689 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
18690 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
18691 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
18692 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
18693 reading news on a machine.
18695 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
18696 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
18697 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
18699 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
18702 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
18703 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
18704 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
18705 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
18706 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
18707 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
18708 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
18709 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
18710 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
18711 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
18712 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
18713 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
18714 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
18715 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
18720 @subsection Agent Basics
18722 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
18724 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
18725 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
18726 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
18727 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
18729 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
18730 connected to the net continuously.
18732 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
18733 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
18735 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
18736 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
18737 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
18738 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
18739 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
18741 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
18742 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
18743 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
18744 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
18745 they're kinda like plugged always).
18747 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
18748 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
18749 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
18752 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
18753 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
18754 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
18755 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
18756 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
18758 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
18763 @findex gnus-unplugged
18764 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
18765 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
18766 already fetched while in this mode.
18769 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
18770 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
18771 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
18772 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
18773 Source Specifiers}).
18776 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
18777 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
18778 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
18779 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
18780 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
18783 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
18784 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
18785 then you read the news offline.
18788 And then you go to step 2.
18791 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
18797 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
18798 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
18799 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
18800 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
18801 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
18802 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
18803 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
18804 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
18807 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
18808 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
18809 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
18810 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
18812 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
18813 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
18814 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
18815 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
18816 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
18817 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
18821 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
18825 @node Agent Categories
18826 @subsection Agent Categories
18828 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
18829 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
18830 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
18831 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
18832 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
18833 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
18834 you're interested in the articles anyway.
18836 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
18837 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
18838 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
18839 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
18840 buffer for creating and managing categories.
18842 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
18843 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
18844 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
18845 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
18846 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
18849 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
18850 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
18851 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
18852 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
18853 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
18854 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
18858 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
18859 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
18860 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
18864 @node Category Syntax
18865 @subsubsection Category Syntax
18867 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
18868 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
18869 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
18872 @cindex Agent Parameters
18875 The list of groups that are in this category.
18877 @item agent-predicate
18878 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
18879 are eligible for downloading; and
18882 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
18883 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
18884 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
18886 @item agent-enable-expiration
18887 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
18888 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
18889 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
18890 only groups that should not be expired.
18892 @item agent-days-until-old
18893 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
18894 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
18896 @item agent-low-score
18897 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
18899 @item agent-high-score
18900 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
18902 @item agent-short-article
18903 an integer that overrides the value of
18904 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
18906 @item agent-long-article
18907 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
18909 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
18910 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
18911 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
18912 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
18913 undownloaded faces.
18916 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
18919 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
18920 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
18921 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
18924 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
18925 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
18926 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
18927 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
18929 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
18930 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
18931 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
18933 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
18934 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
18935 operators sprinkled in between.
18937 Perhaps some examples are in order.
18939 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
18940 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
18946 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
18947 short (for some value of ``short'').
18949 Here's a more complex predicate:
18958 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
18959 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
18962 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
18963 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
18964 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
18966 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
18967 you want to do, you can write your own.
18969 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
18970 bound to the value determined by calling
18971 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
18972 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
18973 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
18974 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
18975 predicate to individual groups.
18979 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
18980 lines; default 100.
18983 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
18984 lines; default 200.
18987 True iff the article has a download score less than
18988 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
18991 True iff the article has a download score greater than
18992 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
18995 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
18996 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
18997 checksum and sees whether articles match.
19006 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
19007 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
19008 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
19011 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
19012 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
19013 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
19014 something along the lines of the following:
19017 (defun my-article-old-p ()
19018 "Say whether an article is old."
19019 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
19020 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
19023 with the predicate then defined as:
19026 (not my-article-old-p)
19029 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
19030 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
19034 (require 'gnus-agent)
19035 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
19036 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
19037 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
19040 and simply specify your predicate as:
19046 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
19047 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
19048 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
19049 just don't give a damn.
19051 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
19052 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
19053 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
19054 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
19055 parameters like so:
19058 (agent-predicate . short)
19061 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
19062 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
19063 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
19065 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
19068 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
19071 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
19072 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
19073 predicate is assumed to be a list.
19076 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
19077 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
19078 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
19079 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
19080 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
19081 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
19083 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
19084 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
19085 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
19086 if it's to be specific to that group.
19088 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
19095 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
19096 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
19102 Category specification
19106 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
19112 Group/Topic Parameter specification
19115 (agent-score ("from"
19116 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
19121 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
19127 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
19128 keywords stated above.
19134 Category specification
19137 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
19143 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
19147 Group Parameter specification
19150 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
19153 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
19158 Use @code{normal} score files
19160 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
19161 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
19162 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
19163 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
19165 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
19166 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
19167 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
19168 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
19172 Category Specification
19179 Group Parameter specification
19182 (agent-score . file)
19187 @node Category Buffer
19188 @subsubsection Category Buffer
19190 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
19191 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
19192 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
19194 The following commands are available in this buffer:
19198 @kindex q (Category)
19199 @findex gnus-category-exit
19200 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
19203 @kindex e (Category)
19204 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
19205 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
19206 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
19209 @kindex k (Category)
19210 @findex gnus-category-kill
19211 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
19214 @kindex c (Category)
19215 @findex gnus-category-copy
19216 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
19219 @kindex a (Category)
19220 @findex gnus-category-add
19221 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
19224 @kindex p (Category)
19225 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
19226 Edit the predicate of the current category
19227 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
19230 @kindex g (Category)
19231 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
19232 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
19233 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
19236 @kindex s (Category)
19237 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
19238 Edit the download score rule of the current category
19239 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
19242 @kindex l (Category)
19243 @findex gnus-category-list
19244 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
19248 @node Category Variables
19249 @subsubsection Category Variables
19252 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
19253 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
19254 Hook run in category buffers.
19256 @item gnus-category-line-format
19257 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
19258 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
19259 Variables}). Valid elements are:
19263 The name of the category.
19266 The number of groups in the category.
19269 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
19270 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
19271 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
19273 @item gnus-agent-short-article
19274 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
19275 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
19277 @item gnus-agent-long-article
19278 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
19279 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
19281 @item gnus-agent-low-score
19282 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
19283 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
19286 @item gnus-agent-high-score
19287 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
19288 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
19291 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
19292 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
19293 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
19294 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
19295 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
19296 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
19297 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
19298 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
19302 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
19303 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
19304 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
19305 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
19306 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
19307 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
19308 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
19313 @node Agent Commands
19314 @subsection Agent Commands
19315 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
19316 @kindex J j (Agent)
19318 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
19319 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
19320 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
19324 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
19325 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
19326 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
19332 @node Group Agent Commands
19333 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
19337 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
19338 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
19339 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
19340 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
19343 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
19344 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
19345 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
19348 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
19349 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
19350 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
19351 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
19354 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
19355 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
19356 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
19357 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
19360 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
19361 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
19362 Add the current group to an Agent category
19363 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
19364 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19367 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
19368 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
19369 Remove the current group from its category, if any
19370 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
19371 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19374 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
19375 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19376 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
19382 @node Summary Agent Commands
19383 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
19387 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
19388 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
19389 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
19392 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
19393 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
19394 Remove the downloading mark from the article
19395 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
19399 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
19400 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
19401 Toggle whether to download the article
19402 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
19406 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
19407 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
19408 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
19411 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
19412 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
19413 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
19414 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
19417 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
19418 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
19419 Download all processable articles in this group.
19420 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
19423 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
19424 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
19425 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
19426 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
19431 @node Server Agent Commands
19432 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
19436 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
19437 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
19438 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
19439 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
19442 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
19443 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
19444 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
19445 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
19450 @node Agent Visuals
19451 @subsection Agent Visuals
19453 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
19454 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
19455 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
19456 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
19457 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
19458 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
19459 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
19460 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
19461 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
19462 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
19464 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
19465 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
19466 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
19467 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
19468 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
19469 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
19470 the download status of each article so that you always know which
19471 articles will be available when unplugged.
19473 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
19474 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
19475 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
19476 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
19477 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
19478 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
19479 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
19480 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
19482 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
19483 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
19484 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
19485 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
19486 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
19487 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
19488 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
19489 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
19490 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
19492 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
19493 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
19494 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
19495 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
19496 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
19497 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
19498 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
19499 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
19500 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
19501 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
19503 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
19504 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
19505 group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
19506 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
19507 a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
19508 (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
19510 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
19511 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
19512 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
19513 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
19514 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
19515 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
19516 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
19517 expiring'' articles.
19519 @node Agent as Cache
19520 @subsection Agent as Cache
19522 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
19523 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
19524 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
19525 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
19526 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
19527 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
19528 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
19529 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
19530 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
19532 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
19533 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
19534 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
19535 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
19536 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
19539 @subsection Agent Expiry
19541 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
19542 @findex gnus-agent-expire
19543 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
19544 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
19545 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
19546 @cindex agent expiry
19547 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
19548 @cindex expiry, in Gnus agent
19550 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
19551 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
19552 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
19553 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
19554 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
19555 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
19556 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
19557 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
19559 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
19560 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
19561 synchronized with the group.
19563 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
19564 prevent expiration in selected groups.
19566 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
19567 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
19568 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
19569 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
19570 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
19571 be kept indefinitely.
19573 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
19574 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
19575 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
19576 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
19578 @node Agent Regeneration
19579 @subsection Agent Regeneration
19581 @cindex agent regeneration
19582 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
19583 @cindex regeneration
19585 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
19586 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
19587 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
19588 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
19589 internal inconsistencies.
19591 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
19592 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
19593 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
19594 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
19595 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
19596 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
19598 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
19599 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
19600 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
19601 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
19602 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
19603 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
19605 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19606 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19607 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
19608 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
19609 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
19610 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
19613 @node Agent and flags
19614 @subsection Agent and flags
19616 The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
19617 nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc) on the server. Sadly,
19618 the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
19619 the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
19620 Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
19621 to the flags in its own files.
19623 When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
19624 changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
19625 server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
19627 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19628 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19629 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19630 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19631 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19632 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19634 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
19635 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
19636 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
19637 in the group buffer.
19639 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
19640 all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
19641 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
19642 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
19643 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
19644 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
19645 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
19646 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
19648 @node Agent and IMAP
19649 @subsection Agent and IMAP
19651 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
19652 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
19653 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
19654 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
19656 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
19657 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
19662 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
19665 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
19669 @node Outgoing Messages
19670 @subsection Outgoing Messages
19672 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
19673 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
19674 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
19676 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
19677 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
19678 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
19680 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
19681 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
19682 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
19683 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
19686 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
19687 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
19688 ask you to confirm your action (see
19689 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
19691 @node Agent Variables
19692 @subsection Agent Variables
19697 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
19698 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
19699 automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
19700 back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
19702 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
19703 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
19706 @item gnus-agent-directory
19707 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
19708 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
19709 @file{~/News/agent/}.
19711 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
19712 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
19713 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
19714 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
19715 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
19718 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19719 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19720 Hook run when connecting to the network.
19722 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19723 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19724 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
19726 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19727 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19728 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
19730 @item gnus-agent-cache
19731 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
19732 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
19733 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
19734 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
19736 @item gnus-agent-go-online
19737 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
19738 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
19739 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
19740 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
19741 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
19742 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
19745 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19746 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19747 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
19748 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
19749 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
19750 read. The default is @code{t}.
19752 @item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19753 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19754 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19755 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19756 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19757 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19758 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19760 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19761 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19762 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
19763 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
19764 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
19765 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
19766 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
19767 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
19768 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
19769 over and over again.
19771 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19772 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19773 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
19774 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
19775 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
19776 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
19777 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
19778 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
19779 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
19780 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
19781 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
19782 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
19785 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
19786 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
19787 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
19788 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
19789 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
19790 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
19791 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
19792 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
19793 is only valid if the Agent is used.
19795 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19796 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19797 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
19798 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
19799 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
19800 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
19802 The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
19803 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
19804 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
19805 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
19806 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
19808 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
19809 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
19810 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
19811 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
19812 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
19813 mail. The default is @code{t}.
19815 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19816 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19817 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
19818 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
19819 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
19821 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19822 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19823 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
19824 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
19825 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
19826 which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
19827 to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
19828 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
19829 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
19830 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
19831 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
19836 @node Example Setup
19837 @subsection Example Setup
19839 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
19840 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
19841 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
19844 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
19845 ;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
19846 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
19848 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
19849 ;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
19850 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
19852 ;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
19853 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
19855 ;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
19856 ;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
19857 ;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
19860 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
19861 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
19864 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
19865 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
19866 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
19867 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
19868 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
19871 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
19872 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
19873 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
19874 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
19875 back all the killed groups.)
19877 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
19878 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
19879 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
19882 @node Batching Agents
19883 @subsection Batching Agents
19884 @findex gnus-agent-batch
19886 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
19887 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
19888 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
19890 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
19891 following incantation:
19895 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
19899 @node Agent Caveats
19900 @subsection Agent Caveats
19902 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
19903 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
19907 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
19909 @strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
19910 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
19911 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
19913 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
19914 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
19916 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
19920 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
19921 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
19922 locally stored articles.
19929 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
19930 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
19931 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
19934 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
19935 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
19936 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
19937 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
19938 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
19940 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
19941 before generating the summary buffer.
19943 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
19944 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
19945 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
19947 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
19948 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
19949 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
19950 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
19953 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
19954 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
19955 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
19956 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
19957 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
19958 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
19959 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
19960 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
19961 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
19962 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
19963 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
19964 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
19965 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
19966 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
19967 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
19968 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
19972 @node Summary Score Commands
19973 @section Summary Score Commands
19974 @cindex score commands
19976 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
19977 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
19978 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
19979 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
19980 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
19982 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
19983 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
19984 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
19985 score file the current one.
19987 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
19992 @kindex V s (Summary)
19993 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
19994 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
19997 @kindex V S (Summary)
19998 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
19999 Display the score of the current article
20000 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
20003 @kindex V t (Summary)
20004 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
20005 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
20006 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
20007 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
20008 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
20009 score file and edit it.
20012 @kindex V w (Summary)
20013 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
20014 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
20017 @kindex V R (Summary)
20018 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
20019 Run the current summary through the scoring process
20020 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
20021 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
20022 effect you're having.
20025 @kindex V c (Summary)
20026 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
20027 Make a different score file the current
20028 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
20031 @kindex V e (Summary)
20032 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
20033 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
20034 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
20038 @kindex V f (Summary)
20039 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
20040 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
20041 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
20044 @kindex V F (Summary)
20045 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
20046 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
20047 after editing score files.
20050 @kindex V C (Summary)
20051 @findex gnus-score-customize
20052 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
20053 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
20057 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
20062 @kindex V m (Summary)
20063 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
20064 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
20065 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
20068 @kindex V x (Summary)
20069 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
20070 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
20071 expunge all articles below this score
20072 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
20075 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
20076 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
20079 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
20080 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
20084 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
20085 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
20087 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
20088 keys are available:
20092 Score on the author name.
20095 Score on the subject line.
20098 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
20101 Score on the @code{References} line.
20107 Score on the number of lines.
20110 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
20113 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
20114 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
20117 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
20118 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
20119 @file{ADAPT} files.)
20128 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
20134 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
20135 what headers you are scoring on.
20147 Substring matching.
20150 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
20179 Greater than number.
20184 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
20185 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
20186 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
20191 Temporary score entry.
20194 Permanent score entry.
20197 Immediately scoring.
20201 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
20202 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
20203 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
20207 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
20208 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
20209 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
20210 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
20212 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
20213 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
20214 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
20215 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
20216 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
20218 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
20219 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
20220 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
20221 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
20222 current score file.
20224 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
20225 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
20226 pretend they are keymaps or not.
20229 @node Group Score Commands
20230 @section Group Score Commands
20231 @cindex group score commands
20233 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
20238 @kindex W e (Group)
20239 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
20240 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
20241 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
20244 @kindex W f (Group)
20245 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
20246 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
20247 all the time. This command will flush the cache
20248 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
20252 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
20254 @findex gnus-batch-score
20255 @cindex batch scoring
20257 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
20261 @node Score Variables
20262 @section Score Variables
20263 @cindex score variables
20267 @item gnus-use-scoring
20268 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
20269 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
20270 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
20272 @item gnus-kill-killed
20273 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
20274 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
20275 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
20276 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
20277 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
20278 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
20279 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
20281 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
20282 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
20283 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
20284 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
20285 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
20287 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
20288 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
20289 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
20290 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
20292 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
20293 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
20294 @cindex score cache
20295 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
20296 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
20297 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
20298 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
20299 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
20300 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
20301 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
20304 @item gnus-save-score
20305 @vindex gnus-save-score
20306 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
20307 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
20308 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
20310 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
20311 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
20312 across group visits.
20314 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
20315 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
20316 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
20317 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
20318 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
20319 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
20320 manually entered data.
20322 @item gnus-summary-default-score
20323 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
20324 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
20326 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
20327 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
20328 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
20329 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
20330 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
20331 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
20333 @item gnus-score-over-mark
20334 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
20335 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
20336 default. Default is @samp{+}.
20338 @item gnus-score-below-mark
20339 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
20340 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
20341 default. Default is @samp{-}.
20343 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
20344 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
20345 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
20346 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
20348 Predefined functions available are:
20351 @item gnus-score-find-single
20352 @findex gnus-score-find-single
20353 Only apply the group's own score file.
20355 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
20356 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
20357 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
20358 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
20359 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
20360 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
20361 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
20362 then a regexp match is done.
20364 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
20365 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
20367 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
20368 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
20369 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
20370 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
20372 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
20373 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
20374 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
20375 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
20376 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
20380 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
20381 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
20382 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
20383 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
20384 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
20385 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
20386 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
20389 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
20390 overall score file, you could use the value
20392 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
20393 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
20396 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
20397 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
20398 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
20399 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
20400 are expired. It's 7 by default.
20402 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
20403 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
20404 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
20405 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
20406 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
20407 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
20408 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
20409 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
20411 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
20412 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
20413 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
20415 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
20416 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
20417 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
20418 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
20419 threading---according to the current value of
20420 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
20421 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
20422 simplified in this manner.
20427 @node Score File Format
20428 @section Score File Format
20429 @cindex score file format
20431 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
20432 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
20433 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
20435 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
20439 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
20441 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
20443 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
20445 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
20450 (mark-and-expunge -10)
20454 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
20455 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
20456 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
20457 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
20461 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
20462 Scoring}, for a different approach.
20464 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
20465 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
20466 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
20468 Six keys are supported by this alist:
20473 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
20474 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
20475 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
20476 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
20477 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
20478 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
20479 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
20480 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
20481 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
20482 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
20483 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
20484 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
20485 to articles that matches these score entries.
20487 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
20488 score entry has one to four elements.
20492 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
20493 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
20497 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
20498 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
20499 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
20500 is successful. If this element is not present, the
20501 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
20502 instead. This is 1000 by default.
20505 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
20506 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
20507 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
20508 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
20509 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
20512 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
20513 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
20514 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
20515 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
20518 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
20519 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
20520 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
20521 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
20522 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
20523 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
20524 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
20525 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
20526 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
20527 instead, if you feel like.
20530 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
20531 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
20532 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
20533 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
20534 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
20535 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
20539 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
20540 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
20544 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
20545 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
20547 These predicates are true if
20550 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
20553 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
20554 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
20561 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
20562 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
20563 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
20564 it's not. I think.)
20566 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
20567 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
20568 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
20569 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
20572 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
20573 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
20574 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
20575 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
20576 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
20577 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
20578 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
20582 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
20583 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
20584 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
20585 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
20586 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
20587 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
20588 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
20589 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
20592 @item Head, Body, All
20593 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
20597 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
20598 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
20599 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
20600 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
20601 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
20602 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
20603 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
20607 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
20608 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
20609 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
20610 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
20611 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
20612 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
20613 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
20614 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
20615 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
20616 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
20617 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
20621 @cindex score file atoms
20623 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20624 lower than this number will be marked as read.
20627 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20628 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
20630 @item mark-and-expunge
20631 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20632 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
20635 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
20636 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
20637 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
20638 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
20639 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
20642 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
20643 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
20646 @item exclude-files
20647 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
20648 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
20652 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
20653 ignored when handling global score files.
20656 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
20657 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
20658 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
20659 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
20662 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
20663 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
20664 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
20665 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
20667 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
20671 (mark-and-expunge -100)
20674 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
20675 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
20676 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
20677 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
20678 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
20680 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
20681 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
20682 scoring rules exist.
20685 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
20686 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
20687 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
20688 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
20689 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
20690 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
20691 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20692 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
20693 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
20694 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
20695 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
20699 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
20700 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
20701 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
20702 file for a number of groups.
20705 @cindex local variables
20706 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
20707 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
20708 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
20709 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
20710 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
20715 @node Score File Editing
20716 @section Score File Editing
20718 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
20719 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
20720 with a mode for that.
20722 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
20723 additional commands:
20728 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
20729 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
20730 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
20731 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
20734 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
20735 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
20736 Insert the current date in numerical format
20737 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
20738 you were wondering.
20741 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
20742 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
20743 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
20744 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
20745 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
20750 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
20752 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
20753 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
20755 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
20756 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
20759 @node Adaptive Scoring
20760 @section Adaptive Scoring
20761 @cindex adaptive scoring
20763 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
20764 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
20765 stupidity, to be precise.
20767 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
20768 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
20769 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
20770 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
20771 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20772 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
20773 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
20774 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
20775 variable to @code{(word line)}.
20777 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20778 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
20779 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
20780 might look something like this:
20783 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20784 '((gnus-unread-mark)
20785 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
20786 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
20787 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
20788 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
20789 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
20790 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
20791 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
20792 (gnus-ancient-mark)
20793 (gnus-low-score-mark)
20794 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
20797 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
20798 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
20799 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
20800 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
20801 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
20802 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
20805 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
20806 will be applied to each article.
20808 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
20809 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
20810 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
20811 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
20813 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
20814 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
20815 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
20816 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
20818 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
20819 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
20820 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
20821 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
20823 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
20824 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
20825 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
20826 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
20827 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
20828 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
20830 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
20831 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
20832 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
20834 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
20835 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
20836 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
20838 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
20839 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
20840 let you use different rules in different groups.
20842 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
20843 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
20844 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
20847 @vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
20848 Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
20849 human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
20850 deafult) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
20852 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
20853 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
20854 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
20855 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
20856 the length of the match is less than
20857 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
20858 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
20861 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20862 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
20863 headers. If you adapt on words, the
20864 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
20865 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
20868 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20869 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
20870 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
20871 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
20872 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
20875 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
20876 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
20877 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
20878 score with 30 points.
20880 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
20881 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
20882 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
20883 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
20884 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
20886 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
20887 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
20888 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
20889 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
20890 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
20892 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
20893 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
20894 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
20895 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
20897 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
20898 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
20899 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
20900 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
20902 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
20903 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
20904 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
20905 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
20906 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
20908 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
20909 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
20910 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
20912 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
20913 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
20914 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
20915 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
20918 @node Home Score File
20919 @section Home Score File
20921 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
20922 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
20923 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
20924 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
20926 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
20927 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
20928 could perhaps use the same home score file.
20930 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
20931 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
20936 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
20940 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
20941 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
20945 A list. The elements in this list can be:
20949 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
20950 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
20953 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
20954 be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
20955 name of the group as the parameter.
20958 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
20961 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
20966 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
20969 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20970 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
20973 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
20974 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
20976 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
20978 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20979 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
20982 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
20983 Other functions include
20986 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
20987 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
20988 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
20989 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
20993 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
20994 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
20995 their own home score files:
20998 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20999 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
21000 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
21001 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
21002 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
21005 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
21006 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
21007 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
21008 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
21009 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
21011 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
21012 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
21013 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
21014 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
21015 precedence over this variable.
21018 @node Followups To Yourself
21019 @section Followups To Yourself
21021 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
21022 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
21023 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
21024 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
21025 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
21026 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
21030 @item gnus-score-followup-article
21031 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
21032 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
21035 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
21036 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
21037 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
21041 @vindex message-sent-hook
21042 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
21043 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
21045 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
21049 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
21050 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
21054 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
21055 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
21058 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
21059 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
21064 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
21068 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
21069 is system-dependent.
21072 @node Scoring On Other Headers
21073 @section Scoring On Other Headers
21074 @cindex scoring on other headers
21076 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
21077 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
21078 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
21079 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
21080 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
21082 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
21083 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
21084 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
21085 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
21086 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
21088 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
21091 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
21092 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
21095 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
21096 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
21097 time if you have much mail.
21099 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
21100 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
21104 @vindex gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring
21105 You can inhibit scoring the slow scoring on headers or body by setting
21106 the variable @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring}. If
21107 @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring} is regexp, slow scoring is inhibited if
21108 the group matches the regexp. If it is t, slow scoring on it is
21109 inhibited for all groups.
21113 @section Scoring Tips
21114 @cindex scoring tips
21120 @cindex scoring crossposts
21121 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
21122 the @code{Xref} header.
21124 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
21127 @item Multiple crossposts
21128 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
21129 more than, say, 3 groups:
21132 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
21136 @item Matching on the body
21137 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
21138 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
21139 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
21140 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
21141 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
21142 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
21143 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
21146 @item Marking as read
21147 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
21148 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
21149 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
21153 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
21155 @item Negated character classes
21156 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
21157 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
21158 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
21162 @node Reverse Scoring
21163 @section Reverse Scoring
21164 @cindex reverse scoring
21166 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
21167 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
21168 like this in your score file:
21172 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
21177 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
21178 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
21181 @node Global Score Files
21182 @section Global Score Files
21183 @cindex global score files
21185 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
21186 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
21187 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
21189 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
21190 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
21191 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
21193 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
21194 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
21195 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
21196 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
21197 files are applicable to which group.
21199 To use the score file
21200 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
21201 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
21205 (setq gnus-global-score-files
21206 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
21207 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
21210 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
21212 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
21213 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
21214 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
21215 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
21217 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
21218 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
21220 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
21221 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
21222 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
21223 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
21224 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
21225 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
21227 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
21233 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
21235 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
21237 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
21239 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
21240 lowered out of existence.
21242 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
21243 articles completely.
21246 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
21247 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
21248 old articles for a long time.
21251 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
21252 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
21253 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
21254 holding our breath yet?
21258 @section Kill Files
21261 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
21262 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
21263 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
21265 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
21266 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
21267 files into score files.
21269 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
21270 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
21271 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
21272 that isn't a very good idea.
21274 Normal kill files look like this:
21277 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21278 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
21282 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
21283 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
21285 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
21286 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
21289 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
21294 @kindex M-k (Summary)
21295 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
21296 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
21299 @kindex M-K (Summary)
21300 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
21301 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
21304 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
21309 @kindex M-k (Group)
21310 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
21311 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
21314 @kindex M-K (Group)
21315 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
21316 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
21319 Kill file variables:
21322 @item gnus-kill-file-name
21323 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
21324 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
21325 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
21326 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
21327 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
21328 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
21330 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
21331 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
21332 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
21333 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
21336 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
21337 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
21338 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
21339 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
21340 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
21341 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
21342 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
21343 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
21344 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
21346 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
21347 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
21348 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
21353 @node Converting Kill Files
21354 @section Converting Kill Files
21356 @cindex converting kill files
21358 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
21359 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
21360 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
21363 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
21364 You can fetch it from
21365 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
21367 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
21368 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
21369 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
21373 @node Advanced Scoring
21374 @section Advanced Scoring
21376 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
21377 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
21378 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
21379 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
21380 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
21382 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
21386 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
21387 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
21388 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
21392 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
21393 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
21395 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
21396 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
21397 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
21398 non-@code{nil} value.
21400 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
21401 operator, and various match operators.
21408 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
21409 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
21410 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
21415 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
21416 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
21417 then this operator will return @code{false}.
21422 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
21423 logical negation of the value of its argument.
21427 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
21428 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
21429 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
21430 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
21431 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
21432 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
21433 the ancestry you want to go.
21435 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
21436 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
21437 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
21438 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
21439 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
21442 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
21443 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
21445 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
21446 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
21449 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
21450 when he's talking about Gnus:
21455 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21456 ("subject" "Gnus"))
21463 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
21467 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21474 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
21475 really don't want to read what he's written:
21479 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21480 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigil Logge")))
21484 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
21485 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
21486 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
21493 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
21494 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
21495 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
21496 ("body" "white.*socks"))
21500 Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
21501 in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
21502 subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
21503 parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
21506 ((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
21508 ((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
21512 The possibilities are endless.
21514 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
21515 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
21517 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
21518 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
21519 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
21520 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
21521 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
21522 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
21523 @samp{subject}) first.
21525 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
21526 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
21537 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
21538 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
21544 ("subject" "Gnus")))
21551 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
21552 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
21557 @section Score Decays
21558 @cindex score decays
21561 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
21562 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
21563 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
21564 use them in any sensible way.
21566 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
21567 @findex gnus-decay-score
21568 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
21569 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
21570 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
21571 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
21572 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
21573 If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
21574 regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
21575 @emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
21576 performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
21577 @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
21581 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
21582 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
21583 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
21585 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
21587 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
21589 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
21590 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
21591 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
21592 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
21593 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
21595 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
21599 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
21600 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
21601 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
21602 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
21606 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
21609 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
21612 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
21616 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
21617 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
21618 the new score, which should be an integer.
21620 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
21621 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
21626 @include message.texi
21627 @chapter Emacs MIME
21628 @include emacs-mime.texi
21630 @include sieve.texi
21642 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
21643 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
21644 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
21645 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
21646 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
21647 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
21648 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
21649 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
21650 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
21651 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
21652 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
21653 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
21654 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
21655 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
21656 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
21657 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
21658 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
21659 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
21660 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
21661 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
21662 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
21663 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
21667 @node Process/Prefix
21668 @section Process/Prefix
21669 @cindex process/prefix convention
21671 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
21672 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
21674 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
21675 command to be performed on.
21679 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
21680 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
21681 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
21682 with the current one.
21684 @vindex transient-mark-mode
21685 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
21686 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
21688 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
21689 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
21692 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
21693 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
21695 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
21698 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
21699 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
21700 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
21701 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
21703 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
21704 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
21705 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
21706 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
21707 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
21708 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
21709 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
21710 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
21712 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
21713 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
21714 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
21715 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
21716 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
21720 @section Interactive
21721 @cindex interaction
21725 @item gnus-novice-user
21726 @vindex gnus-novice-user
21727 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
21728 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
21729 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
21730 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
21733 @item gnus-expert-user
21734 @vindex gnus-expert-user
21735 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
21736 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
21737 matter how strange.
21739 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
21740 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
21741 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
21742 is @code{t} by default.
21744 @item gnus-interactive-exit
21745 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
21746 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21751 @node Symbolic Prefixes
21752 @section Symbolic Prefixes
21753 @cindex symbolic prefixes
21755 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
21756 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
21757 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
21758 rule of 900 to the current article.
21760 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
21761 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
21762 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
21763 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
21764 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
21765 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
21766 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
21768 @kindex M-i (Summary)
21769 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
21770 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
21771 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
21772 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
21773 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
21774 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
21775 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
21776 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
21778 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
21779 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
21780 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
21782 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
21786 @node Formatting Variables
21787 @section Formatting Variables
21788 @cindex formatting variables
21790 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
21791 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
21792 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
21793 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
21794 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
21797 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
21798 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
21799 lots of percentages everywhere.
21802 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
21803 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
21804 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
21805 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
21806 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
21807 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
21808 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
21809 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
21812 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
21813 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
21814 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
21815 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
21816 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
21817 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
21818 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
21819 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
21821 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
21822 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
21824 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
21825 @findex gnus-update-format
21826 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
21827 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
21828 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
21829 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
21833 @node Formatting Basics
21834 @subsection Formatting Basics
21836 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
21837 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
21838 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
21840 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
21841 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
21842 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
21843 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
21844 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
21847 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
21848 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
21849 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
21850 less than 4 characters wide.
21852 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
21853 @samp{%&user-date;}.
21856 @node Mode Line Formatting
21857 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
21859 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
21860 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
21861 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
21862 with the following two differences:
21867 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
21870 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
21871 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
21872 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
21873 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
21874 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
21875 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
21876 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
21881 @node Advanced Formatting
21882 @subsection Advanced Formatting
21884 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
21885 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
21886 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
21887 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
21889 These are the valid modifiers:
21894 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
21898 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
21903 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
21906 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
21911 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
21914 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
21917 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
21920 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
21926 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
21931 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
21932 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
21933 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
21934 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
21935 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
21936 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
21937 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
21939 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
21940 last operation, padding.
21942 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
21943 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
21944 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
21945 @xref{Compilation}.
21948 @node User-Defined Specs
21949 @subsection User-Defined Specs
21951 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
21952 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
21953 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
21954 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
21955 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
21956 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
21957 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
21958 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
21959 should protect against that.
21961 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
21962 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
21964 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
21965 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
21966 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
21967 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
21971 @node Formatting Fonts
21972 @subsection Formatting Fonts
21974 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
21975 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
21976 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
21977 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
21980 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
21981 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
21982 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
21983 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
21984 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
21985 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
21987 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
21988 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
21989 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
21990 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
21991 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
21992 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
21993 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
21994 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
21995 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
21996 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
21997 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
22000 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
22003 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
22004 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
22005 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
22007 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
22008 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
22009 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
22010 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
22011 ;; @r{Set the color.}
22012 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
22013 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
22015 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
22016 (setq gnus-group-line-format
22017 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
22020 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
22021 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
22023 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
22024 mode-line variables.
22026 @node Positioning Point
22027 @subsection Positioning Point
22029 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
22030 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
22031 line. You can customize this behavior in three different ways.
22033 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
22035 @findex gnus-goto-colon
22036 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
22037 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
22039 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
22040 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
22041 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
22046 @subsection Tabulation
22048 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
22049 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
22050 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
22051 about lining up the following text afterwards.
22053 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
22054 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
22056 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
22057 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
22058 This is the soft tabulator.
22060 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
22061 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
22062 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
22065 @node Wide Characters
22066 @subsection Wide Characters
22068 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
22069 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
22070 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
22072 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
22073 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
22074 these countries, that's not true.
22076 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
22077 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
22078 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
22079 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
22083 @node Window Layout
22084 @section Window Layout
22085 @cindex window layout
22087 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
22089 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
22090 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
22091 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
22092 @code{t} by default.
22094 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
22095 glitches. Use at your own peril.
22097 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
22098 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
22099 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
22102 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
22103 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
22104 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
22108 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
22109 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
22110 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
22111 possible names is listed below.
22113 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
22114 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
22117 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
22121 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
22122 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
22123 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
22124 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
22125 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
22126 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
22127 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
22128 size spec per split.
22130 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
22131 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
22132 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
22133 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
22134 present) gets focus.
22136 Here's a more complicated example:
22139 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
22140 (summary 0.25 point)
22141 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
22145 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
22146 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
22147 occupy, not a percentage.
22149 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
22150 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
22151 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
22152 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
22153 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
22156 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
22159 (article (horizontal 1.0
22164 (summary 0.25 point)
22169 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
22170 @code{horizontal} thingie?
22172 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
22173 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
22174 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
22175 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
22176 the screen is to be given to this strip.
22178 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
22179 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
22180 lines from the splits.
22182 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
22187 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
22188 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
22189 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
22190 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
22191 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
22192 size = number | frame-params
22193 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
22197 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
22198 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
22199 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
22200 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
22202 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
22203 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
22204 @cindex window height
22205 @cindex window width
22206 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
22207 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
22208 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
22209 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
22210 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
22211 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
22213 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
22214 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
22215 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
22216 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
22218 @findex gnus-configure-frame
22219 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
22220 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
22221 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
22222 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
22223 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
22224 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
22225 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
22226 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
22227 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
22228 configuration list.
22231 (gnus-configure-frame
22235 (article 0.3 point))
22243 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
22244 @code{frame} split:
22247 (gnus-configure-frame
22250 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
22252 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
22253 (user-position . t)
22254 (left . -1) (top . 1))
22259 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
22260 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
22261 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
22262 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
22263 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
22264 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
22265 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
22266 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
22268 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
22269 be found in its default value.
22271 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
22272 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
22273 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
22277 (message (horizontal 1.0
22278 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
22280 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
22285 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
22286 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
22287 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
22292 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
22293 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
22294 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
22295 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
22296 (name . "Message"))
22297 (message 1.0 point))))
22300 @findex gnus-add-configuration
22301 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
22302 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
22303 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
22304 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
22307 (gnus-add-configuration
22308 '(article (vertical 1.0
22310 (summary .25 point)
22314 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
22315 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
22316 Gnus has been loaded.
22318 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
22319 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
22320 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
22321 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
22322 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
22324 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
22325 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
22326 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
22329 @subsection Example Window Configurations
22333 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
22334 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
22349 (gnus-add-configuration
22352 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
22354 (summary 0.16 point)
22357 (gnus-add-configuration
22360 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
22361 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
22367 @node Faces and Fonts
22368 @section Faces and Fonts
22373 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
22374 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
22375 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
22380 @section Compilation
22381 @cindex compilation
22382 @cindex byte-compilation
22384 @findex gnus-compile
22386 Remember all those line format specification variables?
22387 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
22388 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
22389 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
22390 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
22391 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
22394 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
22395 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
22396 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
22397 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
22398 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
22399 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
22400 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
22404 @section Mode Lines
22407 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
22408 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
22409 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
22410 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
22411 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
22412 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
22413 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
22416 @cindex display-time
22418 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
22419 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
22420 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
22421 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
22422 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
22423 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
22424 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
22425 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
22428 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
22430 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
22431 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
22433 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
22434 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
22435 (length display-time-string)))))
22438 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
22439 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
22440 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
22441 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
22442 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
22445 @node Highlighting and Menus
22446 @section Highlighting and Menus
22448 @cindex highlighting
22451 @vindex gnus-visual
22452 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
22453 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
22454 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
22457 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
22458 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
22461 @item group-highlight
22462 Do highlights in the group buffer.
22463 @item summary-highlight
22464 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
22465 @item article-highlight
22466 Do highlights in the article buffer.
22468 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
22470 Create menus in the group buffer.
22472 Create menus in the summary buffers.
22474 Create menus in the article buffer.
22476 Create menus in the browse buffer.
22478 Create menus in the server buffer.
22480 Create menus in the score buffers.
22482 Create menus in all buffers.
22485 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
22486 buffers, you could say something like:
22489 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
22492 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
22495 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
22498 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
22499 in all Gnus buffers.
22501 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
22504 @item gnus-mouse-face
22505 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
22506 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
22507 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
22511 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
22515 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
22516 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
22517 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
22519 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
22520 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
22521 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
22523 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
22524 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
22525 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
22527 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
22528 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
22529 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
22531 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
22532 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
22533 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
22535 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
22536 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
22537 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
22548 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
22549 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
22550 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
22551 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
22552 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
22556 @vindex gnus-carpal
22557 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
22558 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
22559 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
22564 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
22565 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
22566 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
22568 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
22569 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
22570 Face used on buttons.
22572 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
22573 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
22574 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
22576 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
22577 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
22578 Buttons in the group buffer.
22580 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
22581 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
22582 Buttons in the summary buffer.
22584 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
22585 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
22586 Buttons in the server buffer.
22588 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
22589 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
22590 Buttons in the browse buffer.
22593 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
22594 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
22595 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
22603 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
22604 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
22605 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
22606 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
22607 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
22609 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
22610 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
22611 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
22613 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
22614 been idle for thirty minutes:
22617 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
22620 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
22624 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
22627 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
22628 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
22629 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22631 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
22632 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
22633 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
22634 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22636 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
22637 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
22638 @var{idle} minutes.
22640 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
22641 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
22644 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
22645 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
22646 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
22648 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
22649 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
22650 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
22651 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
22653 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
22654 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22656 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
22658 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
22661 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
22662 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
22663 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
22664 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
22665 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
22666 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
22667 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
22668 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
22669 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
22670 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
22671 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
22673 @findex gnus-demon-init
22674 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
22675 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
22676 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
22677 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
22678 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
22680 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
22681 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
22682 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
22691 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
22692 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
22694 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
22695 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
22696 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
22697 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
22700 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
22701 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
22702 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
22703 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
22705 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
22706 this will make spam disappear.
22708 There are some variables to customize, of course:
22711 @item gnus-use-nocem
22712 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
22713 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
22716 You can also set this variable to a positive number as a group level.
22717 In that case, Gnus scans NoCeM messages when checking new news if this
22718 value is not exceeding a group level that you specify as the prefix
22719 argument to some commands, e.g. @code{gnus},
22720 @code{gnus-group-get-new-news}, etc. Otherwise, Gnus does not scan
22721 NoCeM messages if you specify a group level to those commands. For
22722 example, if you use 1 or 2 on the mail groups and the levels on the news
22723 groups remain the default, 3 is the best choice.
22725 @item gnus-nocem-groups
22726 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
22727 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
22730 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
22731 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
22734 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
22735 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
22736 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
22737 people you want to listen to. The default is
22739 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
22740 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
22742 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
22744 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
22745 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
22747 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
22748 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
22749 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
22750 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
22751 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
22752 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
22753 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
22754 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
22755 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
22756 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
22758 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
22759 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
22762 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
22765 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
22766 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
22769 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
22772 The specs are applied left-to-right.
22775 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
22776 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
22778 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
22779 says she is. The default is @code{pgg-verify}, which returns
22780 non-@code{nil} if the verification is successful, otherwise (including
22781 the case the NoCeM message was not signed) returns @code{nil}. If this
22782 is too slow and you don't care for verification (which may be dangerous),
22783 you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
22785 Formerly the default was @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
22786 function. While you can still use it, you can change it into
22787 @code{pgg-verify} running with GnuPG if you are willing to add the
22788 @acronym{PGP} public keys to GnuPG's keyring.
22790 @item gnus-nocem-directory
22791 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
22792 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
22793 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
22795 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
22796 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
22797 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
22798 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
22799 might then see old spam.
22801 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
22802 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
22803 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
22804 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
22805 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
22808 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
22809 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
22810 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
22811 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
22815 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
22816 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
22817 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
22818 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
22825 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
22826 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
22827 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
22829 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
22830 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
22831 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
22832 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
22833 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
22834 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
22835 @code{undo} function.
22837 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
22838 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
22839 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
22840 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
22841 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
22842 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
22843 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
22844 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
22845 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
22846 never be totally undoable.
22848 @findex gnus-undo-mode
22849 @vindex gnus-use-undo
22851 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
22852 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
22853 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
22854 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
22858 @node Predicate Specifiers
22859 @section Predicate Specifiers
22860 @cindex predicate specifiers
22862 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
22863 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
22864 to type all that much.
22866 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
22871 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
22872 gnus-article-unread-p)
22875 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
22876 functions all take one parameter.
22878 @findex gnus-make-predicate
22879 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
22880 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
22881 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
22886 @section Moderation
22889 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
22890 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
22891 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
22894 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
22898 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
22901 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
22903 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
22908 You split your incoming mail by matching on
22909 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
22910 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
22913 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
22914 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
22917 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
22918 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
22922 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
22925 (setq gnus-moderated-list
22926 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
22930 @node Fetching a Group
22931 @section Fetching a Group
22932 @cindex fetching a group
22934 @findex gnus-fetch-group
22935 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
22936 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
22937 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
22938 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
22939 It takes the group name as a parameter.
22942 @node Image Enhancements
22943 @section Image Enhancements
22945 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
22946 support images, Emacs 22 does.} and up, are able to display pictures and
22947 stuff, so Gnus has taken advantage of that.
22950 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
22951 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
22952 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
22953 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
22954 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
22962 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
22963 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
22964 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
22968 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
22969 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
22970 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
22978 Viewing an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
22979 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
22980 have suitable conversion or display programs installed. If your Emacs
22981 has image support the default action is to display the face before the
22982 @code{From} header. If there's no native @code{X-Face} support, Gnus
22983 will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using external programs
22984 from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends, see below. For XEmacs it's
22985 faster if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support. The
22986 default action under Emacs without image support is to fork off the
22987 @code{display} program.
22989 On a GNU/Linux system, the @code{display} program is included in the
22990 ImageMagick package. For external conversion programs look for packages
22991 with names like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.
22992 On Windows, you may use the packages @code{netpbm} and @code{compface}
22993 from @url{http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net}. You need to add the
22994 @code{bin} directory to your @code{PATH} environment variable.
22995 @c In fact only the following DLLs and binaries seem to be required:
22996 @c compface1.dll uncompface.exe libnetpbm10.dll icontopbm.exe
22998 The variable @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} controls which programs
22999 are used to display the @code{X-Face} header. If this variable is a
23000 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
23001 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
23002 If @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches the
23003 @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
23005 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
23013 @vindex gnus-x-face
23014 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
23015 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
23016 default colors are black and white.
23018 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
23019 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
23020 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
23021 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
23022 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
23023 XEmacs. Here are examples:
23026 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
23027 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
23028 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
23029 (png . (:ascent 80))))
23031 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
23032 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
23033 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
23034 (png . (:relief -2))))
23037 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
23038 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
23039 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
23040 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
23041 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
23042 @samp{libcompface} library.
23045 If you use posting styles, you can use an @code{x-face-file} entry in
23046 @code{gnus-posting-styles}, @xref{Posting Styles}. If you don't, Gnus
23047 provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow easier
23048 insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages. You also need the
23049 above mentioned ImageMagick, netpbm or other image conversion packages
23050 (depending the values of the variables below) for these functions.
23052 @findex gnus-random-x-face
23053 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
23054 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
23055 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
23056 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
23057 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
23058 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
23059 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
23060 header data as a string.
23062 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
23063 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
23064 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
23065 randomly generated data.
23067 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
23068 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
23069 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
23070 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
23071 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
23073 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
23074 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23077 (setq message-required-news-headers
23078 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23079 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
23082 Using the last function would be something like this:
23085 (setq message-required-news-headers
23086 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23087 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
23088 (gnus-x-face-from-file
23089 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
23097 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces' implementations should really be harmonized.
23099 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
23100 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
23101 represent the author of the message.
23104 @findex gnus-article-display-face
23105 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
23106 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
23109 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
23110 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
23112 Viewing an @code{Face} header requires an Emacs that is able to display
23115 @c (if (featurep 'xemacs)
23117 @c (image-type-available-p 'png))
23119 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
23120 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
23122 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
23123 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
23124 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
23126 @findex gnus-face-from-file
23127 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
23128 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
23129 converts the file to Face format by using the
23130 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
23132 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
23133 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23136 (setq message-required-news-headers
23137 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23138 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
23139 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
23144 @subsection Smileys
23149 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
23154 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
23155 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
23157 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
23158 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23161 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
23164 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
23165 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
23166 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
23167 text and maps that to file names.
23169 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
23170 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
23171 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
23172 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
23173 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
23176 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
23181 @item smiley-data-directory
23182 @vindex smiley-data-directory
23183 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
23185 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
23186 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
23187 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
23201 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
23202 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
23203 over your shoulder as you read news.
23205 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
23214 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
23215 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
23216 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
23217 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
23218 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
23219 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
23220 @code{GIF} formats.
23223 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
23224 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
23225 point your Web browser at
23226 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
23228 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
23229 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
23231 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
23232 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
23235 @vindex gnus-picon-style
23236 The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
23237 If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
23238 @code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
23240 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
23244 @item gnus-picon-databases
23245 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
23246 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
23247 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
23248 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
23249 "/usr/local/faces")}.
23251 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
23252 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
23253 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
23254 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
23256 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
23257 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
23258 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
23259 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
23261 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
23262 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
23263 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
23264 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
23265 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
23267 @item gnus-picon-file-types
23268 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
23269 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
23270 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
23276 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
23279 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
23280 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
23281 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
23282 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
23283 unusual directory structure.
23285 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
23286 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
23287 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
23292 @subsubsection Toolbar
23296 @item gnus-use-toolbar
23297 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
23298 This variable specifies the position to display the toolbar. If
23299 @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If it is non-@code{nil}, it should
23300 be one of the symbols @code{default}, @code{top}, @code{bottom},
23301 @code{right}, and @code{left}. @code{default} means to use the default
23302 toolbar, the rest mean to display the toolbar on the place which those
23303 names show. The default is @code{default}.
23305 @item gnus-toolbar-thickness
23306 @vindex gnus-toolbar-thickness
23307 Cons of the height and the width specifying the thickness of a toolbar.
23308 The height is used for the toolbar displayed on the top or the bottom,
23309 the width is used for the toolbar displayed on the right or the left.
23310 The default is that of the default toolbar.
23312 @item gnus-group-toolbar
23313 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
23314 The toolbar in the group buffer.
23316 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
23317 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
23318 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
23320 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
23321 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
23322 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
23333 @node Fuzzy Matching
23334 @section Fuzzy Matching
23335 @cindex fuzzy matching
23337 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
23338 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
23340 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
23341 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
23342 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
23344 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
23345 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
23346 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
23347 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
23348 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
23351 @node Thwarting Email Spam
23352 @section Thwarting Email Spam
23356 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23358 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
23359 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
23360 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
23361 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
23362 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
23363 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
23364 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
23365 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
23368 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
23369 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
23370 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
23371 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
23372 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
23373 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
23375 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
23378 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
23379 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
23380 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
23381 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
23384 @node The problem of spam
23385 @subsection The problem of spam
23387 @cindex spam filtering approaches
23388 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
23390 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23392 First, some background on spam.
23394 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
23395 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
23396 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
23397 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
23398 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
23399 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
23400 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
23401 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
23402 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
23404 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
23405 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
23406 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
23407 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
23408 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
23409 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
23410 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
23411 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
23412 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
23415 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
23416 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
23417 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
23418 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
23419 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
23420 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
23421 from Bulgarian IPs.
23423 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
23424 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
23425 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
23426 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
23428 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
23429 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
23430 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
23431 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
23433 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
23434 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
23435 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
23436 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
23437 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
23438 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
23439 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
23440 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
23441 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
23443 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
23444 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
23445 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
23446 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
23447 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
23448 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
23449 down for some time because of the incident.
23451 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
23452 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
23453 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
23454 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
23455 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
23456 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
23457 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
23458 to store the database of spam analysis. Statistical analysis on the
23459 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
23460 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
23461 the server that it has misclassified mail.
23463 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
23464 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
23465 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
23466 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
23467 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
23468 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
23469 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
23472 @node Anti-Spam Basics
23473 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
23477 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23479 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
23480 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
23482 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
23483 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
23484 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
23485 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
23486 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
23487 part of the mail address.)
23490 (setq message-default-news-headers
23491 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
23494 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
23495 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23499 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
23500 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
23501 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
23506 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
23507 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
23508 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
23509 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
23511 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
23512 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
23513 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
23514 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
23515 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
23516 your fancy split rule in this way:
23521 (to "larsi" "misc")
23525 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
23526 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
23527 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
23528 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
23529 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
23531 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
23532 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
23533 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
23534 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
23536 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
23540 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
23541 @cindex SpamAssassin
23542 @cindex Vipul's Razor
23545 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
23546 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
23547 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
23548 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
23549 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
23550 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
23551 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
23553 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
23554 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
23555 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
23558 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
23559 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
23560 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
23561 Specifiers}) follow.
23565 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
23569 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
23572 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
23573 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
23574 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
23577 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
23581 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23584 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
23585 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
23589 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
23590 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
23591 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
23592 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
23595 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
23597 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
23601 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
23602 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
23606 Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
23607 downloaded by default. You need to set
23608 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
23609 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
23611 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
23612 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
23613 spam. And here is the nifty function:
23616 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
23617 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
23619 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
23620 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
23621 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
23625 @subsection Hashcash
23628 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
23629 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
23630 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
23631 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
23632 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
23634 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
23635 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
23636 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
23637 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
23638 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
23639 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
23640 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
23641 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
23642 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
23643 one of them separately.
23646 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
23647 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
23648 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
23649 For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
23650 need to install to use this feature, see
23651 @uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
23652 at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
23654 If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
23655 customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
23656 Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
23659 (setq message-generate-hashcash t)
23662 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
23666 @item hashcash-default-payment
23667 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
23668 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
23669 should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
23672 @item hashcash-payment-alist
23673 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
23674 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
23675 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
23676 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
23677 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
23678 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
23679 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
23680 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
23682 @item hashcash-path
23683 @vindex hashcash-path
23684 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
23685 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
23686 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
23687 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
23688 when you generate hashcash payments.
23692 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
23693 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
23694 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
23695 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
23696 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
23697 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
23698 Hashcash Payments}).
23701 @section Spam Package
23702 @cindex spam filtering
23705 The Spam package provides Gnus with a centralized mechanism for
23706 detecting and filtering spam. It filters new mail, and processes
23707 messages according to whether they are spam or ham. (@dfn{Ham} is the
23708 name used throughout this manual to indicate non-spam messages.)
23711 * Spam Package Introduction::
23712 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
23713 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
23714 * Spam and Ham Processors::
23715 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
23717 * Extending the Spam package::
23718 * Spam Statistics Package::
23721 @node Spam Package Introduction
23722 @subsection Spam Package Introduction
23723 @cindex spam filtering
23724 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
23727 You must read this section to understand how the Spam package works.
23728 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
23730 Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
23731 events. See @xref{Extending the Spam package}.
23733 @cindex spam-initialize
23734 @vindex spam-use-stat
23735 To use the Spam package, you @strong{must} first run the function
23736 @code{spam-initialize}:
23742 This autoloads @code{spam.el} and installs the various hooks necessary
23743 to let the Spam package do its job. In order to make use of the Spam
23744 package, you have to set up certain group parameters and variables,
23745 which we will describe below. All of the variables controlling the
23746 Spam package can be found in the @samp{spam} customization group.
23748 There are two ``contact points'' between the Spam package and the rest
23749 of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and leaving a group.
23751 Checking new mail for spam is done in one of two ways: while splitting
23752 incoming mail, or when you enter a group.
23754 The first way, checking for spam while splitting incoming mail, is
23755 suited to mail back ends such as @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap}, where
23756 new mail appears in a single spool file. The Spam package processes
23757 incoming mail, and sends mail considered to be spam to a designated
23758 ``spam'' group. @xref{Filtering Incoming Mail}.
23760 The second way is suited to back ends such as @code{nntp}, which have
23761 no incoming mail spool, or back ends where the server is in charge of
23762 splitting incoming mail. In this case, when you enter a Gnus group,
23763 the unseen or unread messages in that group are checked for spam.
23764 Detected spam messages are marked as spam. @xref{Detecting Spam in
23767 @cindex spam back ends
23768 In either case, you have to tell the Spam package what method to use
23769 to detect spam messages. There are several methods, or @dfn{spam back
23770 ends} (not to be confused with Gnus back ends!) to choose from: spam
23771 ``blacklists'' and ``whitelists'', dictionary-based filters, and so
23772 forth. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
23774 In the Gnus summary buffer, messages that have been identified as spam
23775 always appear with a @samp{$} symbol.
23777 The Spam package divides Gnus groups into three categories: ham
23778 groups, spam groups, and unclassified groups. You should mark each of
23779 the groups you subscribe to as either a ham group or a spam group,
23780 using the @code{spam-contents} group parameter (@pxref{Group
23781 Parameters}). Spam groups have a special property: when you enter a
23782 spam group, all unseen articles are marked as spam. Thus, mail split
23783 into a spam group is automatically marked as spam.
23785 Identifying spam messages is only half of the Spam package's job. The
23786 second half comes into play whenever you exit a group buffer. At this
23787 point, the Spam package does several things:
23789 First, it calls @dfn{spam and ham processors} to process the articles
23790 according to whether they are spam or ham. There is a pair of spam
23791 and ham processors associated with each spam back end, and what the
23792 processors do depends on the back end. At present, the main role of
23793 spam and ham processors is for dictionary-based spam filters: they add
23794 the contents of the messages in the group to the filter's dictionary,
23795 to improve its ability to detect future spam. The @code{spam-process}
23796 group parameter specifies what spam processors to use. @xref{Spam and
23799 If the spam filter failed to mark a spam message, you can mark it
23800 yourself, so that the message is processed as spam when you exit the
23810 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
23811 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
23812 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark
23813 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}).
23817 Similarly, you can unmark an article if it has been erroneously marked
23818 as spam. @xref{Setting Marks}.
23820 Normally, a ham message found in a non-ham group is not processed as
23821 ham---the rationale is that it should be moved into a ham group for
23822 further processing (see below). However, you can force these articles
23823 to be processed as ham by setting
23824 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
23825 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups}.
23827 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
23828 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
23829 The second thing that the Spam package does when you exit a group is
23830 to move ham articles out of spam groups, and spam articles out of ham
23831 groups. Ham in a spam group is moved to the group specified by the
23832 variable @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}, or the group parameter
23833 @code{ham-process-destination}. Spam in a ham group is moved to the
23834 group specified by the variable @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations},
23835 or the group parameter @code{spam-process-destination}. If these
23836 variables are not set, the articles are left in their current group.
23837 If an article cannot be moved (e.g., with a read-only backend such
23838 as @acronym{NNTP}), it is copied.
23840 If an article is moved to another group, it is processed again when
23841 you visit the new group. Normally, this is not a problem, but if you
23842 want each article to be processed only once, load the
23843 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and set the variable
23844 @code{spam-log-to-registry} to @code{t}. @xref{Spam Package
23845 Configuration Examples}.
23847 Normally, spam groups ignore @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations}.
23848 However, if you set @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only} to
23849 @code{nil}, spam will also be moved out of spam groups, depending on
23850 the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter.
23852 The final thing the Spam package does is to mark spam articles as
23853 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
23855 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
23856 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
23857 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
23859 @node Filtering Incoming Mail
23860 @subsection Filtering Incoming Mail
23861 @cindex spam filtering
23862 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
23865 To use the Spam package to filter incoming mail, you must first set up
23866 fancy mail splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}. The Spam package
23867 defines a special splitting function that you can add to your fancy
23868 split variable (either @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
23869 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on your mail back end):
23875 @vindex spam-split-group
23877 The @code{spam-split} function scans incoming mail according to your
23878 chosen spam back end(s), and sends messages identified as spam to a
23879 spam group. By default, the spam group is a group named @samp{spam},
23880 but you can change this by customizing @code{spam-split-group}. Make
23881 sure the contents of @code{spam-split-group} are an unqualified group
23882 name. For instance, in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server},
23883 the value @samp{spam} means @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The value
23884 @samp{nnimap+server:spam} is therefore wrong---it gives the group
23885 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam}.
23887 @code{spam-split} does not modify the contents of messages in any way.
23889 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
23890 Note for IMAP users: if you use the @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
23891 @code{spam-check-ifile}, and @code{spam-check-stat} spam back ends,
23892 you should also set set the variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body}
23893 to @code{t}. These spam back ends are most useful when they can
23894 ``scan'' the full message body. By default, the nnimap back end only
23895 retrieves the message headers; @code{nnimap-split-download-body} tells
23896 it to retrieve the message bodies as well. We don't set this by
23897 default because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and that is not an
23898 appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user. @xref{Splitting
23901 You have to specify one or more spam back ends for @code{spam-split}
23902 to use, by setting the @code{spam-use-*} variables. @xref{Spam Back
23903 Ends}. Normally, @code{spam-split} simply uses all the spam back ends
23904 you enabled in this way. However, you can tell @code{spam-split} to
23905 use only some of them. Why this is useful? Suppose you are using the
23906 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and @code{spam-use-blackholes} spam back
23907 ends, and the following split rule:
23910 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
23911 (any "ding" "ding")
23913 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23918 The problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the ding
23919 folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam detected by
23920 SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through, when it's
23921 sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to the ding
23922 list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the invocation
23923 of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
23925 The solution is to let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, and
23926 perform the other @code{spam-split} rules (including a second
23927 invocation of the regex-headers check) after the ding rule. This is
23928 done by passing a parameter to @code{spam-split}:
23933 ;; @r{spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
23934 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
23935 (any "ding" "ding")
23936 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
23938 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23943 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
23944 your particular needs, and target the results of those checks to a
23945 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
23946 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
23947 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
23948 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
23949 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
23951 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
23952 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
23953 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
23954 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
23956 @c @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
23957 @c statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
23960 @node Detecting Spam in Groups
23961 @subsection Detecting Spam in Groups
23963 To detect spam when visiting a group, set the group's
23964 @code{spam-autodetect} and @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group
23965 parameters. These are accessible with @kbd{G c} or @kbd{G p}, as
23966 usual (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
23968 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
23969 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
23970 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
23971 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set.
23973 By default, only unseen articles are processed for spam. You can
23974 force Gnus to recheck all messages in the group by setting the
23975 variable @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages} to @code{t}.
23977 If you use the @code{spam-autodetect} method of checking for spam, you
23978 can specify different spam detection methods for different groups.
23979 For instance, the @samp{ding} group may have @code{spam-use-BBDB} as
23980 the autodetection method, while the @samp{suspect} group may have the
23981 @code{spam-use-blacklist} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods
23982 enabled. Unlike with @code{spam-split}, you don't have any control
23983 over the @emph{sequence} of checks, but this is probably unimportant.
23985 @node Spam and Ham Processors
23986 @subsection Spam and Ham Processors
23987 @cindex spam filtering
23988 @cindex spam filtering variables
23989 @cindex spam variables
23992 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
23993 Spam and ham processors specify special actions to take when you exit
23994 a group buffer. Spam processors act on spam messages, and ham
23995 processors on ham messages. At present, the main role of these
23996 processors is to update the dictionaries of dictionary-based spam back
23997 ends such as Bogofilter (@pxref{Bogofilter}) and the Spam Statistics
23998 package (@pxref{Spam Statistics Filtering}).
24000 The spam and ham processors that apply to each group are determined by
24001 the group's@code{spam-process} group parameter. If this group
24002 parameter is not defined, they are determined by the variable
24003 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups}.
24005 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
24006 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
24007 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
24008 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
24009 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
24010 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
24011 by customizing the corresponding variable
24012 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
24013 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
24014 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
24015 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
24016 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
24017 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
24018 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
24021 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
24023 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
24024 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
24025 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
24026 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
24027 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
24028 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
24029 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
24030 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
24031 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
24032 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
24033 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
24034 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
24035 processor which will study them as spam samples.
24037 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
24038 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
24039 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
24040 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
24041 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
24042 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
24043 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
24044 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
24047 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
24048 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
24049 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
24050 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
24051 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
24052 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
24053 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
24058 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
24059 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
24060 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
24061 you really want to.
24064 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
24065 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
24066 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
24067 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
24068 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
24069 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
24072 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
24073 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
24074 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
24075 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
24076 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
24077 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
24078 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
24079 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
24080 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
24081 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
24082 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
24083 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
24084 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
24085 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
24086 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
24088 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
24089 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
24091 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
24092 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
24093 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
24095 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
24096 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
24098 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
24099 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
24100 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
24101 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
24102 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
24104 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
24105 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
24106 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
24107 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
24108 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
24111 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
24112 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
24113 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
24114 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
24115 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
24116 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
24117 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
24118 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
24119 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
24120 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
24121 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
24122 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
24123 group buffer then you need it here as well.
24125 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
24126 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
24128 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
24129 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
24132 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
24133 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
24134 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
24135 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
24136 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
24137 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
24138 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
24140 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
24141 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
24142 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
24143 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
24145 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
24146 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
24147 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
24148 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
24149 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
24150 from the mail server.
24152 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
24153 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
24154 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
24155 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
24157 @node Spam Package Configuration Examples
24158 @subsection Spam Package Configuration Examples
24159 @cindex spam filtering
24160 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
24161 @cindex spam configuration examples
24164 @subsubheading Ted's setup
24166 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
24168 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
24169 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
24170 (gnus-registry-initialize)
24174 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
24176 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
24177 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
24178 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
24179 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
24180 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
24181 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
24182 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
24183 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
24184 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
24185 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
24186 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
24187 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
24188 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
24189 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
24190 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
24191 (any "ding" "ding")
24192 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
24194 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24197 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
24199 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
24200 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
24201 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
24202 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
24204 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
24206 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
24207 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
24208 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
24209 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
24210 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
24212 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
24213 ((spam-autodetect . t))
24215 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
24217 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
24218 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
24220 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
24221 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
24222 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
24224 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
24226 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
24227 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
24229 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
24230 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
24231 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
24233 (gnus-ticked-mark))
24234 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
24235 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
24236 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
24238 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
24239 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
24240 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
24244 @subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
24245 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
24247 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
24248 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
24249 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
24250 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
24251 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
24252 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
24253 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
24254 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
24255 @samp{training.spam} folders.
24257 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
24258 does most of the job for me:
24261 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
24262 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
24263 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
24264 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
24265 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
24266 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
24267 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
24272 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
24274 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
24275 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
24276 bogofilter or DCC).
24278 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
24279 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
24280 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark
24281 (@code{ham-marks}, @ref{Spam and Ham Processors}). On group exit,
24282 those messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want
24283 to have the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter)
24284 and deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
24286 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
24287 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
24288 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
24289 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
24290 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
24291 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
24293 @item @b{Ham folders:}
24295 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
24296 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
24297 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
24298 @samp{training.spam}.
24301 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
24303 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
24305 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
24306 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
24307 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
24311 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
24314 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
24315 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
24316 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
24317 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
24318 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
24320 @node Spam Back Ends
24321 @subsection Spam Back Ends
24322 @cindex spam back ends
24324 The spam package offers a variety of back ends for detecting spam.
24325 Each back end defines a set of methods for detecting spam
24326 (@pxref{Filtering Incoming Mail}, @pxref{Detecting Spam in Groups}),
24327 and a pair of spam and ham processors (@pxref{Spam and Ham
24331 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
24332 * BBDB Whitelists::
24333 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
24334 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
24336 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
24338 * SpamAssassin back end::
24339 * ifile spam filtering::
24340 * Spam Statistics Filtering::
24344 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
24345 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
24346 @cindex spam filtering
24347 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
24348 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
24351 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
24353 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
24354 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
24355 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
24356 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
24361 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
24363 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
24364 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
24365 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24366 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
24367 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24371 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
24373 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
24374 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24375 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
24379 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
24381 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24382 customizing the group parameters or the
24383 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24384 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24385 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
24389 Instead of the obsolete
24390 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
24391 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
24392 the same way, we promise.
24396 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
24398 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24399 customizing the group parameters or the
24400 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24401 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24402 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24407 Instead of the obsolete
24408 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
24409 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
24410 the same way, we promise.
24414 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
24415 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
24416 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
24417 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
24418 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
24420 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
24421 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
24422 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
24423 Emacs regular expression syntax.
24425 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
24426 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
24427 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
24428 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
24429 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
24430 @file{blacklist} respectively.
24432 @node BBDB Whitelists
24433 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
24434 @cindex spam filtering
24435 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
24436 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
24439 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
24441 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24442 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
24443 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
24444 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
24445 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24446 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
24447 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24451 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
24453 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
24454 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24455 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
24456 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
24457 classified as spammers.
24459 While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
24460 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
24461 @emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
24462 @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to t, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
24467 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
24469 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24470 customizing the group parameters or the
24471 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24472 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24473 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24478 Instead of the obsolete
24479 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
24480 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
24481 the same way, we promise.
24485 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
24486 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
24487 @cindex spam reporting
24488 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24489 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24492 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
24494 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24495 customizing the group parameters or the
24496 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24497 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
24498 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
24501 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
24505 Instead of the obsolete
24506 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
24507 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
24508 same way, we promise.
24512 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
24514 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
24515 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
24516 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
24517 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
24518 @code{spam-report.el} will fetch the number from the article headers.
24522 @defvar spam-report-user-mail-address
24524 Mail address exposed in the User-Agent spam reports to Gmane. It allows
24525 the Gmane administrators to contact you in case of misreports. The
24526 default is @code{user-mail-address}.
24530 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24531 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24532 @cindex spam filtering
24533 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
24536 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
24538 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24539 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
24540 instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
24541 token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
24542 filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
24543 are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24548 @subsubsection Blackholes
24549 @cindex spam filtering
24550 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
24553 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
24555 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
24556 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
24557 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
24558 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
24559 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
24560 contains outdated servers.
24562 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
24563 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
24564 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
24565 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
24566 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
24567 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
24571 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
24573 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
24577 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
24579 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
24580 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
24584 @defvar spam-use-dig
24586 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
24587 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
24591 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
24592 ham processor for blackholes.
24594 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
24595 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
24596 @cindex spam filtering
24597 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
24600 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
24602 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
24603 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
24604 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
24605 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
24606 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
24607 message is spam or ham, respectively.
24611 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
24613 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24614 the message, positively identify it as spam.
24618 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
24620 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24621 the message, positively identify it as ham.
24625 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
24626 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
24629 @subsubsection Bogofilter
24630 @cindex spam filtering
24631 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
24634 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
24636 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24639 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
24640 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
24641 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
24642 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
24643 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
24644 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
24646 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
24647 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
24650 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
24651 processing will be turned off.
24653 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
24662 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
24663 Get the Bogofilter spamicity score (@code{spam-bogofilter-score}).
24666 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
24668 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24669 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
24670 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
24671 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
24672 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
24673 installation documents for details.
24675 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
24679 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
24680 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24681 customizing the group parameters or the
24682 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24683 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
24684 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
24688 Instead of the obsolete
24689 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24690 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24691 the same way, we promise.
24694 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
24695 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24696 customizing the group parameters or the
24697 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24698 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
24699 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
24700 of non-spam messages.
24704 Instead of the obsolete
24705 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24706 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24707 the same way, we promise.
24710 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
24712 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
24713 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
24714 database directory.
24718 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
24719 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
24720 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
24721 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
24722 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
24723 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
24725 @node SpamAssassin back end
24726 @subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
24727 @cindex spam filtering
24728 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
24731 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
24733 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
24735 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
24736 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
24737 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
24738 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
24741 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
24742 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
24743 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
24744 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
24747 You should not enable this if you use
24748 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
24752 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
24754 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
24755 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
24757 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
24761 @defvar spam-spamassassin-program
24763 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
24764 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
24765 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
24766 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
24770 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
24771 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
24772 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
24773 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
24774 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
24775 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
24776 to test this functionality.
24778 @node ifile spam filtering
24779 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
24780 @cindex spam filtering
24781 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
24784 @defvar spam-use-ifile
24786 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
24787 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
24791 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
24793 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
24794 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
24795 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
24799 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
24801 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
24802 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
24803 the default value of @samp{spam}.
24806 @defvar spam-ifile-database
24808 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
24809 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
24813 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
24814 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
24815 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
24816 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
24819 @node Spam Statistics Filtering
24820 @subsubsection Spam Statistics Filtering
24821 @cindex spam filtering
24822 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
24826 This back end uses the Spam Statistics Emacs Lisp package to perform
24827 statistics-based filtering (@pxref{Spam Statistics Package}). Before
24828 using this, you may want to perform some additional steps to
24829 initialize your Spam Statistics dictionary. @xref{Creating a
24830 spam-stat dictionary}.
24832 @defvar spam-use-stat
24836 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
24837 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24838 customizing the group parameters or the
24839 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24840 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
24841 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
24845 Instead of the obsolete
24846 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
24847 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
24848 the same way, we promise.
24851 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
24852 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24853 customizing the group parameters or the
24854 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24855 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
24856 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
24857 of non-spam messages.
24861 Instead of the obsolete
24862 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
24863 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
24864 the same way, we promise.
24867 This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
24868 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
24869 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
24870 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
24871 @code{spam-split} are provided.
24874 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
24875 @cindex spam filtering
24879 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
24880 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
24881 installed separately.
24883 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
24884 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
24885 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
24886 mail as a spam mail or not.
24888 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
24889 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
24890 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
24892 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Spam Package})
24895 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
24896 To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
24897 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
24898 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}. @xref{Spam
24899 Package}. In this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is
24900 filtered using SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be
24901 moved to @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham
24902 messages stay in @samp{INBOX}:
24905 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
24906 spam-split-group "Junk"
24907 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
24908 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
24909 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
24912 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
24913 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
24917 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
24918 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
24919 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
24923 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
24924 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
24925 store its analysis. This is controlled by the variable
24926 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
24927 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
24928 database to live somewhere special, set
24929 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
24932 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
24933 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
24934 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns
24935 the characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
24936 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
24937 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary
24938 buffer and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using
24939 @file{spam.el}'s spam- and ham-processors, which is much more
24940 convenient. For a detailed description of spam- and ham-processors,
24941 @xref{Spam Package}.
24943 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
24944 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24945 customizing the group parameter or the
24946 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
24947 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
24948 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
24952 Instead of the obsolete
24953 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
24954 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
24955 the same way, we promise.
24958 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
24959 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24960 customizing the group parameter or the
24961 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
24962 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
24963 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
24968 Instead of the obsolete
24969 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
24970 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
24971 the same way, we promise.
24974 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
24975 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
24978 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
24979 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
24980 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
24982 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
24983 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
24984 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
24985 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
24986 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
24987 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
24989 @node Extending the Spam package
24990 @subsection Extending the Spam package
24991 @cindex spam filtering
24992 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
24993 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
24995 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
24996 incoming mail, provide the following:
25004 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
25005 "True if blackbox should be used.")
25008 Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
25010 Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
25011 @code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
25012 register/unregister routines as a start, or other restister/unregister
25013 routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
25014 register/unregister spam and ham.
25019 The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
25020 @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
25021 existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
25022 do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
25027 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
25034 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
25035 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
25037 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
25038 variables. Instead the form @code{(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
25039 @code{(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
25040 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
25043 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
25044 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
25045 Only applicable to spam groups.")
25047 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
25048 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
25049 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
25058 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
25059 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
25061 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
25062 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
25063 variable customization.
25067 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
25069 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
25070 @code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
25072 Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
25073 @code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
25079 @code{spam-install-backend-alias}
25081 This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
25082 everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
25083 make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
25086 @code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
25088 This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
25089 register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
25093 @code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
25095 This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
25096 for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
25097 @code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
25101 @code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
25103 This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
25104 full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
25105 for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
25108 @code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
25110 This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
25111 registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
25115 @code{spam-install-backend}
25117 This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
25118 check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
25119 abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
25122 @code{spam-install-mover-backend}
25124 Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
25125 articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
25126 never install such a back end.
25131 @node Spam Statistics Package
25132 @subsection Spam Statistics Package
25133 @cindex Paul Graham
25134 @cindex Graham, Paul
25135 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
25136 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
25137 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
25139 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
25140 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
25141 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
25142 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
25143 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
25144 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
25145 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
25146 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
25147 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
25150 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
25151 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
25152 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
25153 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
25154 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
25155 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
25156 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
25157 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
25159 The Spam Statistics package adds support to Gnus for this kind of
25160 filtering. It can be used as one of the back ends of the Spam package
25161 (@pxref{Spam Package}), or by itself.
25163 Before using the Spam Statistics package, you need to set it up.
25164 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
25165 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
25166 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
25167 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
25170 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
25171 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
25172 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
25175 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
25176 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
25178 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
25179 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
25180 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
25181 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
25182 need several hundred emails in both collections.
25184 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
25185 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
25186 per mail. Use the following:
25188 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
25189 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
25190 is treated as one spam mail.
25193 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
25194 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
25195 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
25198 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
25199 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds to
25200 the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
25201 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
25202 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds to the group
25203 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
25205 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
25206 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
25207 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
25208 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
25209 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
25212 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
25213 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
25214 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
25215 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
25218 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
25219 reset the dictionary.
25221 @defun spam-stat-reset
25222 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
25225 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
25226 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
25227 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
25228 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
25229 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
25230 only non-spam mails.
25232 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
25233 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
25234 to update the dictionary incrementally.
25237 @defun spam-stat-save
25238 Save the dictionary.
25241 @defvar spam-stat-file
25242 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
25243 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
25246 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
25247 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
25249 This section describes how to use the Spam statistics
25250 @emph{independently} of the @xref{Spam Package}.
25252 First, add the following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
25255 (require 'spam-stat)
25259 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
25262 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
25263 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
25264 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
25265 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
25267 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
25268 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
25269 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
25270 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
25273 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25274 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25278 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
25279 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
25282 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
25283 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
25284 expression are considered potential spam.
25287 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25288 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25289 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25293 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
25294 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
25295 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
25296 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
25297 mails, when creating the dictionary!
25300 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25301 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25302 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25306 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
25307 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
25308 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
25309 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
25310 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
25314 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25315 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
25316 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25317 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25322 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
25323 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
25325 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
25327 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
25328 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
25329 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
25332 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
25333 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
25334 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
25337 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
25338 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
25339 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
25340 already been processed as non-spam.
25343 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
25344 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
25345 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
25346 been processed as spam.
25349 @defun spam-stat-save
25350 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
25351 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
25354 @defun spam-stat-load
25355 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
25356 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
25359 @defun spam-stat-score-word
25360 Return the spam score for a word.
25363 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
25364 Return the spam score for a buffer.
25367 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
25368 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
25369 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
25372 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
25373 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
25376 (require 'spam-stat)
25380 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
25383 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
25384 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25385 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25386 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25387 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
25388 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
25389 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25390 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25391 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
25392 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25393 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
25394 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
25395 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25396 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25399 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
25402 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
25403 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25404 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25405 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
25406 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
25407 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25411 @section Interaction with other modes
25416 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provides some useful functions for dired
25417 buffers. It is enabled with
25419 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
25424 @findex gnus-dired-attach
25425 @cindex attachments, selection via dired
25426 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
25427 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
25430 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
25431 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
25432 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
25436 @findex gnus-dired-print
25437 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
25438 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
25441 @node Various Various
25442 @section Various Various
25448 @item gnus-home-directory
25449 @vindex gnus-home-directory
25450 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
25451 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
25453 @item gnus-directory
25454 @vindex gnus-directory
25455 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
25456 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
25457 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
25459 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
25460 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
25461 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
25462 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
25464 @item gnus-default-directory
25465 @vindex gnus-default-directory
25466 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
25467 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
25468 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
25469 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
25470 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
25471 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
25474 @vindex gnus-verbose
25475 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
25476 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
25477 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
25478 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
25479 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
25481 @item gnus-verbose-backends
25482 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
25483 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
25484 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
25486 @item gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
25487 @vindex gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
25488 This variable controls whether to add timestamps to messages that are
25489 controlled by @code{gnus-verbose} and @code{gnus-verbose-backends} and
25490 are issued. The default value is @code{nil} which means never to add
25491 timestamp. If it is @code{log}, add timestamps to only the messages
25492 that go into the @samp{*Messages*} buffer (in XEmacs, it is the
25493 @w{@samp{ *Message-Log*}} buffer). If it is neither @code{nil} nor
25494 @code{log}, add timestamps not only to log messages but also to the ones
25495 displayed in the echo area.
25497 @item nnheader-max-head-length
25498 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
25499 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
25500 as little as possible. This variable (default 8192) specifies
25501 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
25502 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
25503 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
25504 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
25505 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
25506 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
25508 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
25509 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
25510 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
25511 read when doing the operation described above.
25513 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25514 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25516 @cindex invalid characters in file names
25517 @cindex characters in file names
25518 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
25519 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
25520 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
25524 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25529 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
25530 Windows (phooey) systems.
25532 @item gnus-hidden-properties
25533 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
25534 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
25535 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
25536 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
25538 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
25539 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
25540 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
25541 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
25542 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
25544 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
25545 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
25546 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
25548 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
25549 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
25551 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
25552 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
25553 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
25554 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
25557 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
25565 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
25566 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
25568 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
25570 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
25576 Not because of victories @*
25579 but for the common sunshine,@*
25581 the largess of the spring.
25585 but for the day's work done@*
25586 as well as I was able;@*
25587 not for a seat upon the dais@*
25588 but at the common table.@*
25593 @chapter Appendices
25596 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
25597 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
25598 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
25599 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
25600 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
25601 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
25602 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
25603 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
25604 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
25611 @cindex installing under XEmacs
25613 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
25614 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
25615 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
25616 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
25617 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{W3},
25618 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
25625 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
25626 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
25628 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
25629 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
25630 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
25631 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
25632 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
25634 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
25635 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
25636 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
25637 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
25638 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
25639 appropriate name, don't you think?)
25641 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
25642 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
25643 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
25644 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
25647 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
25648 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
25649 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
25650 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
25651 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
25652 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
25653 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
25654 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
25655 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
25659 @node Gnus Versions
25660 @subsection Gnus Versions
25662 @cindex September Gnus
25664 @cindex Quassia Gnus
25665 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
25668 @cindex Gnus versions
25670 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
25671 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
25672 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
25674 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
25675 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
25677 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
25678 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
25680 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
25681 It was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
25683 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
25684 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
25687 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun and was released as
25688 Gnus 5.10 on May 1st 2003 (24 releases).
25690 On the January 4th 2004, No Gnus was begun.
25692 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
25693 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
25694 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'' -- don't panic.
25695 Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever
25696 you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach.
25697 Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
25700 @node Other Gnus Versions
25701 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
25704 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
25705 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
25706 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
25707 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
25709 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
25710 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
25711 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
25712 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
25719 What's the point of Gnus?
25721 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
25722 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
25723 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
25724 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
25725 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
25726 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
25727 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
25728 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
25729 keep track of millions of people who post?
25731 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
25732 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
25733 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
25734 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
25735 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
25736 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
25737 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
25738 every one of you to explore and invent.
25740 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
25741 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
25744 @node Compatibility
25745 @subsection Compatibility
25747 @cindex compatibility
25748 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
25749 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
25750 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
25755 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
25759 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
25762 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
25765 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
25766 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
25767 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
25768 important variables have their values copied into their global
25769 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
25770 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
25772 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
25773 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
25774 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
25775 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
25776 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
25780 @cindex highlighting
25781 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
25782 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
25783 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
25784 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
25785 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
25786 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
25789 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
25790 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
25791 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
25792 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
25794 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
25795 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
25796 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
25797 to stop doing it the old way.
25799 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
25801 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
25803 @cindex reporting bugs
25805 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
25806 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
25807 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
25809 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
25810 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
25811 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
25812 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
25817 @subsection Conformity
25819 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
25820 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
25828 There are no known breaches of this standard.
25832 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
25834 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
25835 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
25836 We do have some breaches to this one.
25842 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
25843 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
25844 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
25845 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
25846 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
25851 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
25852 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
25853 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
25854 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
25856 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
25857 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
25858 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
25860 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
25861 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
25863 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
25866 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
25867 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
25868 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
25869 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
25870 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
25873 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
25874 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
25875 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RFC 1991/2440 format.
25876 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
25878 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
25879 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
25881 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
25882 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
25883 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
25884 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
25885 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
25886 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
25887 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
25888 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
25892 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
25893 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
25898 @subsection Emacsen
25904 Gnus should work on:
25912 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
25916 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
25917 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
25918 Emacs versions. Particularly, Gnus 5.10.8 should also work on Emacs
25919 20.7 and XEmacs 21.1.
25921 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
25922 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
25923 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
25927 @node Gnus Development
25928 @subsection Gnus Development
25930 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
25931 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
25932 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
25933 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
25934 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
25935 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
25936 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
25937 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
25939 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
25940 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
25941 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
25942 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
25943 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
25946 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
25947 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
25948 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
25949 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
25950 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
25952 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
25953 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
25954 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
25955 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
25956 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
25957 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
25958 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
25959 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
25960 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
25961 can't be assumed to do so.
25966 @subsection Contributors
25967 @cindex contributors
25969 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
25970 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
25971 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
25972 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
25973 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
25974 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
25975 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
25976 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
25977 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
25978 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
25980 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
25986 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
25989 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
25990 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
25991 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
25992 functionality and stuff.
25995 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
25996 well as numerous other things).
25999 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
26002 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
26005 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
26008 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
26011 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
26012 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
26015 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
26018 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
26021 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
26024 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
26027 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
26030 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
26033 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
26034 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
26037 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
26040 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
26043 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
26046 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
26050 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
26053 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
26056 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
26059 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
26060 well as autoconf support.
26064 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
26065 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
26067 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
26082 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
26084 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
26088 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
26098 Alexei V. Barantsev,
26113 Massimo Campostrini,
26118 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
26119 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
26123 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
26126 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
26132 Michael Welsh Duggan,
26137 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
26141 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
26149 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
26151 Michelangelo Grigni,
26155 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
26157 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
26159 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
26166 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
26167 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
26168 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
26170 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
26180 Peter Skov Knudsen,
26181 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
26183 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
26184 Thor Kristoffersen,
26187 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
26205 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
26206 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
26213 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
26218 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
26222 John McClary Prevost,
26228 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
26233 Christian von Roques,
26236 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
26243 Philippe Schnoebelen,
26245 Randal L. Schwartz,
26259 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
26264 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
26284 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
26285 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
26286 (550kB and counting).
26288 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
26291 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
26292 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
26296 @subsection New Features
26297 @cindex new features
26300 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
26301 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
26302 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
26303 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
26304 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
26305 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
26306 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
26309 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
26310 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
26311 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
26314 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
26316 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
26321 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
26322 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
26325 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
26326 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
26329 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
26332 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
26333 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
26334 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
26337 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
26338 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
26339 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
26340 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
26343 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
26344 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26347 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
26348 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
26349 (@pxref{The Active File}).
26352 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
26353 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
26356 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
26357 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
26358 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
26361 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
26362 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
26363 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
26366 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
26367 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
26370 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
26371 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
26374 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
26375 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
26378 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
26379 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26382 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
26383 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
26386 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
26387 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
26390 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
26393 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
26394 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
26397 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
26398 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
26401 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
26402 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
26405 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
26408 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
26409 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
26412 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
26416 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
26420 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
26421 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
26424 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
26430 @node September Gnus
26431 @subsubsection September Gnus
26435 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
26439 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
26444 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
26445 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
26449 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
26450 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
26454 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
26458 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
26459 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
26462 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
26466 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
26469 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
26472 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
26475 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
26479 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
26480 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
26483 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
26487 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
26491 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
26495 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
26499 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
26502 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
26503 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
26506 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
26510 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
26511 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
26514 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
26517 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
26518 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
26519 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
26522 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
26526 The Gnus cache is much faster.
26529 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
26533 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
26534 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
26537 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
26538 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
26541 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
26542 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
26545 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
26546 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
26547 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
26550 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
26551 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
26554 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
26557 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
26560 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
26563 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
26566 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
26567 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
26570 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
26574 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
26577 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
26582 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
26585 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
26589 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26592 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
26596 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
26599 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
26602 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
26603 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
26606 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
26607 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
26611 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
26612 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
26615 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
26619 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
26620 buffer to allow easier treatment.
26623 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
26626 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
26630 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
26634 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
26635 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
26638 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
26642 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
26643 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
26646 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
26647 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26650 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
26654 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26657 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
26660 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
26666 @subsubsection Red Gnus
26668 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
26672 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
26679 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
26682 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
26683 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
26686 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
26687 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
26691 Article washing status can be displayed in the
26692 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
26695 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
26698 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
26699 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
26702 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
26706 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
26707 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
26711 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
26712 Server Internals}).
26715 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
26719 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
26722 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
26723 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
26726 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
26727 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
26728 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
26731 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
26732 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
26735 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
26736 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
26739 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
26743 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
26744 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26747 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
26748 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
26751 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
26755 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
26758 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
26762 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
26763 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26766 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
26767 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
26770 A new command for reading collections of documents
26771 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
26772 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
26775 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
26779 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
26780 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
26783 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
26784 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
26785 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
26788 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
26789 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
26793 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
26797 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
26801 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
26806 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
26810 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
26814 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
26815 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
26818 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
26824 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
26826 New features in Gnus 5.6:
26831 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
26832 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
26833 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
26836 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
26837 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
26838 group, which is created automatically.
26841 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
26845 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
26848 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
26849 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
26852 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
26856 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
26859 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
26860 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
26863 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
26866 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
26870 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
26871 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
26874 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
26875 control over simplification.
26878 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
26881 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
26885 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
26888 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
26891 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
26892 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
26893 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
26896 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
26897 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
26900 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
26904 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
26905 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
26908 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
26909 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
26912 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
26916 A history of where mails have been split is available.
26919 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
26922 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
26923 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
26926 A new function for citing in Message has been
26927 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
26930 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
26933 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
26937 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
26938 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
26941 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
26942 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
26945 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
26948 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
26952 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
26953 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
26955 New features in Gnus 5.8:
26960 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
26961 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
26963 If you used procmail like in
26966 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
26967 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
26968 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
26969 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
26972 this now has changed to
26976 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
26980 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
26983 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
26984 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
26987 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
26988 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
26991 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
26992 called to position point.
26995 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
26996 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
26999 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
27000 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
27003 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
27004 subtly different manner.
27007 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
27008 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
27009 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
27012 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
27017 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
27020 New features in Gnus 5.10:
27024 @item Installation changes
27025 @c ***********************
27029 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
27031 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
27032 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
27033 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
27034 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
27035 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
27036 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
27037 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
27038 isn't save in general.
27041 Lisp files are now installed in @file{.../site-lisp/gnus/} by default.
27042 It defaulted to @file{.../site-lisp/} formerly. In addition to this,
27043 the new installer issues a warning if other Gnus installations which
27044 will shadow the latest one are detected. You can then remove those
27045 shadows manually or remove them using @code{make
27046 remove-installed-shadows}.
27049 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
27051 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
27052 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
27053 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, iff you want
27054 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
27055 the second parameter.
27057 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
27058 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
27059 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
27060 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
27061 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
27062 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
27063 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
27064 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
27065 cycle used under Unix systems.
27067 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} and @file{xemacs.mak}
27068 superfluous, so they have been removed.
27071 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
27073 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
27074 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
27077 @c FIXME: `gnus-load' is mentioned in README, which is not included in
27078 @c CVS. We should find a better place for this item.
27080 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
27082 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
27083 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
27084 lisp directory into load-path.
27086 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
27087 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
27091 @item New packages and libraries within Gnus
27092 @c *****************************************
27097 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
27098 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
27101 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
27103 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
27104 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
27105 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
27106 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
27109 Improved anti-spam features.
27111 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
27112 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
27113 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
27114 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
27115 are also new. @ref{Thwarting Email Spam} and @ref{Spam Package}.
27116 @c FIXME: @xref{Spam Package}?. Should this be under Misc?
27119 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
27121 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
27122 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
27123 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
27124 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
27125 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
27129 @item Changes in group mode
27130 @c ************************
27135 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
27139 Retrieval of charters and control messages
27141 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
27142 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
27145 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
27147 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
27148 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
27149 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
27150 variable in @file{~/.gnus.el} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
27151 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
27154 (setq gnus-parameters
27156 (gnus-show-threads nil)
27157 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
27158 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
27159 (to-group . "\\1"))))
27163 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
27165 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
27166 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
27167 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
27168 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
27169 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
27170 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
27171 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
27172 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
27173 when getting new mail, remove the function.
27176 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
27178 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
27179 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
27180 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
27183 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
27184 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
27186 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
27187 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
27188 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
27190 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
27195 @item Changes in summary and article mode
27196 @c **************************************
27201 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
27202 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
27203 region if the region is active.
27206 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
27207 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
27212 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
27213 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
27214 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
27215 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
27218 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
27223 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
27224 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
27226 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
27227 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
27231 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
27232 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
27235 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
27238 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
27239 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
27242 Warn about email replies to news
27244 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
27245 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
27249 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
27250 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
27254 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
27255 opposed to old but unread messages).
27258 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
27259 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
27262 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
27263 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
27266 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
27267 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
27270 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
27272 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
27273 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
27274 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
27275 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
27278 The new command @kbd{W Y f}
27279 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}) allows deuglifying broken
27280 Outlook (Express) articles.
27283 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
27285 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
27286 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
27287 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
27288 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
27290 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
27291 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
27292 message cited below.
27295 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now displayed graphically in
27298 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.gnus.el} to
27302 Face headers handling. @xref{Face}.
27305 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
27306 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
27309 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
27312 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
27314 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
27315 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
27316 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
27317 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
27318 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
27322 Deleting of attachments.
27324 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
27325 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
27326 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
27327 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
27328 that support editing.
27331 @code{gnus-default-charset}
27333 The default value is determined from the
27334 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
27335 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
27336 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
27339 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
27341 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
27342 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
27343 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
27346 Extended format specs.
27348 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
27349 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
27350 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
27351 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
27352 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
27353 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
27356 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
27357 @c FIXME: Was this a user-visible change?
27359 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
27360 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
27361 out other articles.
27364 Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
27366 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
27367 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
27368 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
27369 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
27372 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
27376 @item Changes in Message mode and related Gnus features
27377 @c ****************************************************
27384 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
27385 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
27386 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
27389 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
27390 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
27393 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
27394 Gcc articles as read.
27397 Externalizing of attachments
27399 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
27400 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
27401 local files as external parts.
27404 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
27405 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
27408 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
27410 Earlier it was generated iff the user configurable email address was
27411 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
27412 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
27413 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
27414 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
27415 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
27416 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
27417 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
27418 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
27421 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
27423 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
27424 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
27425 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
27426 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
27427 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
27428 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
27431 References and X-Draft-From headers are no longer generated when you
27432 start composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
27436 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers. @xref{X-Face}.
27439 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
27441 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
27442 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
27443 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
27444 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
27445 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
27446 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
27447 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
27448 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
27449 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
27450 was inserted directly.
27453 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
27455 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
27456 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
27457 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
27458 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
27461 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
27463 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
27465 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
27466 'bbdb-complete-name)
27470 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
27472 Add a new format of match like
27474 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
27475 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
27477 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
27479 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
27480 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
27484 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
27486 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
27487 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
27488 need add those two headers too.
27491 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
27492 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
27493 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
27497 The option @code{mm-fill-flowed} can be used to disable treatment of
27498 ``format=flowed'' messages. Also, flowed text is disabled when sending
27499 inline PGP signed messages. @xref{Flowed text, , Flowed text,
27500 emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
27501 @c This entry is also present in the node "No Gnus".
27504 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
27506 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
27509 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
27511 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
27515 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
27517 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
27518 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
27519 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
27520 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
27521 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
27522 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
27523 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
27524 The behavior can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
27527 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
27528 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
27530 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
27531 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
27532 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
27533 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
27536 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
27539 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
27540 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
27543 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to the symbol
27546 The behavior for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
27547 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
27548 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
27549 invalidate the digital signature.
27552 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
27553 decompressed when activated.
27554 @c FIXME: Does this affect article or message mode?
27557 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
27559 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
27560 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
27561 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
27562 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
27563 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
27566 @item You can now drag and drop attachments to the Message buffer.
27567 See @code{mml-dnd-protocol-alist} and @code{mml-dnd-attach-options}.
27568 @xref{MIME, ,MIME, message, Message Manual}.
27569 @c New in 5.10.9 / 5.11
27573 @item Changes in back ends
27574 @c ***********************
27578 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
27581 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
27584 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
27586 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
27589 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
27591 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
27592 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
27593 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
27594 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
27595 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
27596 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
27597 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
27598 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
27599 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
27600 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
27601 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
27611 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
27612 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
27615 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
27616 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
27617 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
27618 message, Message Manual}).
27621 The tool bars have been updated to use GNOME icons in Group, Summary and
27622 Message mode. You can also customize the tool bars. This is a new
27623 feature in Gnus 5.10.9. (Only for Emacs, not in XEmacs.)
27625 @item The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly
27626 in the group buffer, see the variable @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}.
27627 Its default value depends on your Emacs version. This is a new feature
27632 @item Miscellaneous changes
27633 @c ************************
27640 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
27641 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
27642 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
27643 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
27644 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
27645 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
27646 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
27647 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
27648 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
27649 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
27650 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
27651 behavior of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
27652 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
27653 is not needed any more.
27656 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
27658 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
27659 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
27660 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
27665 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
27666 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
27667 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
27671 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
27674 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
27676 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
27683 @subsubsection No Gnus
27686 New features in No Gnus:
27687 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
27689 @include gnus-news.texi
27695 @section The Manual
27699 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
27700 either @code{texi2dvi}
27702 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
27703 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
27705 to get what you hold in your hands now.
27707 The following conventions have been used:
27712 This is a @samp{string}
27715 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
27718 This is a @file{file}
27721 This is a @code{symbol}
27725 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
27729 (setq flargnoze "yes")
27732 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
27735 (setq flumphel 'yes)
27738 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
27739 ever get them confused.
27743 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
27744 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
27745 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
27746 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
27747 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
27748 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
27749 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
27755 @node On Writing Manuals
27756 @section On Writing Manuals
27758 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
27759 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
27760 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
27761 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
27762 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
27763 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
27766 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
27767 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
27768 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
27771 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
27772 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
27777 @section Terminology
27779 @cindex terminology
27784 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
27785 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
27786 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
27787 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
27788 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
27792 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
27793 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
27794 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
27795 not posting, and replying is not following up.
27799 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
27803 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
27808 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
27809 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
27810 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
27811 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
27812 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
27813 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
27814 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
27815 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
27816 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
27819 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
27820 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
27821 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
27822 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
27823 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
27824 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
27826 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
27827 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
27828 access the articles.
27830 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
27831 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
27832 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
27837 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
27838 default, way of getting news.
27842 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
27843 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
27848 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
27849 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
27853 A message that has been posted as news.
27856 @cindex mail message
27857 A message that has been mailed.
27861 A mail message or news article
27865 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
27870 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
27875 A line from the head of an article.
27879 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
27880 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
27882 @item @acronym{NOV}
27883 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
27884 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
27885 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
27886 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
27887 normal @sc{head} format.
27891 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
27892 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
27893 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
27894 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
27895 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
27896 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
27898 @item killed groups
27899 @cindex killed groups
27900 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
27901 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
27903 @item zombie groups
27904 @cindex zombie groups
27905 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
27908 @cindex active file
27909 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
27910 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
27911 is rather large, as you might surmise.
27914 @cindex bogus groups
27915 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
27916 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
27917 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
27920 @cindex activating groups
27921 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
27922 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
27923 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
27927 News servers store their articles locally in one fashion or other.
27928 One old-fashioned storage method is to have just one file per
27929 article. That's called a ``traditional spool''.
27933 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
27935 @item select method
27936 @cindex select method
27937 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
27940 @item virtual server
27941 @cindex virtual server
27942 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
27943 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
27944 whole is a virtual server.
27948 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
27949 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
27952 @item ephemeral groups
27953 @cindex ephemeral groups
27954 @cindex temporary groups
27955 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
27956 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
27957 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
27960 @cindex solid groups
27961 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
27962 group buffer are solid groups.
27964 @item sparse articles
27965 @cindex sparse articles
27966 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
27967 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
27971 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
27972 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
27976 @cindex thread root
27977 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
27978 articles in the thread.
27982 An article that has responses.
27986 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
27990 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
27991 specified by RFC 1153.
27994 @cindex splitting, terminology
27995 @cindex mail sorting
27996 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
27997 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
27998 incorrectly called mail filtering.
28004 @node Customization
28005 @section Customization
28006 @cindex general customization
28008 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
28009 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
28010 for some quite common situations.
28013 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
28014 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
28015 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
28016 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
28020 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
28021 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
28023 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
28024 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
28025 Gnus has to get from the @acronym{NNTP} server.
28029 @item gnus-read-active-file
28030 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
28031 entire active file from the server. This file is often very large. You
28032 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
28033 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
28034 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
28036 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
28037 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
28038 the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast. Not all @acronym{NNTP} servers
28039 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
28043 @node Slow Terminal Connection
28044 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
28046 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
28047 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
28048 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
28052 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
28053 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
28054 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
28055 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
28056 horizontal and vertical recentering.
28058 @item gnus-visible-headers
28059 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
28060 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
28061 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
28062 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
28064 Use the following to enable all the available hiding features:
28066 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
28067 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
28068 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
28071 @item gnus-use-full-window
28072 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
28073 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
28074 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
28075 want to read them anyway.
28077 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
28078 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
28082 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
28083 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
28084 lines, which might save some time.
28088 @node Little Disk Space
28089 @subsection Little Disk Space
28092 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
28093 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
28097 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
28098 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
28099 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
28100 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
28103 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
28104 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
28105 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
28106 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
28109 @item gnus-save-killed-list
28110 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
28111 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
28112 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
28113 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
28119 @subsection Slow Machine
28120 @cindex slow machine
28122 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
28123 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
28125 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
28126 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
28128 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
28129 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
28130 summary buffer faster.
28134 @node Troubleshooting
28135 @section Troubleshooting
28136 @cindex troubleshooting
28138 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
28146 Make sure your computer is switched on.
28149 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
28150 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
28154 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
28155 like @samp{Gnus v5.10.6} you have the right files loaded. Otherwise
28156 you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
28159 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
28160 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
28163 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
28164 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
28165 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
28166 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
28167 something like that.
28170 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
28173 @cindex reporting bugs
28175 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
28177 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
28178 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
28179 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
28180 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
28182 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
28183 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
28184 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
28185 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
28188 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
28189 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
28190 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
28191 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
28192 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
28193 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
28195 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
28196 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
28197 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
28201 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
28202 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
28205 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
28206 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
28207 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
28208 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
28209 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
28210 you discover some weird behavior when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
28211 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
28212 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
28213 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
28214 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
28215 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
28216 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
28217 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
28218 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
28223 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
28224 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
28225 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
28226 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
28227 helps isolating the real problem areas).
28229 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
28230 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
28231 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
28232 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
28233 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
28234 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
28235 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
28236 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
28237 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
28238 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
28239 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
28240 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
28241 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
28244 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
28245 @cindex ding mailing list
28246 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
28247 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
28248 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
28249 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
28253 @node Gnus Reference Guide
28254 @section Gnus Reference Guide
28256 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
28257 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
28258 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
28259 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
28262 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
28263 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
28264 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
28265 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
28266 and general methods of operation.
28269 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
28270 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
28271 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
28272 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
28273 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
28274 * Group Info:: The group info format.
28275 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
28276 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
28277 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
28281 @node Gnus Utility Functions
28282 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
28283 @cindex Gnus utility functions
28284 @cindex utility functions
28286 @cindex internal variables
28288 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
28289 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
28290 Below is a list of the most common ones.
28294 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
28295 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
28296 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
28298 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
28299 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
28300 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
28302 @item gnus-group-real-name
28303 @findex gnus-group-real-name
28304 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
28307 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
28308 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
28309 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
28310 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
28312 @item gnus-get-info
28313 @findex gnus-get-info
28314 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
28316 @item gnus-group-unread
28317 @findex gnus-group-unread
28318 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
28322 @findex gnus-active
28323 The active entry for @var{group}.
28325 @item gnus-set-active
28326 @findex gnus-set-active
28327 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
28329 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
28330 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
28331 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
28334 @item gnus-continuum-version
28335 @findex gnus-continuum-version
28336 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
28337 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
28340 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
28341 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
28342 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
28344 @item gnus-news-group-p
28345 @findex gnus-news-group-p
28346 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
28348 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
28349 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
28350 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
28352 @item gnus-server-to-method
28353 @findex gnus-server-to-method
28354 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
28356 @item gnus-server-equal
28357 @findex gnus-server-equal
28358 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
28360 @item gnus-group-native-p
28361 @findex gnus-group-native-p
28362 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
28364 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
28365 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
28366 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
28368 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
28369 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
28370 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
28372 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
28373 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
28374 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
28375 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
28377 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
28378 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
28379 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
28381 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
28382 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
28383 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
28385 @item gnus-check-backend-function
28386 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
28387 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
28388 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
28391 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
28395 @item gnus-read-method
28396 @findex gnus-read-method
28397 Prompts the user for a select method.
28402 @node Back End Interface
28403 @subsection Back End Interface
28405 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
28406 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
28407 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
28408 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
28409 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
28410 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
28412 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
28413 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
28414 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
28415 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
28416 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
28417 been opened, the function should fail.
28419 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
28420 name. Take this example:
28424 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
28425 (nntp-port-number 4324))
28428 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
28429 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
28431 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
28432 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
28433 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
28435 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
28436 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
28437 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
28439 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
28440 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
28441 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
28442 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
28443 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
28444 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
28447 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
28448 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
28449 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
28450 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
28453 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
28454 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
28455 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
28456 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
28457 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
28458 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
28459 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
28460 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
28461 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
28462 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
28464 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
28465 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
28466 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
28467 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
28468 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
28469 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
28470 of numbers as long as possible.
28472 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
28473 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
28474 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
28476 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
28479 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
28482 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
28483 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
28484 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
28485 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
28486 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
28487 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
28491 @node Required Back End Functions
28492 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
28496 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
28498 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
28499 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
28500 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
28501 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
28503 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
28504 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
28505 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
28506 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
28508 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
28509 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
28510 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
28511 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
28512 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
28513 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
28514 number, do maximum fetches.
28516 Here's an example HEAD:
28519 221 1056 Article retrieved.
28520 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
28521 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
28522 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
28523 Subject: Re: Something very droll
28524 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
28525 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
28527 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
28528 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
28529 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
28533 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
28534 these in the data buffer.
28536 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
28540 head = error / valid-head
28541 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
28542 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
28543 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
28544 header = <text> eol
28548 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
28550 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
28551 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
28555 nov-buffer = *nov-line
28556 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
28557 field = <text except TAB>
28560 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
28564 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
28566 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
28567 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
28569 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
28570 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
28571 server. In fact, it should do so.
28573 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
28574 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
28577 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
28579 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
28580 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
28583 There should be no data returned.
28586 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
28588 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
28589 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
28590 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
28591 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
28593 There should be no data returned.
28596 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
28598 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
28599 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
28600 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
28601 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
28603 There should be no data returned.
28606 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
28608 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
28610 There should be no data returned.
28613 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
28615 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
28616 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
28617 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
28618 it would be nice if that were possible.
28620 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
28621 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
28622 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
28623 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
28624 into its article buffer.
28626 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
28627 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
28628 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
28629 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
28630 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
28631 on successful article retrieval.
28634 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
28636 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
28637 making @var{group} the current group.
28639 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
28642 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
28645 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
28648 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
28649 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
28650 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
28651 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
28652 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
28653 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
28654 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
28655 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
28656 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
28660 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
28661 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
28662 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
28666 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
28668 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
28669 a no-op on most back ends.
28671 There should be no data returned.
28674 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
28676 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
28679 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
28682 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
28683 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
28686 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
28687 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
28688 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
28689 and the highest as 0.
28692 active-file = *active-line
28693 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
28695 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
28698 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
28699 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
28700 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
28703 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
28705 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
28706 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
28707 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
28708 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
28709 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
28710 clear if the posting could not be completed.
28712 There should be no result data from this function.
28717 @node Optional Back End Functions
28718 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
28722 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
28724 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
28725 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
28726 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
28728 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
28729 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
28730 former is in the same format as the data from
28731 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
28732 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
28735 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
28739 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
28741 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
28742 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
28743 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
28744 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
28745 should return a non-@code{nil} value (exceptionally,
28746 @code{nntp-request-update-info} always returns @code{nil} not to waste
28747 the network resources).
28749 There should be no result data from this function.
28752 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
28754 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
28755 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
28756 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
28757 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
28758 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
28759 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
28760 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
28761 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
28763 There should be no result data from this function.
28766 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
28768 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
28769 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
28770 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
28771 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
28772 propagate the mark information to the server.
28774 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
28777 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
28780 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
28781 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
28782 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
28783 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
28784 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
28785 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
28786 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
28787 possible, not limit itself to these.
28789 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
28790 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
28791 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
28792 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
28794 An example action list:
28797 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
28798 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
28799 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
28802 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
28803 mark on (currently not used for anything).
28805 There should be no result data from this function.
28807 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
28809 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
28810 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
28811 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
28812 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
28813 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
28815 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
28816 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
28817 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
28820 There should be no result data from this function.
28823 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
28825 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
28826 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
28827 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
28828 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
28829 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
28830 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
28831 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
28832 local if that's practical.
28834 There should be no result data from this function.
28837 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
28839 The result data from this function should be a description of
28843 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
28845 description = <text>
28848 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
28850 The result data from this function should be the description of all
28851 groups available on the server.
28854 description-buffer = *description-line
28858 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
28860 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
28861 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
28862 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
28863 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
28864 in the active buffer format.
28866 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
28867 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
28868 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
28869 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
28870 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
28871 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
28872 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
28875 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
28877 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
28879 There should be no return data.
28882 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
28884 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
28885 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
28886 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
28887 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
28888 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
28891 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
28894 There should be no result data returned.
28897 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
28899 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
28900 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
28902 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
28903 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
28904 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
28905 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
28906 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
28907 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
28909 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
28910 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
28913 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
28914 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
28916 There should be no data returned.
28919 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
28921 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
28922 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
28923 this function in short order.
28925 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
28926 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
28928 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
28929 article for that group.
28931 There should be no data returned.
28934 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
28936 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
28937 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
28939 There should be no data returned.
28942 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
28944 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
28945 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
28946 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
28948 There should be no data returned.
28951 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
28953 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
28954 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
28956 There should be no data returned.
28961 @node Error Messaging
28962 @subsubsection Error Messaging
28964 @findex nnheader-report
28965 @findex nnheader-get-report
28966 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
28967 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
28968 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
28969 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
28970 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
28971 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
28974 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
28976 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
28979 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
28980 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
28981 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
28982 takes one argument---the server symbol.
28984 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
28985 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
28986 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
28989 @node Writing New Back Ends
28990 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
28992 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
28993 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
28994 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
28995 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
28996 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
28999 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
29000 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
29001 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
29003 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
29004 package called @code{nnoo}.
29006 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
29007 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
29013 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
29014 parameters. For instance:
29017 (nnoo-declare nndir
29021 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
29022 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
29025 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
29026 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
29027 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
29029 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
29030 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
29031 a function in those back ends.
29034 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
29035 "Where nndir will look for groups."
29036 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
29039 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
29040 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
29041 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
29043 @item nnoo-define-basics
29044 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
29048 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
29052 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
29053 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
29054 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
29056 @item nnoo-map-functions
29057 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
29058 functions from the parent back ends.
29061 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
29062 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29063 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
29066 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
29067 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
29068 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
29069 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
29072 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
29073 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
29074 haven't already been defined.
29080 nnmh-request-newgroups)
29084 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
29085 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
29086 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
29091 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
29094 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
29095 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
29099 (require 'nnheader)
29103 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
29105 (nnoo-declare nndir
29108 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
29109 "Where nndir will look for groups."
29110 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
29112 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
29113 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
29116 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
29118 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
29119 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
29120 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
29122 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
29123 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
29125 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
29127 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
29129 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
29130 (setq nndir-directory
29131 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
29133 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
29134 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
29135 (push `(nndir-current-group
29136 ,(file-name-nondirectory
29137 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
29139 (push `(nndir-top-directory
29140 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
29142 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
29144 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
29145 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29146 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29147 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
29148 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
29152 nnmh-status-message
29154 nnmh-request-newgroups))
29160 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
29161 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
29163 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
29164 @findex gnus-declare-backend
29165 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
29166 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
29167 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
29169 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
29170 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
29175 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
29178 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
29180 The abilities can be:
29184 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
29186 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
29188 This back end supports both mail and news.
29190 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
29193 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
29194 articles and groups.
29196 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
29197 true for almost all back ends.
29198 @item prompt-address
29199 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
29200 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
29201 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
29205 @node Mail-like Back Ends
29206 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
29208 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
29209 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
29210 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
29211 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
29214 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
29215 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
29216 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
29219 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
29220 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
29223 This function takes four parameters.
29227 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
29230 @item exit-function
29231 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
29233 @item temp-directory
29234 Where the temporary files should be stored.
29237 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
29238 performed for one group only.
29241 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
29242 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
29243 find the article number assigned to this article.
29245 The function also uses the following variables:
29246 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
29247 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
29248 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
29249 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
29253 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
29254 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
29258 @node Score File Syntax
29259 @subsection Score File Syntax
29261 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
29262 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
29263 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
29265 Here's a typical score file:
29269 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
29276 BNF definition of a score file:
29279 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
29280 element = rule / atom
29281 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
29282 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
29283 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
29284 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
29286 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
29287 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
29288 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
29289 date-header = "date"
29290 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
29291 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
29292 score = "nil" / <integer>
29293 date = "nil" / <natural number>
29294 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
29295 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
29296 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
29297 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
29298 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
29299 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
29300 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
29301 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
29302 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
29303 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
29304 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
29305 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
29306 exclude-files / read-only / touched
29307 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
29308 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
29309 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
29310 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
29311 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
29312 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
29313 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
29314 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
29315 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
29316 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
29317 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
29318 eval = "eval" space <form>
29319 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
29322 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
29325 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
29326 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
29327 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
29328 one looong line, then that's ok.
29330 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
29331 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
29335 @subsection Headers
29337 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
29338 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
29339 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
29340 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
29342 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
29343 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
29344 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
29345 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
29346 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
29347 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
29348 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
29350 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
29351 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
29352 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
29353 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
29354 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
29356 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
29357 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
29363 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
29364 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
29366 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
29367 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
29368 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
29369 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
29371 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
29375 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
29378 is transformed into
29381 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
29384 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
29385 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
29388 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
29391 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
29392 is slightly tricky:
29395 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
29401 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
29404 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
29410 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
29417 and is equal to the previous range.
29419 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
29420 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
29421 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
29425 range = simple-range / normal-range
29426 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
29427 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
29428 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
29429 number *[ " " contents ]
29432 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
29433 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
29434 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
29435 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
29436 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
29441 @subsection Group Info
29443 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
29444 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
29445 describes the group.
29447 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
29448 second is a more complex one:
29451 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
29453 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
29454 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
29456 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
29459 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
29460 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
29461 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
29462 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
29463 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
29464 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
29465 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
29466 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
29467 this section is about.
29469 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
29470 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
29471 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
29473 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
29476 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
29477 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
29478 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
29479 group = quote <string> quote
29480 ralevel = rank / level
29481 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
29482 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
29483 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
29485 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
29486 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
29487 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
29488 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
29491 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
29492 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
29495 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
29496 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
29499 @item gnus-info-group
29500 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
29501 @findex gnus-info-group
29502 @findex gnus-info-set-group
29503 Get/set the group name.
29505 @item gnus-info-rank
29506 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
29507 @findex gnus-info-rank
29508 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
29509 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
29511 @item gnus-info-level
29512 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
29513 @findex gnus-info-level
29514 @findex gnus-info-set-level
29515 Get/set the group level.
29517 @item gnus-info-score
29518 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
29519 @findex gnus-info-score
29520 @findex gnus-info-set-score
29521 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
29523 @item gnus-info-read
29524 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
29525 @findex gnus-info-read
29526 @findex gnus-info-set-read
29527 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
29529 @item gnus-info-marks
29530 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
29531 @findex gnus-info-marks
29532 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
29533 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
29535 @item gnus-info-method
29536 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
29537 @findex gnus-info-method
29538 @findex gnus-info-set-method
29539 Get/set the group select method.
29541 @item gnus-info-params
29542 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
29543 @findex gnus-info-params
29544 @findex gnus-info-set-params
29545 Get/set the group parameters.
29548 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
29549 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
29551 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
29552 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
29553 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
29554 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
29557 @node Extended Interactive
29558 @subsection Extended Interactive
29559 @cindex interactive
29560 @findex gnus-interactive
29562 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
29563 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
29564 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
29567 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
29568 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
29573 The best thing to do would have been to implement
29574 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
29575 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
29576 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
29577 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
29578 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
29579 @code{interactive}.
29581 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
29586 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
29587 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
29591 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
29592 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
29593 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
29596 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
29600 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
29604 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
29610 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
29611 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
29615 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
29616 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
29617 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
29619 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
29620 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
29621 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
29622 Gnus, that's very useful.
29624 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
29625 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
29626 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
29627 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
29628 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
29629 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
29630 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
29631 following function:
29634 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
29638 (,function ,@@args))
29642 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
29643 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
29644 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
29647 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
29648 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
29649 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
29651 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
29652 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
29653 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
29656 @node Various File Formats
29657 @subsection Various File Formats
29660 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
29661 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
29665 @node Active File Format
29666 @subsubsection Active File Format
29668 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
29669 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
29672 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
29675 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
29676 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
29677 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
29678 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
29679 no.general 1000 900 y
29682 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
29685 active = *group-line
29686 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
29687 group = <non-white-space string>
29689 high-number = <non-negative integer>
29690 low-number = <positive integer>
29691 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
29694 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
29695 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
29698 @node Newsgroups File Format
29699 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
29701 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
29702 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
29703 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
29706 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
29707 Here's the definition:
29711 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
29712 group = <non-white-space string>
29714 description = <string>
29719 @node Emacs for Heathens
29720 @section Emacs for Heathens
29722 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
29723 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
29724 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
29725 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
29726 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
29727 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
29728 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
29732 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
29733 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
29738 @subsection Keystrokes
29742 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
29745 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
29748 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
29749 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
29750 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
29751 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
29752 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
29753 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
29755 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
29756 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
29757 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
29758 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
29759 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
29760 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
29761 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
29763 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
29764 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
29765 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
29766 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
29767 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
29768 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
29769 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
29771 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
29772 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
29773 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
29774 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
29775 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
29781 @subsection Emacs Lisp
29783 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
29784 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
29785 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
29786 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
29788 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
29789 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
29790 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
29791 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
29792 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
29793 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
29794 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{~/.gnus.el}
29795 file to customize Gnus. (You can also use the @file{~/.emacs} file, but
29796 in order to set things of Gnus up, it is much better to use the
29797 @file{~/.gnus.el} file, @xref{Startup Files}.)
29799 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
29800 write the following:
29803 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
29806 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
29807 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
29808 you can go and fill your @file{~/.gnus.el} file with lots of these to
29809 change how Gnus works.
29811 If you have put that thing in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, it will be
29812 read and @code{eval}ed (which is Lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
29813 start Gnus. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
29814 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
29815 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
29817 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
29818 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
29819 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
29823 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
29827 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
29830 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
29831 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
29834 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
29837 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
29838 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
29841 @include gnus-faq.texi
29843 @node GNU Free Documentation License
29844 @chapter GNU Free Documentation License
29845 @include doclicense.texi
29865 @c Local Variables:
29867 @c coding: iso-8859-1
29871 arch-tag: c9fa47e7-78ca-4681-bda9-9fef45d1c819