10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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295 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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304 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
306 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
309 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
310 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
311 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
312 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
313 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
314 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
315 License'' in the Emacs manual.
317 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
318 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
319 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
321 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
322 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
323 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
324 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
332 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
334 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
335 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
337 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
338 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
339 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
340 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
341 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
342 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
343 License'' in the Emacs manual.
345 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
346 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
347 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
349 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
350 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
351 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
352 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
360 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
363 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
364 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
366 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
368 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
369 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
370 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
371 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
372 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
373 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
374 License'' in the Emacs manual.
376 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
377 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
378 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
380 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
381 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
382 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
383 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
392 @top The Gnus Newsreader
396 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
397 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
398 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
401 This manual corresponds to Gnus v5.10.6.
412 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
413 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
415 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
416 being accused of plagiarism:
418 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
419 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
420 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
421 can even read news with it!
423 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
424 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
425 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
426 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
427 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
433 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
434 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
435 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
436 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
437 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
438 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
439 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
440 * Various:: General purpose settings.
441 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
442 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
443 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
444 * Key Index:: Key Index.
446 Other related manuals
448 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
449 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
450 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
451 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
452 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
455 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
459 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
460 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
461 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
462 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
463 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
464 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
465 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
466 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
467 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
468 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
469 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
473 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
474 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
475 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
479 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
480 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
481 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
482 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
483 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
484 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
485 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
486 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
487 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
488 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
489 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
490 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
491 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
492 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
493 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
494 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
495 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
499 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
500 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
501 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
505 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
506 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
507 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
508 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
509 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
513 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
514 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
515 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
516 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
517 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
521 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
522 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
523 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
524 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
525 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
526 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
527 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
528 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
529 * Threading:: How threads are made.
530 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
531 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
532 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
533 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
534 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
535 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
536 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
537 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
538 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
539 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
540 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
541 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
542 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
543 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
544 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
545 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
546 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
547 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
548 or reselecting the current group.
549 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
550 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
551 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
552 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
554 Summary Buffer Format
556 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
557 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
558 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
559 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
563 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
564 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
566 Reply, Followup and Post
568 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
569 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
570 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
571 * Canceling and Superseding::
575 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
576 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
577 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
581 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
582 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
583 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
587 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
588 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
590 Customizing Threading
592 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
593 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
594 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
595 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
599 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
600 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
601 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
602 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
603 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
604 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
608 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
609 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
610 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
614 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
615 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
616 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
617 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
618 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
619 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
620 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
621 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
622 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
623 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
624 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
626 Alternative Approaches
628 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
629 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
631 Various Summary Stuff
633 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
634 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
635 * Summary Generation Commands::
636 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
640 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
641 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
642 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
643 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
644 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
648 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
649 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
650 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
651 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
652 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
653 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
654 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
655 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
656 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
660 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
661 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
662 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
663 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
664 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
665 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
666 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
667 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
671 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
672 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
673 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
674 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
675 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
676 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
677 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
681 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
682 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
686 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
687 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
688 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
692 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
693 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
694 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
695 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
696 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
697 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
698 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
699 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
700 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
701 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
702 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
703 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
704 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
708 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
709 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
710 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
712 Choosing a Mail Back End
714 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
715 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
716 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
717 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
718 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
719 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
720 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
725 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
726 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
727 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
728 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
729 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
730 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
734 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
735 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
736 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
737 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
738 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
739 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
743 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
744 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
745 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
746 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
747 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
751 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
755 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
756 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
757 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
761 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
762 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
766 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
767 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
768 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
769 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
770 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
771 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
772 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
773 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
774 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
775 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
776 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
777 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
778 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
782 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
783 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
784 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
788 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
789 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
790 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
794 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
795 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
796 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
797 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
798 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
799 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
800 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
801 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
802 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
803 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
804 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
805 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
806 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
807 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
808 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
809 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
813 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
814 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
815 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
819 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
820 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
821 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
822 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
823 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
824 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
825 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
826 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
827 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
828 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
829 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
830 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
831 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
832 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
833 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
834 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
835 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
836 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
837 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
838 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
842 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
843 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
844 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
845 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
846 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
847 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
848 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
849 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
853 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
854 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
855 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
856 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
857 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
861 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
862 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
863 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
864 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
865 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
866 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
868 Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
870 * Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
871 * Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
872 * Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
873 * Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
874 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
876 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
877 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
879 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
881 * SpamAssassin backend::
882 * ifile spam filtering::
883 * spam-stat spam filtering::
885 * Extending the Spam ELisp package::
887 Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
889 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
890 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
891 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
895 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
896 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
897 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
898 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
899 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
900 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
901 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
902 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
903 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
907 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
908 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
909 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
910 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
911 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
912 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
913 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
914 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
915 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
919 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
920 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
921 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
922 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
923 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
924 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10.
925 * No Gnus:: Lars, FIXME!
929 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
930 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
931 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
932 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
936 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
937 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
938 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
939 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
940 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
941 * Group Info:: The group info format.
942 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
943 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
944 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
948 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
949 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
950 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
951 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
952 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
953 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
957 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
958 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
962 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
963 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
969 @chapter Starting Gnus
974 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
975 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
978 @findex gnus-other-frame
979 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
980 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
981 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
983 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
984 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
985 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
987 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
988 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
991 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
992 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
993 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
994 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
995 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
996 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
997 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
998 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
999 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
1000 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
1001 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
1005 @node Finding the News
1006 @section Finding the News
1007 @cindex finding news
1009 @vindex gnus-select-method
1011 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
1012 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
1013 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
1014 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
1017 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
1018 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1021 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1024 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1027 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1030 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1031 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1032 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1034 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1036 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1037 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1038 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1039 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1040 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1041 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1042 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1044 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1045 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1046 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1047 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1049 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1050 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1051 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1052 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1053 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1054 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1055 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1056 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1057 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1060 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1062 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1063 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1064 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1065 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1066 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1067 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1069 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1071 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1072 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1073 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1074 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1075 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1076 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1079 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1080 you would typically set this variable to
1083 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1087 @node The First Time
1088 @section The First Time
1089 @cindex first time usage
1091 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
1092 be subscribed by default.
1094 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1095 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1096 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1097 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1100 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1101 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1102 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1104 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1105 help you with most common problems.
1107 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1108 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1112 @node The Server is Down
1113 @section The Server is Down
1114 @cindex server errors
1116 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1117 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1118 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1120 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1121 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1122 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1123 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1124 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1125 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1126 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1128 @findex gnus-no-server
1129 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1131 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1132 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1133 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1134 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1135 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1136 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1137 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1141 @section Slave Gnusae
1144 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1145 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1146 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1147 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1149 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1150 @file{.newsrc} file.
1152 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1153 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1154 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1155 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1156 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1157 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1158 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1161 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1162 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1163 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1164 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1165 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1166 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1167 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1168 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1170 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1171 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1173 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1174 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1175 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1176 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1177 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1179 @node Fetching a Group
1180 @section Fetching a Group
1181 @cindex fetching a group
1183 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1184 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1185 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1186 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1187 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1188 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1194 @cindex subscription
1196 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1197 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1198 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1199 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1200 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1201 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1202 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1203 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1204 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1207 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1208 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1209 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1213 @node Checking New Groups
1214 @subsection Checking New Groups
1216 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1217 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1218 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1219 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1220 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1221 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1222 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1223 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1224 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1225 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1227 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1228 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1229 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1230 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1231 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1232 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1233 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1234 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1235 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1236 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1237 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1239 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1240 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1241 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1242 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1243 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1244 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1247 @node Subscription Methods
1248 @subsection Subscription Methods
1250 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1251 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1252 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1254 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1255 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1257 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1261 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1262 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1263 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1264 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1265 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1267 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1268 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1269 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1270 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1272 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1273 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1274 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1276 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1277 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1278 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1279 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1280 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1281 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1282 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1283 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1284 up. Or something like that.
1286 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1287 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1288 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1289 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1290 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1292 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1293 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1294 Kill all new groups.
1296 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1297 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1298 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1299 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1300 topic parameter that looks like
1306 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1309 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1314 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1315 A closely related variable is
1316 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1317 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1318 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1319 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1322 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1323 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1324 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1325 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1328 @node Filtering New Groups
1329 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1331 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1332 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1333 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1336 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1339 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1340 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1341 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1342 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1343 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1344 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1345 subscribing these groups.
1346 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1347 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1349 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1350 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1351 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1352 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1353 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1354 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1355 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1356 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1358 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1359 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1360 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1361 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1362 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1363 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1364 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1365 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1366 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1367 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1370 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1371 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1374 @node Changing Servers
1375 @section Changing Servers
1376 @cindex changing servers
1378 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1379 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1380 very flaky and you want to use another.
1382 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1383 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1387 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1388 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1389 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1390 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1393 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1394 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1395 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1396 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1398 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1399 @findex gnus-change-server
1400 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1401 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1402 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1403 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1404 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1406 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1407 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1408 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1409 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1410 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1412 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1413 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1414 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1415 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1416 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1417 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1419 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1420 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1421 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1422 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1424 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1425 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1426 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1427 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1428 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1429 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1430 cache for all groups).
1434 @section Startup Files
1435 @cindex startup files
1440 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1441 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1443 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1444 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1445 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1446 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1447 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1448 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1449 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1451 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1452 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1453 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1454 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1455 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1456 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1458 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1459 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1460 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1461 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1462 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1463 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1464 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1465 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1466 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1467 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1469 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1470 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1471 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1472 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1473 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1474 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1475 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1476 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1477 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1478 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1479 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1480 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1482 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1483 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1484 @vindex version-control
1485 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1486 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1487 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1488 If you want version control for this file, set
1489 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1490 @code{version-control} variable.
1492 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1493 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1494 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1495 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1496 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1497 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1498 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1499 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1500 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1501 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1504 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1505 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1507 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1508 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1511 @vindex gnus-init-file
1512 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1513 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1514 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1515 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1516 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1517 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1518 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1519 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1520 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1521 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1527 @cindex dribble file
1530 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1531 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1532 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1533 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1534 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1537 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1538 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1541 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1542 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1543 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1545 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1546 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1547 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1548 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1549 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1550 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1552 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1553 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1554 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1557 @node The Active File
1558 @section The Active File
1560 @cindex ignored groups
1562 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1563 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1564 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1566 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1567 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1568 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1569 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1570 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1571 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1572 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1575 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1576 @c if you set it to anything else.
1578 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1580 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1581 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1582 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1584 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1585 you actually subscribe to.
1587 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1588 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1589 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1590 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1592 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1593 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1594 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1595 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1596 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1597 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1599 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1600 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1601 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1604 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1605 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1606 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1607 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1608 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1609 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1611 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1612 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1614 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1615 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1617 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1618 secondary select methods.
1621 @node Startup Variables
1622 @section Startup Variables
1626 @item gnus-load-hook
1627 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1628 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1629 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1630 times you start Gnus.
1632 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1633 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1634 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1636 @item gnus-startup-hook
1637 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1638 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1640 @item gnus-started-hook
1641 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1642 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1645 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1646 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1647 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1648 generating the group buffer.
1650 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1651 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1652 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1653 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1654 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1655 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1656 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1657 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1659 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1660 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1661 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1662 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1663 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1664 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1666 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1667 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1668 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1670 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1671 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1672 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1674 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1675 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1676 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1677 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1683 @chapter Group Buffer
1684 @cindex group buffer
1686 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1688 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1689 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1690 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1691 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1692 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1693 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1694 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1695 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1696 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1697 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1698 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1699 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1700 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1701 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1702 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1703 @c human rights at 9...
1706 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1707 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1708 long as Gnus is active.
1712 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1713 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1714 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1715 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1716 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1717 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1718 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1719 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1725 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1726 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1727 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1728 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1729 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1730 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1731 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1732 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1733 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1734 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1735 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1736 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1737 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1738 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1739 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1740 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1741 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1745 @node Group Buffer Format
1746 @section Group Buffer Format
1749 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1750 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1751 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1755 @node Group Line Specification
1756 @subsection Group Line Specification
1757 @cindex group buffer format
1759 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1760 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1762 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1765 25: news.announce.newusers
1766 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1771 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1772 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1773 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1774 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1776 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1777 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1778 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1779 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1780 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1781 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1783 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1785 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1786 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1787 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1788 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1789 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1791 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1792 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1793 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1795 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1800 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1803 Whether the group is subscribed.
1806 Level of subscribedness.
1809 Number of unread articles.
1812 Number of dormant articles.
1815 Number of ticked articles.
1818 Number of read articles.
1821 Number of unseen articles.
1824 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1825 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1827 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1828 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1829 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1830 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1831 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1832 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1833 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1834 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1837 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1840 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1849 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1850 comment element in the group parameters.
1853 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1854 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1855 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1859 @samp{m} if moderated.
1862 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1868 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1874 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1878 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1881 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1882 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1883 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1884 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1885 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1888 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1890 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1894 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1897 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1901 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1902 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1903 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1904 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1907 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1908 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1909 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1910 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1911 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1912 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1917 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1918 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1919 group, or a bogus native group.
1922 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1923 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1924 @cindex group mode line
1926 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1927 The mode line can be changed by setting
1928 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1929 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1933 The native news server.
1935 The native select method.
1939 @node Group Highlighting
1940 @subsection Group Highlighting
1941 @cindex highlighting
1942 @cindex group highlighting
1944 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1945 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1946 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1947 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1948 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1950 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1954 (cond (window-system
1955 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1956 (defface my-group-face-1
1957 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1958 (defface my-group-face-2
1959 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1960 "Second group face")
1961 (defface my-group-face-3
1962 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1963 (defface my-group-face-4
1964 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1965 (defface my-group-face-5
1966 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1968 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1969 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1970 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1971 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1972 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1973 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1976 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1978 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1985 The number of unread articles in the group.
1989 Whether the group is a mail group.
1991 The level of the group.
1993 The score of the group.
1995 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1997 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1998 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
2000 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
2001 topic being inserted.
2004 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
2005 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
2006 functions for snarfing info on the group.
2008 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
2009 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
2010 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
2011 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
2012 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
2015 @node Group Maneuvering
2016 @section Group Maneuvering
2017 @cindex group movement
2019 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2020 expected, hopefully.
2026 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2027 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2028 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2034 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2035 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2036 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2040 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2041 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2045 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2046 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2050 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2051 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2052 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2056 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2057 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2058 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2061 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2067 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2068 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2069 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2074 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2075 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2076 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2080 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2081 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2082 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2085 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2086 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2087 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2088 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2092 @node Selecting a Group
2093 @section Selecting a Group
2094 @cindex group selection
2099 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2100 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2101 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2102 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2103 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2104 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2105 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2106 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2107 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2108 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2110 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2111 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2112 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2114 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2115 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2120 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2121 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2122 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2123 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2124 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2128 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2129 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2130 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2131 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2132 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2133 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2134 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2135 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2136 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2137 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2140 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2141 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2142 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2143 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2144 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2147 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2148 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2149 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2150 doing any processing of its contents
2151 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2152 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2153 manner will have no permanent effects.
2157 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2158 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2159 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2160 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2161 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2162 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2163 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2164 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2165 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2166 most recently will be fetched.
2168 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2169 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2170 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2173 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2174 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2175 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2176 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2177 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2178 Which article this is is controlled by the
2179 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2185 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2188 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2191 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2193 @item unseen-or-unread
2194 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2195 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2199 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2203 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2204 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2206 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2207 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2208 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2209 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2213 @node Subscription Commands
2214 @section Subscription Commands
2215 @cindex subscription
2223 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2224 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2225 Toggle subscription to the current group
2226 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2232 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2233 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2234 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2235 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2241 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2242 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2243 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2249 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2250 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2253 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2254 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2255 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2256 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2257 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2263 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2264 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2268 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2269 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2272 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2273 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2274 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2275 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2276 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2277 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2278 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2279 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2280 @file{.newsrc} file.
2284 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2294 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2295 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2296 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2297 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2298 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2299 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2304 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2305 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2306 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2310 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2311 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2312 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2314 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2315 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2316 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2317 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2318 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2319 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2326 @section Group Levels
2330 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2331 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2332 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2333 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2334 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2336 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2342 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2343 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2344 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2345 prompted for a level.
2348 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2349 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2350 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2351 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2352 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2353 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2354 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2355 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2356 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2357 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2358 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2359 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2360 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2361 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2362 reasons of efficiency.
2364 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2365 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2367 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2368 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2369 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2370 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2371 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2372 groups are hidden, in a way.
2374 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2375 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2376 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2377 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2378 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2379 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2381 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2382 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2383 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2384 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2385 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2386 list of killed groups.)
2388 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2389 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2390 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2392 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2393 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2394 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2395 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2396 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2397 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2398 relevant valid ranges.
2400 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2401 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2402 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2403 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2404 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2405 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2408 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2409 one with the best level.
2411 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2412 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2413 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2416 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2417 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2418 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2419 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2422 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2423 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2424 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2425 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2427 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2428 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2429 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2430 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2431 to 5. The default is 6.
2435 @section Group Score
2440 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2441 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2442 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2445 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2446 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2447 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2448 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2449 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2450 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2451 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2452 least significant part.))
2454 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2455 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2456 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2457 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2458 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2459 action after each summary exit, you can add
2460 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2461 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2462 slow things down somewhat.
2465 @node Marking Groups
2466 @section Marking Groups
2467 @cindex marking groups
2469 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2470 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2471 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2472 bidding on those groups.
2474 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2475 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2476 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2484 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2485 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2491 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2492 Remove the mark from the current group
2493 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2497 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2498 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2502 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2503 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2507 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2508 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2512 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2513 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2514 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2517 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2519 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2520 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2521 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2522 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2523 the command to be executed.
2526 @node Foreign Groups
2527 @section Foreign Groups
2528 @cindex foreign groups
2530 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2531 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2532 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2533 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2540 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2541 @cindex making groups
2542 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2543 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2544 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2548 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2549 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2550 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2554 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2555 @cindex renaming groups
2556 Rename the current group to something else
2557 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2558 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2564 @findex gnus-group-customize
2565 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2569 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2570 @cindex renaming groups
2571 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2572 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2576 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2577 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2578 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2582 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2583 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2584 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2588 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2590 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2591 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2596 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2597 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2601 @cindex (ding) archive
2602 @cindex archive group
2603 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2604 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2605 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2606 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2607 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2608 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2609 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2613 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2615 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2616 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2617 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2618 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2622 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2624 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2625 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2626 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2630 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2631 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2633 Make a group based on some file or other
2634 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2635 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2636 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2637 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2638 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2639 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2640 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2641 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2642 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2646 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2647 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2648 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2649 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2653 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2657 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2658 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2659 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2660 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2661 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2662 @xref{Web Searches}.
2664 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2665 to a particular group by using a match string like
2666 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2670 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2671 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2672 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2676 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2677 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2678 This function will delete the current group
2679 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2680 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2681 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2682 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2683 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2687 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2688 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2689 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2693 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2694 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2695 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2698 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2701 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2702 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2703 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2704 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2705 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2706 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2710 @node Group Parameters
2711 @section Group Parameters
2712 @cindex group parameters
2714 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2715 Here's an example group parameter list:
2718 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2722 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2723 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2724 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2725 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2727 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2728 is an alist of regexps and values.
2730 The following group parameters can be used:
2735 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2738 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2741 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2742 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2743 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2744 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2745 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2747 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2748 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2749 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2750 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2751 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2752 list address instead.
2754 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2758 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2761 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2764 It is totally ignored
2765 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2766 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2768 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2769 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2770 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2771 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2772 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2774 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2775 @cindex mail list groups
2776 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2777 entering summary buffer.
2779 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2784 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2785 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2786 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2787 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2788 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2789 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2790 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2791 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2794 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2795 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2798 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2799 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2803 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2804 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2805 of whether it has any unread articles.
2807 @item broken-reply-to
2808 @cindex broken-reply-to
2809 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2810 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2811 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2812 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2813 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2814 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2818 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2819 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2823 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2824 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2825 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2830 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2831 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2832 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2833 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2834 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2835 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2836 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2838 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2839 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2840 doesn't accept articles.
2844 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2845 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2846 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2848 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2851 @cindex total-expire
2852 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2853 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2854 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2855 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2858 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2862 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2863 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2864 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2865 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2866 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2867 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2868 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2871 @cindex expiry-target
2872 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2873 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2876 @cindex score file group parameter
2877 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2878 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2879 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2882 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2883 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2884 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2885 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2888 @cindex admin-address
2889 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2890 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2891 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2892 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2896 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2897 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2901 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2904 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2905 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2908 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2912 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2914 Here are some examples:
2918 Display only unread articles.
2921 Display everything except expirable articles.
2923 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2924 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2928 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2929 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2930 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2931 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2932 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2936 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2937 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2938 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2942 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2943 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2944 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2948 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2949 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2950 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2952 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2954 @item ignored-charsets
2955 @cindex ignored-charset
2956 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2957 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2958 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2960 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2963 @cindex posting-style
2964 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2965 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2966 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2967 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2968 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2970 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2971 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2972 like this in the group parameters:
2977 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2978 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2983 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2984 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2988 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
2989 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
2990 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2991 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2992 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2996 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2997 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2998 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2999 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
3001 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
3002 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
3003 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
3004 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
3007 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
3008 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
3012 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3013 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3015 @item (agent parameters)
3016 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
3017 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3018 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3019 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3020 minimize the configuration effort.
3022 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3023 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3024 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3025 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3026 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3027 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3028 @code{eval}ed there.
3030 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
3031 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3032 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3033 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3034 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3035 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3036 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3037 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3040 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3043 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3044 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3045 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3048 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3051 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3052 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3053 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3054 into the group parameters for the group.
3056 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
3057 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
3058 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
3059 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
3060 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
3064 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
3065 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
3066 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
3067 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
3068 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
3070 @vindex gnus-parameters
3071 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3072 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
3076 (setq gnus-parameters
3078 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3079 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3080 (gnus-summary-line-format
3081 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3085 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3089 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3093 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3096 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3097 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3100 @node Listing Groups
3101 @section Listing Groups
3102 @cindex group listing
3104 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3112 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3113 List all groups that have unread articles
3114 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3115 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3116 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3117 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3124 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3125 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3126 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3127 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3128 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3129 unsubscribed groups).
3133 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3134 List all unread groups on a specific level
3135 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3136 with no unread articles.
3140 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3141 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3142 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3143 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3148 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3149 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3153 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3154 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3155 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3159 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3160 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3164 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3165 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3166 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3167 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3168 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3169 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3170 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3171 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3175 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3176 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3177 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3181 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3182 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3183 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3187 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3188 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3192 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3193 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3197 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3198 List groups limited within the current selection
3199 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3203 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3204 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3208 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3209 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3213 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3214 @cindex visible group parameter
3215 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3216 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3217 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3218 get the same effect.
3220 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3221 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3222 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3223 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3224 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3227 @node Sorting Groups
3228 @section Sorting Groups
3229 @cindex sorting groups
3231 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3232 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3233 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3234 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3235 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3236 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3241 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3242 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3243 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3245 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3246 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3247 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3249 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3250 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3251 Sort by group level.
3253 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3254 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3255 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3257 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3258 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3259 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3260 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3262 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3263 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3264 Sort by number of unread articles.
3266 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3267 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3268 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3270 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3271 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3272 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3277 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3278 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3282 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3283 some sorting criteria:
3287 @kindex G S a (Group)
3288 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3289 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3290 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3293 @kindex G S u (Group)
3294 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3295 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3296 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3299 @kindex G S l (Group)
3300 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3301 Sort the group buffer by group level
3302 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3305 @kindex G S v (Group)
3306 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3307 Sort the group buffer by group score
3308 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3311 @kindex G S r (Group)
3312 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3313 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3314 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3317 @kindex G S m (Group)
3318 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3319 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3320 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3323 @kindex G S n (Group)
3324 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3325 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3326 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3330 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3331 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3333 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3334 commands will sort in reverse order.
3336 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3340 @kindex G P a (Group)
3341 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3342 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3343 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3346 @kindex G P u (Group)
3347 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3348 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3349 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3352 @kindex G P l (Group)
3353 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3354 Sort the groups by group level
3355 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3358 @kindex G P v (Group)
3359 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3360 Sort the groups by group score
3361 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3364 @kindex G P r (Group)
3365 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3366 Sort the groups by group rank
3367 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3370 @kindex G P m (Group)
3371 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3372 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3373 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3376 @kindex G P n (Group)
3377 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3378 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3379 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3382 @kindex G P s (Group)
3383 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3384 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3388 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3392 @node Group Maintenance
3393 @section Group Maintenance
3394 @cindex bogus groups
3399 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3400 Find bogus groups and delete them
3401 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3405 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3406 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3407 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3408 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3409 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3413 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3414 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3415 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3416 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3417 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3418 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3421 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3422 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3423 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3424 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3429 @node Browse Foreign Server
3430 @section Browse Foreign Server
3431 @cindex foreign servers
3432 @cindex browsing servers
3437 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3438 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3439 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3440 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3443 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3444 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3445 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3446 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3448 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3453 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3454 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3458 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3459 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3462 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3463 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3464 Enter the current group and display the first article
3465 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3468 @kindex RET (Browse)
3469 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3470 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3474 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3475 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3476 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3482 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3483 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3487 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3488 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3492 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3493 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3494 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3499 @section Exiting Gnus
3500 @cindex exiting Gnus
3502 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3507 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3508 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3509 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3510 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3514 @findex gnus-group-exit
3515 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3516 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3520 @findex gnus-group-quit
3521 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3522 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3525 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3526 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3527 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3528 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3529 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3530 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3536 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3537 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3538 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3544 @section Group Topics
3547 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3548 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3549 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3550 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3551 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3552 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3556 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3557 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3568 2: alt.religion.emacs
3571 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3573 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3574 13: comp.sources.unix
3577 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3579 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3580 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3581 is a toggling command.)
3583 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3584 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3585 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3586 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3589 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3590 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3591 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3594 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3598 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3599 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3600 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3601 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3602 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3606 @node Topic Commands
3607 @subsection Topic Commands
3608 @cindex topic commands
3610 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3611 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3612 definitions slightly.
3614 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3615 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3616 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3617 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3618 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3619 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3621 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3628 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3629 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3630 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3634 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3636 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3637 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3638 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3639 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3642 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3643 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3644 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3645 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3649 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3650 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3651 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3652 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3658 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3659 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3660 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3664 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3665 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3666 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3669 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3670 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3671 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3672 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3673 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3675 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3676 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3680 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3681 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3688 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3690 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3691 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3692 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3693 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3694 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3695 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3699 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3705 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3706 Move the current group to some other topic
3707 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3708 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3712 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3713 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3717 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3718 Copy the current group to some other topic
3719 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3720 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3724 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3725 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3726 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3730 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3731 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3732 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3736 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3737 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3738 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3739 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3740 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3741 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3742 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3745 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3746 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3750 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3751 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3752 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3756 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3757 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3758 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3762 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3763 Toggle hiding empty topics
3764 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3768 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3769 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3770 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3771 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3774 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3775 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3776 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3777 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3778 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3781 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3782 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3783 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3784 expiry process (if any)
3785 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3789 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3790 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3793 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3794 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3795 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3799 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3800 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3801 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3804 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3805 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3806 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3809 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3810 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3811 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3815 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3816 @cindex group parameters
3817 @cindex topic parameters
3819 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3820 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3825 @node Topic Variables
3826 @subsection Topic Variables
3827 @cindex topic variables
3829 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3830 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3832 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3833 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3834 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3847 Number of groups in the topic.
3849 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3851 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3854 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3855 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3856 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3859 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3860 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3862 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3863 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3864 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3868 @subsection Topic Sorting
3869 @cindex topic sorting
3871 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3877 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3878 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3879 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3880 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3883 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3884 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3885 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3886 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3889 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3890 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3891 Sort the current topic by group level
3892 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3895 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3896 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3897 Sort the current topic by group score
3898 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3901 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3902 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3903 Sort the current topic by group rank
3904 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3907 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3908 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3909 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3910 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3913 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3914 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3915 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3916 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3919 @kindex T S s (Topic)
3920 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3921 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3922 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3923 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3927 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3928 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3932 @node Topic Topology
3933 @subsection Topic Topology
3934 @cindex topic topology
3937 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3944 2: alt.religion.emacs
3947 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3949 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3950 13: comp.sources.unix
3954 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3955 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3956 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3961 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3962 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3966 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3967 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3968 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3969 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3970 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3971 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3973 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3974 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3975 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3978 @node Topic Parameters
3979 @subsection Topic Parameters
3980 @cindex topic parameters
3982 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
3983 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
3984 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
3985 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
3986 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
3988 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3993 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3994 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3995 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3998 @item subscribe-level
3999 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4000 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4001 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4005 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4006 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4007 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4008 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4015 2: alt.religion.emacs
4019 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4021 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4022 13: comp.sources.unix
4027 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4028 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4029 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4030 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4031 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4032 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4034 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4035 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4036 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4037 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4038 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4040 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4041 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4042 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4043 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4044 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4045 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4046 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4047 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4050 @node Misc Group Stuff
4051 @section Misc Group Stuff
4054 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4055 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4056 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4057 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4058 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4065 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4066 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4067 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4071 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4072 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4073 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4074 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4075 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4076 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4077 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4081 @findex gnus-group-mail
4082 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4083 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4084 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4085 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4089 @findex gnus-group-news
4090 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4091 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4092 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4094 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4095 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4096 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4097 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4098 for this to work though.
4102 Variables for the group buffer:
4106 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4107 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4108 is called after the group buffer has been
4111 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4112 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4113 is called after the group buffer is
4114 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4117 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4118 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4119 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4120 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4122 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4123 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4124 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4125 whether they are empty or not.
4127 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4128 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4129 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4130 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4134 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4135 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4138 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4139 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4140 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4141 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4142 is used to show non-@acronym{ASCII} group names. @code{((".*"
4143 utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the
4144 default is @code{nil}.
4148 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4149 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4154 @node Scanning New Messages
4155 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4156 @cindex new messages
4157 @cindex scanning new news
4163 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4164 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4165 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4166 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4167 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4168 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4173 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4174 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4175 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4176 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4177 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4178 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4179 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4181 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4182 @cindex activating groups
4184 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4185 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4190 @findex gnus-group-restart
4191 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4192 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4193 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4197 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4198 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4200 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4201 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4205 @node Group Information
4206 @subsection Group Information
4207 @cindex group information
4208 @cindex information on groups
4215 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4216 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4219 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
4220 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
4221 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
4222 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
4223 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4224 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
4225 used for fetching the file.
4227 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4228 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4232 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4233 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4235 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4236 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4239 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4240 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4241 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4245 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4246 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4247 @cindex control message
4248 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4249 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4250 group if given a prefix argument.
4252 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4253 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4254 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4255 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4257 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4258 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4259 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4263 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4265 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4266 @cindex describing groups
4267 @cindex group description
4268 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4269 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4270 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4274 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4275 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4276 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4283 @findex gnus-version
4284 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4288 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4289 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4292 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4295 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4296 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4300 @node Group Timestamp
4301 @subsection Group Timestamp
4303 @cindex group timestamps
4305 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4306 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4307 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4310 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4313 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4315 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4316 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4319 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4320 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4323 This will result in lines looking like:
4326 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4327 0: custom 19961002T012713
4330 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4331 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4335 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4336 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4339 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4340 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4344 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4345 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4346 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4347 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4349 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4355 @subsection File Commands
4356 @cindex file commands
4362 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4363 @vindex gnus-init-file
4364 @cindex reading init file
4365 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4366 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4370 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4371 @cindex saving .newsrc
4372 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4373 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4374 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4377 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4378 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4379 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4384 @node Sieve Commands
4385 @subsection Sieve Commands
4386 @cindex group sieve commands
4388 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4389 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4390 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4391 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4392 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4394 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4395 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4396 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4397 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4398 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4399 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4400 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4401 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4402 regenerate the Sieve script.
4404 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4405 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4406 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4407 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4408 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4409 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4410 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4411 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4412 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4413 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4416 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4417 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4422 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4428 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4429 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4430 @cindex generating sieve script
4431 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4432 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4436 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4437 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4438 @cindex updating sieve script
4439 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4440 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4441 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4446 @node Summary Buffer
4447 @chapter Summary Buffer
4448 @cindex summary buffer
4450 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4451 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4453 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4454 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4456 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4459 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4460 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4461 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4462 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4463 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4464 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4465 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4466 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4467 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4468 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4469 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4470 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4471 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4472 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4473 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4474 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4475 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4476 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4477 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4478 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4479 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4480 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4481 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4482 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4483 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4484 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4485 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4486 or reselecting the current group.
4487 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4488 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4489 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4490 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4494 @node Summary Buffer Format
4495 @section Summary Buffer Format
4496 @cindex summary buffer format
4500 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4501 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4502 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4508 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4509 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4510 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4511 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4514 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4515 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4516 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4517 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4518 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4519 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4520 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4521 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4522 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4523 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4524 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4527 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4528 'mail-extract-address-components)
4531 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4532 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4533 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4534 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4537 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4538 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4540 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4541 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4542 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4543 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4544 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4546 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4547 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4548 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4549 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4550 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4551 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4553 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4555 The following format specification characters and extended format
4556 specification(s) are understood:
4562 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4563 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4565 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4566 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4567 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4569 Full @code{From} header.
4571 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4573 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4576 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4577 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4578 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4579 may be more thorough.
4581 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4584 Number of lines in the article.
4586 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4587 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4589 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4590 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4592 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4594 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4595 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4608 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4609 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4610 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4611 line-drawing glyphs.
4613 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4614 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4615 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4616 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4618 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4619 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4620 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4621 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4623 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4624 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4625 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4626 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4628 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4629 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4630 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4632 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4633 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4634 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4636 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4637 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4638 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4640 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4641 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4642 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4647 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4648 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4650 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4651 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4653 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4654 for adopted articles.
4656 One space for each thread level.
4658 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4660 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4663 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4664 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4665 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4668 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4670 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4671 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4672 default level. If the difference between
4673 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4674 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4682 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4684 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4690 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4691 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4693 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4694 article has any children.
4700 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4701 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4703 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4704 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4705 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
4706 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4707 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4708 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4711 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4712 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4713 There can only be one such area.
4715 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4716 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4717 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4718 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4719 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4720 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4722 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4723 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4725 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4728 @node To From Newsgroups
4729 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4733 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4734 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4735 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4736 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4737 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4741 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4742 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4743 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4747 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4748 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4751 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4752 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4755 @findex gnus-extra-header
4756 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4757 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4758 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4761 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4765 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4766 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4767 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4768 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4769 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4770 headers are used instead.
4774 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4775 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4776 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
4777 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4778 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4779 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4782 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4783 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4784 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4785 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4787 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4791 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4793 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4794 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4795 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4796 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4800 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4803 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4804 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4807 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4808 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4809 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4815 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4816 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4819 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4820 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4822 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4823 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4824 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4825 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4827 Here are the elements you can play with:
4833 Unprefixed group name.
4835 Current article number.
4837 Current article score.
4841 Number of unread articles in this group.
4843 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4846 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4847 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4848 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4849 and no unselected ones.
4851 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4852 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4854 Subject of the current article.
4856 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4858 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4860 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4862 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4864 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4866 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4870 @node Summary Highlighting
4871 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4875 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4876 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4877 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4878 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4879 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4881 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4882 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4883 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4884 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4886 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4887 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4888 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4889 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4891 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4892 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4893 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4894 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4895 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4896 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4899 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4900 ((> score default) . bold))
4902 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4903 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4907 @node Summary Maneuvering
4908 @section Summary Maneuvering
4909 @cindex summary movement
4911 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4912 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4914 None of these commands select articles.
4919 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4920 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4921 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4922 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4923 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4927 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4928 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4929 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4930 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4931 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4934 @kindex G g (Summary)
4935 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4936 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4937 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4940 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4941 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4942 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4943 to the group buffer.
4945 Variables related to summary movement:
4949 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4950 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4951 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4952 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4953 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4954 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4955 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4956 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4957 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4958 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4959 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4960 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4961 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4962 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4964 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4965 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4966 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4967 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4968 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4969 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4970 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4972 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4974 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4975 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4976 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4977 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4978 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4980 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4981 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4982 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4983 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4984 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4985 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4986 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4987 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4990 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4991 the given number of lines from the top.
4996 @node Choosing Articles
4997 @section Choosing Articles
4998 @cindex selecting articles
5001 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
5002 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
5006 @node Choosing Commands
5007 @subsection Choosing Commands
5009 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
5010 and they all select and display an article.
5012 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
5013 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
5017 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5018 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5019 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
5020 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5022 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
5023 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
5024 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
5029 @kindex G n (Summary)
5030 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
5031 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
5032 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5037 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5038 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5039 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
5044 @kindex G N (Summary)
5045 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5046 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5051 @kindex G P (Summary)
5052 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5053 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5056 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5057 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5058 Go to the next article with the same subject
5059 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5062 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5063 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5064 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5065 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5069 @kindex G f (Summary)
5071 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5072 Go to the first unread article
5073 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5077 @kindex G b (Summary)
5079 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5080 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5081 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5082 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5087 @kindex G l (Summary)
5088 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5089 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5092 @kindex G o (Summary)
5093 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5095 @cindex article history
5096 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5097 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5098 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5099 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5100 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5101 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5106 @kindex G j (Summary)
5107 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5108 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5109 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5114 @node Choosing Variables
5115 @subsection Choosing Variables
5117 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5120 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5121 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5122 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5123 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5124 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5125 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5127 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5128 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5129 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
5130 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you would
5131 like each article to be saved in the Agent as you read it, putting
5132 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook will do so.
5134 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5135 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5136 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5137 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5138 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5139 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5140 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5141 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5142 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
5143 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5144 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5145 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5146 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5147 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5152 @node Paging the Article
5153 @section Scrolling the Article
5154 @cindex article scrolling
5159 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5160 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5161 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5162 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5163 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5165 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5166 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5167 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5168 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5169 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5170 what is considered uninteresting with
5171 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5172 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5175 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5176 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5177 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5180 @kindex RET (Summary)
5181 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5182 Scroll the current article one line forward
5183 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5186 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5187 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5188 Scroll the current article one line backward
5189 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5193 @kindex A g (Summary)
5195 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5196 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5197 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5198 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5199 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5200 the way it came from the server.
5202 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5203 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5204 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5207 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5212 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5217 @kindex A < (Summary)
5218 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5219 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5220 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5225 @kindex A > (Summary)
5226 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5227 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5231 @kindex A s (Summary)
5233 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5234 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5235 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5239 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5240 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5245 @node Reply Followup and Post
5246 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5249 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5250 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5251 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5252 * Canceling and Superseding::
5256 @node Summary Mail Commands
5257 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5259 @cindex composing mail
5261 Commands for composing a mail message:
5267 @kindex S r (Summary)
5269 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5270 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5271 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5272 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5273 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5278 @kindex S R (Summary)
5279 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5280 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5281 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5282 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5283 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5286 @kindex S w (Summary)
5287 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5288 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5289 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5290 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5291 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5292 present, that's used instead.
5295 @kindex S W (Summary)
5296 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5297 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5298 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5299 the process/prefix convention.
5302 @kindex S v (Summary)
5303 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5304 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5305 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5306 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5307 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5308 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5311 @kindex S V (Summary)
5312 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5313 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5314 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5315 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5318 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5319 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5320 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5321 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5322 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5323 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5324 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5325 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5328 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5329 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5330 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5331 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5332 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5336 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5337 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5338 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5339 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5340 Forward the current article to some other person
5341 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5342 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5343 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5344 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5345 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5346 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5347 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5348 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5349 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
5355 @kindex S m (Summary)
5356 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5357 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5358 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5359 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5360 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5365 @kindex S i (Summary)
5366 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5367 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5368 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5369 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5371 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5372 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5373 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5374 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5375 for this to work though.
5378 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5379 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5380 @cindex bouncing mail
5381 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5382 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5383 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5384 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5385 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5386 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5387 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5388 very well fail, though.
5391 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5392 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5393 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5394 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5395 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5396 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5397 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5398 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5399 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5400 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5402 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5403 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5404 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5405 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5406 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5408 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5409 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5412 @kindex S D e (Summary)
5413 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
5415 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
5416 if it were a new message before resending.
5419 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5420 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5421 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5422 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5423 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5426 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5427 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5428 @cindex crossposting
5429 @cindex excessive crossposting
5430 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5431 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5433 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5434 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5435 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5436 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5437 command understands the process/prefix convention
5438 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5442 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5443 Manual}, for more information.
5446 @node Summary Post Commands
5447 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5449 @cindex composing news
5451 Commands for posting a news article:
5457 @kindex S p (Summary)
5458 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5459 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5460 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5461 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5462 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5467 @kindex S f (Summary)
5468 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5469 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5470 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5474 @kindex S F (Summary)
5476 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5477 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5478 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5479 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5480 process/prefix convention.
5483 @kindex S n (Summary)
5484 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5485 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5486 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5489 @kindex S N (Summary)
5490 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5491 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5492 message through mail and include the original message
5493 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5494 the process/prefix convention.
5497 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5498 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5499 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5500 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5501 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5502 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5503 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5504 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5505 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5506 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5507 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5508 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5509 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
5512 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5513 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5515 @cindex making digests
5516 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5517 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5518 process/prefix convention.
5521 @kindex S u (Summary)
5522 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5523 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5524 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5525 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5528 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5529 Manual}, for more information.
5532 @node Summary Message Commands
5533 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5537 @kindex S y (Summary)
5538 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5539 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5540 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5541 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5542 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5547 @node Canceling and Superseding
5548 @subsection Canceling Articles
5549 @cindex canceling articles
5550 @cindex superseding articles
5552 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5553 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5555 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5557 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5559 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5560 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5561 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5562 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5563 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5564 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5566 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5567 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5570 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5571 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5572 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5574 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
5575 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
5576 message, Message Manual}).
5578 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5579 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5580 your original article.
5582 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5584 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5585 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5586 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5589 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5590 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5591 have posted almost the same article twice.
5593 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5594 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5595 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5596 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5597 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5598 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5599 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5600 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5601 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5602 canceled/superseded.
5604 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5606 @node Delayed Articles
5607 @section Delayed Articles
5608 @cindex delayed sending
5609 @cindex send delayed
5611 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5612 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5613 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5614 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5617 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5620 @findex gnus-delay-article
5621 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5622 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5623 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5624 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5628 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5629 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5630 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5631 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5634 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5635 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5636 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5639 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5640 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5641 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5642 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5643 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5644 that means a time tomorrow.
5647 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5648 couple of variables:
5651 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5652 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5653 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5654 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5656 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5657 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5658 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5659 formats described above.
5661 @item gnus-delay-group
5662 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5663 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5664 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5665 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5667 @item gnus-delay-header
5668 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5669 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5670 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5671 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5674 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5675 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5676 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5677 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5678 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5680 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5681 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5682 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5683 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5684 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5685 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5686 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5689 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5690 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5691 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5692 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5693 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5694 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5695 argument is ignored.
5697 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5698 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5699 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5703 @node Marking Articles
5704 @section Marking Articles
5705 @cindex article marking
5706 @cindex article ticking
5709 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5711 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5712 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5713 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5715 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5718 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5719 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5720 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5724 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5728 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5729 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5730 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5734 @node Unread Articles
5735 @subsection Unread Articles
5737 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5742 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5743 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5745 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5746 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5747 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5748 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5749 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5750 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5751 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5754 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5755 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5757 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5758 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5759 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5760 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5764 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5765 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5767 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5772 @subsection Read Articles
5773 @cindex expirable mark
5775 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5780 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5781 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5782 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5785 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5786 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5789 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5790 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5791 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5794 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5795 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5798 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5799 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5802 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5803 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5806 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5807 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5810 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5811 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5814 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5815 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5818 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5819 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5823 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5824 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5825 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5829 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5830 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5832 One more special mark, though:
5836 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5837 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5839 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5840 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5841 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5842 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5848 @subsection Other Marks
5849 @cindex process mark
5852 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5858 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5859 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5860 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5861 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5862 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5865 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5866 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5867 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5868 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5871 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5872 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5873 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5876 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5877 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5878 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5881 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5882 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5883 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5884 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5887 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5888 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5889 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5890 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5891 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5892 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5895 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5896 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5897 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5898 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5901 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5902 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
5903 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5904 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5905 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5909 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5910 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
5911 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5912 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5913 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5914 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5917 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5918 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
5919 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5920 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5921 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5922 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5926 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5927 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5928 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5929 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5930 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5933 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5934 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5935 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5936 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5937 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5938 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5942 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5943 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5944 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5946 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5947 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5948 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5952 @subsection Setting Marks
5953 @cindex setting marks
5955 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5960 @kindex M c (Summary)
5961 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5962 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5963 @cindex mark as unread
5964 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5965 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5971 @kindex M t (Summary)
5972 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5973 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5974 @xref{Article Caching}.
5979 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5980 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5981 Mark the current article as dormant
5982 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5986 @kindex M d (Summary)
5988 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5989 Mark the current article as read
5990 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5994 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5995 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5996 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
6001 @kindex M k (Summary)
6002 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
6003 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
6004 and then select the next unread article
6005 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
6009 @kindex M K (Summary)
6010 @kindex C-k (Summary)
6011 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
6012 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
6013 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
6016 @kindex M C (Summary)
6017 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
6018 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
6019 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
6022 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
6023 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
6024 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
6025 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
6028 @kindex M H (Summary)
6029 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
6030 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
6031 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
6034 @kindex M h (Summary)
6035 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
6036 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
6037 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
6040 @kindex C-w (Summary)
6041 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
6042 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
6043 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
6046 @kindex M V k (Summary)
6047 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
6048 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
6049 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
6053 @kindex M e (Summary)
6055 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
6056 Mark the current article as expirable
6057 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
6060 @kindex M b (Summary)
6061 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6062 Set a bookmark in the current article
6063 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6066 @kindex M B (Summary)
6067 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6068 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6069 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6072 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6073 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6074 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6075 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6078 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6079 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6080 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6081 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6084 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6085 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6086 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6087 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6088 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6091 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6092 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6093 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6094 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6095 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6096 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6097 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6098 The default is @code{t}.
6101 @node Generic Marking Commands
6102 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6104 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6105 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6106 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6107 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6108 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6111 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6112 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6115 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6116 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6117 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6118 to list in this manual.
6120 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6121 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6122 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6123 article, you could say something like:
6127 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6128 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6129 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6137 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6138 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6142 @node Setting Process Marks
6143 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6144 @cindex setting process marks
6146 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6147 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6148 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6149 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6150 commands into the cache. For more information,
6151 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6158 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6159 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6160 Mark the current article with the process mark
6161 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6162 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6166 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6167 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6168 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6169 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6172 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6173 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6174 Remove the process mark from all articles
6175 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6178 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6179 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6180 Invert the list of process marked articles
6181 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6184 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6185 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6186 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6187 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6190 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6191 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6192 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6193 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6196 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6197 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6198 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6201 @kindex M P g (Summary)
6202 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6203 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6206 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6207 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6208 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6209 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6212 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6213 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6214 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6215 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6218 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6219 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6220 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6221 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6224 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6225 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6226 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6229 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6230 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6231 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6232 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6235 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6236 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6237 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6240 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6241 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6242 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6243 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6246 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6247 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6248 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6249 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6252 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6253 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6254 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6255 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6258 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6259 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6260 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6261 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6265 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6266 set process marks based on article body contents.
6273 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6274 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6275 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6278 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6279 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6280 additional articles.
6286 @kindex / / (Summary)
6287 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6288 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6289 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6293 @kindex / a (Summary)
6294 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6295 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6296 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6300 @kindex / x (Summary)
6301 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6302 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6303 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6304 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6309 @kindex / u (Summary)
6311 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6312 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6313 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6314 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6315 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6318 @kindex / m (Summary)
6319 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6320 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6321 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6324 @kindex / t (Summary)
6325 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6326 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6327 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6328 articles younger than that number of days.
6331 @kindex / n (Summary)
6332 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6333 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6334 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6335 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6338 @kindex / w (Summary)
6339 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6340 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6341 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6345 @kindex / . (Summary)
6346 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6347 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6348 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6351 @kindex / v (Summary)
6352 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6353 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6354 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6357 @kindex / p (Summary)
6358 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6359 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6360 group parameter predicate
6361 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6362 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6365 @kindex / r (Summary)
6366 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
6367 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
6368 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
6373 @kindex M S (Summary)
6374 @kindex / E (Summary)
6375 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6376 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6377 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6380 @kindex / D (Summary)
6381 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6382 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6383 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6386 @kindex / * (Summary)
6387 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6388 Include all cached articles in the limit
6389 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6392 @kindex / d (Summary)
6393 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6394 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6395 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6398 @kindex / M (Summary)
6399 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6400 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6403 @kindex / T (Summary)
6404 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6405 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6408 @kindex / c (Summary)
6409 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6410 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6411 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6414 @kindex / C (Summary)
6415 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6416 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6417 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6418 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6421 @kindex / N (Summary)
6422 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6423 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6424 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6427 @kindex / o (Summary)
6428 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6429 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6430 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6438 @cindex article threading
6440 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6441 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6442 hierarchical fashion.
6444 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6445 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6446 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6447 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6448 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6449 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6450 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6452 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6456 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6459 A tree-like article structure.
6462 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6465 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6466 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6467 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6468 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6469 called loose threads.
6471 @item thread gathering
6472 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6474 @item sparse threads
6475 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6476 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6482 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6483 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6487 @node Customizing Threading
6488 @subsection Customizing Threading
6489 @cindex customizing threading
6492 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6493 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6494 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6495 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6500 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6503 @cindex loose threads
6506 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6507 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6508 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6509 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6510 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6511 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6513 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6514 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6515 There are four possible values:
6519 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6520 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6521 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6522 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6523 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6528 @cindex adopting articles
6533 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6534 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6535 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6536 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6539 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6540 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6541 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6542 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6543 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6544 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6545 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6546 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6547 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6548 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6551 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6552 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6553 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6557 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6558 display them after one another.
6561 Don't gather loose threads.
6564 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6565 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6566 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6567 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6568 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6569 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6570 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6571 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6572 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6573 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6574 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6576 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6577 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6578 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6581 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6582 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6583 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6584 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6585 simplification is used.
6587 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6588 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6589 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6590 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6592 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6594 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6600 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6601 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6602 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6603 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6608 (mapconcat 'identity
6609 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6611 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6614 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6617 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6618 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6619 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6620 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6621 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6622 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6624 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6627 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6628 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6629 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6631 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6632 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6635 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6636 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6637 Remove excessive whitespace.
6639 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6640 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6641 Remove all whitespace.
6644 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6647 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6648 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6649 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6650 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6651 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6652 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6653 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6654 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6656 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6657 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6658 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6659 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6660 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6661 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6662 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6663 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6664 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6668 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6669 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6670 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6671 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6673 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6674 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6675 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6678 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6682 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6683 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6689 @node Filling In Threads
6690 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6693 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6694 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6695 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6696 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
6697 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
6698 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
6699 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
6700 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
6701 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
6702 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6703 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6704 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
6707 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6708 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6709 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6711 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6712 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6713 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
6716 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6717 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6718 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6719 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6720 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6721 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6722 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6723 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6724 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6725 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6726 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6727 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6728 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6729 @code{nil} by default.
6731 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6732 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6733 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6734 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6735 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6736 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6737 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6739 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6740 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6741 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6746 @node More Threading
6747 @subsubsection More Threading
6750 @item gnus-show-threads
6751 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6752 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6753 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6754 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6755 slower and more awkward.
6757 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6758 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6759 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6762 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6763 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6764 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
6769 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6770 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6771 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6774 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6775 unread, but you get my drift.)
6778 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6779 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6780 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6781 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6782 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6783 threads are expunged.
6785 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6786 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6787 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6790 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6791 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6792 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6793 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6794 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6795 result in a new thread.
6797 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6798 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6799 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6802 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6803 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6804 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6805 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6806 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6807 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6808 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6809 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6810 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6811 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6812 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6817 @node Low-Level Threading
6818 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6822 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6823 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6824 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6826 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6827 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6828 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6829 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6830 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6831 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6832 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6833 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6834 meaningful. Here's one example:
6837 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6839 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6840 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6842 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6844 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6851 @node Thread Commands
6852 @subsection Thread Commands
6853 @cindex thread commands
6859 @kindex T k (Summary)
6860 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6861 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6862 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6863 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6864 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6869 @kindex T l (Summary)
6870 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6871 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6872 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6873 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6876 @kindex T i (Summary)
6877 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6878 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6879 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6882 @kindex T # (Summary)
6883 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6884 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6885 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6888 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6889 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6890 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6891 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6894 @kindex T T (Summary)
6895 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6896 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6899 @kindex T s (Summary)
6900 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6901 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
6902 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6905 @kindex T h (Summary)
6906 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6907 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6910 @kindex T S (Summary)
6911 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6912 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6915 @kindex T H (Summary)
6916 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6917 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6920 @kindex T t (Summary)
6921 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6922 Re-thread the current article's thread
6923 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6924 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6927 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6928 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6929 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6930 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6934 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6935 understand the numeric prefix.
6940 @kindex T n (Summary)
6942 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6944 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6945 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6946 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6949 @kindex T p (Summary)
6951 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6953 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6954 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6955 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6958 @kindex T d (Summary)
6959 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6960 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6963 @kindex T u (Summary)
6964 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6965 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6968 @kindex T o (Summary)
6969 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6970 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6973 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6974 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6975 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6976 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6977 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6978 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6979 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6980 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6981 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6982 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6983 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6984 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6988 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6989 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6991 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6992 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6993 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6994 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6995 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6996 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6997 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6998 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6999 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
7000 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
7001 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
7002 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
7003 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
7004 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
7006 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
7007 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
7008 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
7009 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
7010 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
7011 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
7012 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
7013 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
7015 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
7016 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
7017 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
7019 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
7020 last function in the list. You should probably always include
7021 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
7022 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
7023 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
7024 ascending article order.
7026 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
7027 by number, you could do something like:
7030 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7031 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7032 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7033 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
7036 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
7037 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
7038 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
7039 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
7040 which the articles arrived.
7042 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
7046 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7048 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
7049 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
7052 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
7053 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
7054 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
7055 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
7058 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
7059 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
7060 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
7061 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
7062 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
7063 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
7064 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
7065 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7066 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7067 variable. It is very similar to the
7068 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7069 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7070 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7071 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7072 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7073 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7074 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7076 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7080 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7081 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7082 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7087 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7088 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7089 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7090 @cindex article pre-fetch
7093 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7094 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7095 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7096 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7097 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7099 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7100 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
7102 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7103 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7104 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7105 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7106 connection is blocked.
7108 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7109 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7110 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7111 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
7113 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7114 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7115 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7116 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7119 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7122 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7123 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7124 happen automatically.
7126 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7127 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7128 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7129 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7130 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7131 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7132 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7134 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7135 @findex gnus-async-read-p
7136 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7137 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7138 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7139 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7140 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7141 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7142 article data structure as the only parameter.
7144 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7145 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7148 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7149 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7150 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7151 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7154 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7157 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7158 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7159 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7161 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7162 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7163 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7164 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7168 Remove articles when they are read.
7171 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7174 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7176 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7177 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7178 @c from the next group.
7181 @node Article Caching
7182 @section Article Caching
7183 @cindex article caching
7186 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7187 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7188 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7189 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7190 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7192 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7194 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7195 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7196 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7197 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7198 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7199 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7200 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7201 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7203 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7204 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7205 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7206 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7207 as dormant, and don't worry.
7209 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7211 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7212 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7213 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7214 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7215 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7216 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7217 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7218 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7219 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7220 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7222 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7223 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7224 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7225 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7226 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7227 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7228 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7229 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7230 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7231 not then be downloaded by this command.
7233 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7234 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7235 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7236 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7237 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7238 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7240 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7241 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7242 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7243 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7244 variables, the group is not cached.
7246 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7247 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7248 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7249 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7250 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7251 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7252 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7253 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7254 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7257 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7258 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7259 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7260 where, isn't that cool?
7262 @node Persistent Articles
7263 @section Persistent Articles
7264 @cindex persistent articles
7266 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7267 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7268 useful in my opinion.
7270 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7271 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7272 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7273 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7274 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7275 the expiry going on at the news server.
7277 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7278 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7279 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7285 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7286 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7289 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7290 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7291 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7292 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7296 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7298 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7299 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7300 interested in persistent articles:
7303 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7307 @node Article Backlog
7308 @section Article Backlog
7310 @cindex article backlog
7312 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7313 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7314 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7315 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7316 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7317 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7318 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7319 increase memory usage some.
7321 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7322 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7323 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7324 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7325 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7326 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7327 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7329 The default value is 20.
7332 @node Saving Articles
7333 @section Saving Articles
7334 @cindex saving articles
7336 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7337 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7338 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7339 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7340 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7342 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7343 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7344 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7346 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7347 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7348 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7350 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7351 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7352 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7353 deleted before saving.
7359 @kindex O o (Summary)
7361 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7362 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7363 Save the current article using the default article saver
7364 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7367 @kindex O m (Summary)
7368 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7369 Save the current article in mail format
7370 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7373 @kindex O r (Summary)
7374 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7375 Save the current article in Rmail format
7376 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7379 @kindex O f (Summary)
7380 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7381 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7382 Save the current article in plain file format
7383 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7386 @kindex O F (Summary)
7387 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7388 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7389 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7392 @kindex O b (Summary)
7393 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7394 Save the current article body in plain file format
7395 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7398 @kindex O h (Summary)
7399 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7400 Save the current article in mh folder format
7401 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7404 @kindex O v (Summary)
7405 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7406 Save the current article in a VM folder
7407 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7411 @kindex O p (Summary)
7413 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7414 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7415 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7416 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7417 complete headers in the piped output.
7420 @kindex O P (Summary)
7421 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7422 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7423 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7424 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7425 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7426 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7427 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7431 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7432 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7433 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7434 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7435 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7436 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7437 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7438 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7439 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7440 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7441 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7442 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7446 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7447 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7448 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7449 functions below, or you can create your own.
7453 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7454 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7455 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7456 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7457 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
7458 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7459 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7461 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7462 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7463 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7464 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7465 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7466 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7468 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7469 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7470 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7471 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7472 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7473 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7474 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7476 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7477 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7478 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7479 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7480 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7481 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7483 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7484 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7485 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7486 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7487 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7489 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7490 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7491 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7492 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7493 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7496 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7497 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7498 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7499 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7500 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7502 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7503 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7504 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7505 reader to use this setting.
7508 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7509 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7510 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7511 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7514 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7515 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7516 available functions that generate names:
7520 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7521 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7522 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7524 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7525 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7526 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7528 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7529 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7530 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7532 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7533 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7534 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7536 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7537 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7538 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7541 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7542 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7543 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7544 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7545 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7549 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7550 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7551 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7552 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7555 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7556 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7557 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7558 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7559 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7560 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7561 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7562 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7563 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7565 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7566 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7567 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7568 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7570 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7571 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7572 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7575 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7576 lots of mail groups called things like
7577 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7578 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7579 following will do just that:
7582 (defun my-save-name (group)
7583 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7584 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7586 (setq gnus-split-methods
7587 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7592 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7593 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7594 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7595 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7596 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7597 all the files in the top level directory
7598 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7599 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7600 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7601 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7603 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7604 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7605 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7606 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7607 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7610 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7614 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
7615 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7616 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
7619 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7620 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7621 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7622 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7625 @node Decoding Articles
7626 @section Decoding Articles
7627 @cindex decoding articles
7629 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7630 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7633 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7634 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7635 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7636 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7637 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7638 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7642 @cindex article series
7643 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7644 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7645 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7646 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7647 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7649 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7650 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7651 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7653 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7654 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7655 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7657 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7658 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7659 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7662 @node Uuencoded Articles
7663 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7665 @cindex uuencoded articles
7670 @kindex X u (Summary)
7671 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7672 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7673 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7676 @kindex X U (Summary)
7677 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7678 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7679 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7682 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7683 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7684 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7687 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7688 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7689 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7690 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7694 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7695 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7696 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7697 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7698 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7700 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7701 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7702 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7703 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7706 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7707 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7708 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7709 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7710 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7711 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7715 @node Shell Archives
7716 @subsection Shell Archives
7718 @cindex shell archives
7719 @cindex shared articles
7721 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7722 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7723 some commands to deal with these:
7728 @kindex X s (Summary)
7729 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7730 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7733 @kindex X S (Summary)
7734 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7735 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7738 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7739 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7740 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7743 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7744 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7745 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7746 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7750 @node PostScript Files
7751 @subsection PostScript Files
7757 @kindex X p (Summary)
7758 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7759 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7762 @kindex X P (Summary)
7763 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7764 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7765 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7768 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7769 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7770 View the current PostScript series
7771 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7774 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7775 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7776 View and save the current PostScript series
7777 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7782 @subsection Other Files
7786 @kindex X o (Summary)
7787 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7788 Save the current series
7789 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7792 @kindex X b (Summary)
7793 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7794 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7795 doesn't really work yet.
7799 @node Decoding Variables
7800 @subsection Decoding Variables
7802 Adjective, not verb.
7805 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7806 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7807 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7811 @node Rule Variables
7812 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7813 @cindex rule variables
7815 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7816 variables are of the form
7819 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7826 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7827 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7829 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7830 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7833 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7834 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7837 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7838 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7839 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7840 user and default view rules.
7842 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7843 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7844 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7849 @node Other Decode Variables
7850 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7853 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7855 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7856 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7857 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7858 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7859 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7863 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7864 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7867 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7868 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7869 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7872 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7873 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7874 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7875 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7876 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7879 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7880 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7881 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7883 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7884 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7885 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7886 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7887 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
7890 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7891 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7892 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7894 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7895 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7896 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7897 looking for files to display.
7899 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7900 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7901 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7904 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7905 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7906 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7909 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7910 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7911 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7914 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7915 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7916 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7919 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7920 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7921 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7922 decoded articles as unread.
7924 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7925 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7926 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7927 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7929 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7930 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7931 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7933 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7934 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7936 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7937 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
7938 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7939 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7941 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7942 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7943 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7944 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7945 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7946 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7947 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7948 simply dropped them.
7953 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7954 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7958 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7959 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7960 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7961 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7962 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7963 for you when you post the article.
7965 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7966 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7967 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7968 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7970 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7971 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7972 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7973 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7974 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7975 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7976 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
7978 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7979 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7980 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7981 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7982 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7983 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7984 Default is @code{t}.
7990 @subsection Viewing Files
7991 @cindex viewing files
7992 @cindex pseudo-articles
7994 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7995 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7996 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7997 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7998 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7999 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
8000 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
8002 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
8003 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
8004 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
8005 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
8007 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
8008 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
8009 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
8011 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
8012 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
8013 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
8014 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
8015 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
8017 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
8018 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
8019 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
8020 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
8021 a list of parameters to that command.
8023 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
8024 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
8025 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
8027 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
8028 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
8029 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
8032 @node Article Treatment
8033 @section Article Treatment
8035 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
8036 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
8037 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
8038 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
8039 these articles easier.
8042 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
8043 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
8044 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
8045 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
8046 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
8047 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
8048 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
8049 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
8050 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
8051 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
8052 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
8056 @node Article Highlighting
8057 @subsection Article Highlighting
8058 @cindex highlighting
8060 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
8061 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8066 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8067 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8068 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8069 Do much highlighting of the current article
8070 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8071 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8074 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8075 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8076 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8077 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8078 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8079 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8080 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8081 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8082 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8083 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8084 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8085 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8088 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8089 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8090 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8092 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8095 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8097 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8098 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
8099 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8101 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8102 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8103 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8105 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8106 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8107 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8108 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8109 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8110 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8112 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8113 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8114 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8116 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8117 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8118 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8120 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8121 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8122 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8123 that it's a citation.
8125 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8126 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8127 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8129 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8130 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8131 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8133 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8134 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8135 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8136 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8142 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8143 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8144 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8145 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8146 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8147 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8148 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8149 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8154 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8157 @node Article Fontisizing
8158 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8160 @cindex article emphasis
8162 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8163 @kindex W e (Summary)
8164 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8165 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8166 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8167 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8169 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8170 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8171 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8172 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8173 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8174 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8175 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8176 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8180 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8181 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8182 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8191 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8192 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8193 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8194 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8195 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8196 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8197 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8198 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8199 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8200 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8201 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8202 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8203 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8205 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8206 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8207 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8211 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8214 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8216 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8217 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8218 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8219 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8221 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8224 @node Article Hiding
8225 @subsection Article Hiding
8226 @cindex article hiding
8228 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8229 too much cruft in most articles.
8234 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8235 @findex gnus-article-hide
8236 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8237 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8238 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8241 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8242 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8243 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8247 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8248 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8249 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8250 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8253 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8254 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8255 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8259 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8260 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8261 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8262 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8263 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8264 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8265 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8266 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8270 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8271 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8272 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8273 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8278 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8279 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8280 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8281 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8284 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8285 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8286 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8287 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8290 @cindex stripping advertisements
8291 @cindex advertisements
8292 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8293 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8294 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8295 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8296 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8297 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8298 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8299 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8300 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8301 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8304 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8305 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8306 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8310 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8311 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8312 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8313 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8314 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8315 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8316 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8317 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8318 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8319 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8320 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8323 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8324 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8330 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8331 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8332 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8333 customizing the hiding:
8337 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8338 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8339 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8340 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8341 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8342 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8343 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8348 Starting point of the hidden text.
8350 Ending point of the hidden text.
8352 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8354 Number of lines of hidden text.
8357 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8358 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8359 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8360 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8361 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8366 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8367 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8369 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8370 following two variables:
8373 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8374 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8375 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8376 50), hide the cited text.
8378 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8379 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8380 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8385 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8386 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8387 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8388 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8389 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8390 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8394 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8395 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8396 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8398 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8399 citation customization.
8401 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8405 @node Article Washing
8406 @subsection Article Washing
8408 @cindex article washing
8410 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8411 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8413 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8414 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8417 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8418 articles by default.
8423 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8424 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8428 Force redisplaying of the current article
8429 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8430 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8431 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8432 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8435 @kindex W l (Summary)
8436 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8437 Remove page breaks from the current article
8438 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8442 @kindex W r (Summary)
8443 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8444 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8445 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8446 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8447 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8448 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8450 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8451 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8452 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8453 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8456 @kindex W m (Summary)
8457 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8458 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8462 @kindex W t (Summary)
8464 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8465 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8466 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8469 @kindex W v (Summary)
8470 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8471 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8472 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8475 @kindex W o (Summary)
8476 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8477 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8480 @kindex W d (Summary)
8481 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8482 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8484 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8486 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8487 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8488 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8489 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8492 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8493 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8494 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8495 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8498 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8499 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8500 @cindex Outlook Express
8501 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8502 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8503 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8506 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8507 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8508 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8509 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8510 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8511 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8512 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8513 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
8514 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8515 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8518 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8519 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8520 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
8521 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8524 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8525 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8526 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8527 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8530 @kindex W w (Summary)
8531 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8532 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8534 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8538 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8539 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8540 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8543 @kindex W C (Summary)
8544 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8545 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8546 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8549 @kindex W c (Summary)
8550 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8551 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8552 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8553 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8554 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8557 @kindex W q (Summary)
8558 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8559 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8560 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
8561 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
8562 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
8563 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
8564 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8565 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8566 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8569 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8570 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8571 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
8572 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
8573 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
8574 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8575 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8576 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8579 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8580 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8581 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8582 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8583 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8586 @kindex W A (Summary)
8587 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
8588 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
8589 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
8590 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
8591 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
8594 @kindex W u (Summary)
8595 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8596 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8597 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8598 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8599 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8602 @kindex W h (Summary)
8603 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8604 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8605 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8606 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
8608 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8610 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8611 The default is to use the function specified by
8612 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8613 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8614 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
8615 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8623 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
8626 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
8629 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
8632 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
8637 @kindex W b (Summary)
8638 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8639 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8640 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8643 @kindex W B (Summary)
8644 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8645 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8646 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8649 @kindex W p (Summary)
8650 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8651 Verify a signed control message
8652 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
8653 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
8654 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
8655 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8656 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
8657 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8660 @kindex W s (Summary)
8661 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8662 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
8663 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
8664 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8667 @kindex W a (Summary)
8668 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8669 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8670 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8673 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8674 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8675 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8676 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8679 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8680 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8681 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8682 lines with a single empty line.
8683 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8686 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8687 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8688 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8689 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8692 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8693 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8694 Do all the three commands above
8695 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8698 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8699 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8700 Remove all blank lines
8701 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8704 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8705 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8706 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8707 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8710 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8711 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8712 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8713 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8717 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8720 @node Article Header
8721 @subsection Article Header
8723 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8728 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8729 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8730 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8733 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8734 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8735 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8736 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8739 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8740 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8741 Fold all the message headers
8742 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8745 @kindex W E w (Summary)
8746 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8747 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8748 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8753 @node Article Buttons
8754 @subsection Article Buttons
8757 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8758 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8759 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8760 button on these references.
8762 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8763 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8764 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
8765 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
8766 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
8770 @item gnus-button-alist
8771 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8772 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8775 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8781 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8782 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8783 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8784 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8785 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
8788 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8789 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8790 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8793 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8794 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8795 avoid false matches. Often variables named
8796 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
8797 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
8799 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
8802 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8805 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8806 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8810 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8813 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8816 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8817 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8818 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8819 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8820 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8823 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8826 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8829 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
8832 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
8833 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
8835 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
8837 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8838 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8839 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8840 default values of the variables above.
8842 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
8844 @item gnus-button-man-handler
8845 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8846 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
8847 argument with a string naming the man page.
8849 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
8851 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8852 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8853 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
8855 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8856 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8857 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
8858 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
8859 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
8860 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
8861 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
8862 @code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
8863 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
8864 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
8865 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
8866 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8868 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8869 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8870 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
8871 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
8872 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
8875 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8876 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8877 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
8878 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8880 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
8882 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
8883 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
8884 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
8885 argument, the string naming the URL.
8888 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
8889 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
8890 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
8894 @item gnus-article-button-face
8895 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8896 Face used on buttons.
8898 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8899 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8900 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8904 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8907 @node Article Button Levels
8908 @subsection Article button levels
8909 @cindex button levels
8910 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
8911 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
8912 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
8913 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
8914 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
8915 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
8916 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
8917 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
8920 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
8921 (setq gnus-parameters
8922 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
8923 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
8924 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
8929 @item gnus-button-browse-level
8930 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
8931 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
8932 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
8933 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
8934 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
8936 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
8937 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
8938 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
8939 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
8940 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
8941 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
8942 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
8943 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
8944 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
8945 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
8946 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
8947 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
8948 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
8950 @item gnus-button-man-level
8951 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
8952 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
8953 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
8955 @item gnus-button-message-level
8956 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
8957 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
8958 Related variables and functions include
8959 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
8960 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
8961 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
8962 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
8964 @item gnus-button-tex-level
8965 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
8966 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
8967 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
8968 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
8969 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
8970 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
8976 @subsection Article Date
8978 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8979 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8980 when the article was sent.
8985 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8986 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8987 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8988 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8991 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8992 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8994 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8995 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8998 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8999 @findex gnus-article-date-local
9000 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
9003 @kindex W T p (Summary)
9004 @findex gnus-article-date-english
9005 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
9006 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
9009 @kindex W T s (Summary)
9010 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
9011 @findex gnus-article-date-user
9012 @findex format-time-string
9013 Display the date using a user-defined format
9014 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
9015 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
9016 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
9017 for a list of possible format specs.
9020 @kindex W T e (Summary)
9021 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
9022 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
9023 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
9024 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
9025 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
9028 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
9031 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
9032 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
9033 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
9036 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
9037 into wonderful absurdities.
9039 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
9042 (gnus-start-date-timer)
9045 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
9046 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
9050 @kindex W T o (Summary)
9051 @findex gnus-article-date-original
9052 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
9053 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
9054 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
9055 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
9056 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
9060 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
9061 preferred format automatically.
9064 @node Article Display
9065 @subsection Article Display
9070 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9071 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9073 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9074 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9076 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9077 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9079 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9080 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9082 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9083 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9085 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9090 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9091 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9092 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9093 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9096 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9097 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9098 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9099 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9102 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9103 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9104 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9107 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9108 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9109 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9112 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9113 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9114 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9115 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9118 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9119 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9120 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9121 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9124 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9125 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9126 Remove all images from the article buffer
9127 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9133 @node Article Signature
9134 @subsection Article Signature
9136 @cindex article signature
9138 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9139 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9140 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9141 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9142 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9143 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9144 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9145 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9146 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9149 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9150 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9151 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9152 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9153 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9154 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9155 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9156 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9159 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9162 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9163 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9164 signature when displaying articles.
9168 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9171 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9174 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9175 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9177 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9178 in question is not a signature.
9181 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9182 listed above. Here's an example:
9185 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9186 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9189 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9190 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9191 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9192 signature after all.
9195 @node Article Miscellanea
9196 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9200 @kindex A t (Summary)
9201 @findex gnus-article-babel
9202 Translate the article from one language to another
9203 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9209 @section MIME Commands
9210 @cindex MIME decoding
9212 @cindex viewing attachments
9214 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9215 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9221 @kindex K v (Summary)
9222 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9225 @kindex K o (Summary)
9226 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9229 @kindex K c (Summary)
9230 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9233 @kindex K e (Summary)
9234 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9237 @kindex K i (Summary)
9238 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9241 @kindex K | (Summary)
9242 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9245 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9250 @kindex K b (Summary)
9251 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9252 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9256 @kindex K m (Summary)
9257 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9258 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9259 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9260 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9261 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9264 @kindex X m (Summary)
9265 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9266 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9267 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9268 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9271 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9272 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9273 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9274 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9277 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9278 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9279 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9280 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9283 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9284 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9285 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9286 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9288 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9289 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9290 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9291 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9292 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9293 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9296 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9297 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9298 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9299 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9306 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9307 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9308 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9309 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9312 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9315 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9319 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9320 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9321 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9322 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9323 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9324 default is @code{nil}.
9326 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9327 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9328 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9329 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9330 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9331 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9332 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9334 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9335 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9336 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9337 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9338 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9339 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9340 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9341 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9343 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9344 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9345 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9346 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9347 displayed. This variable overrides
9348 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9349 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9352 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9353 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9354 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9356 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9357 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9358 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9359 default value is @code{nil}.
9361 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9362 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9363 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9364 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9365 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9366 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9367 save all jpegs into some directory).
9369 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9372 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9373 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9375 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9376 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9377 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9378 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9379 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9382 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9383 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9384 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9386 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9387 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9388 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9390 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9391 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9392 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9394 If displaying "text/html" is discouraged, see
9395 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} in @ref{Display Customization,
9396 Display Customization, , emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}. Images or
9397 other material inside a "multipart/related" part might be overlooked
9398 when this variable is nil.
9400 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9401 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9402 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If t, it overrides nil
9403 values of @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
9404 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
9406 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9407 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9408 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9409 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9411 Ready-made functions include@*
9412 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9413 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9414 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9415 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9416 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9417 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9418 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9419 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9420 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9421 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9422 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9423 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9425 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9426 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9428 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9429 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9430 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9433 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9434 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9435 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9436 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9440 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9449 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9450 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9451 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9452 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9453 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9454 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9455 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9457 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9458 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9459 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9460 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9462 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9463 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
9464 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9465 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9466 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9467 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9468 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9469 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9470 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9472 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9473 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9474 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
9475 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9476 quoted-printable header encoding.
9478 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9479 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9480 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9484 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9487 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9488 means encode all charsets),
9490 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9491 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9492 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9499 @cindex coding system aliases
9500 @cindex preferred charset
9502 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
9503 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
9504 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
9506 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9508 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9509 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9512 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9513 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9516 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9517 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
9519 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9522 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9525 This will almost do the right thing.
9527 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9531 (codepage-setup 1251)
9532 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9536 @node Article Commands
9537 @section Article Commands
9544 @kindex A P (Summary)
9545 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9546 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9547 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9548 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9549 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9550 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9555 @node Summary Sorting
9556 @section Summary Sorting
9557 @cindex summary sorting
9559 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9560 can't really see why you'd want that.
9565 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9566 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9567 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9570 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9571 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9572 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9575 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9576 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9577 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9580 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9581 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9582 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9585 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9586 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9587 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9590 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9591 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9592 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9595 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9596 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9597 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9600 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9601 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9602 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9605 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9606 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9607 Sort using the default sorting method
9608 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9611 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9612 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9613 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9614 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9615 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9619 @node Finding the Parent
9620 @section Finding the Parent
9621 @cindex parent articles
9622 @cindex referring articles
9627 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9628 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9629 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9630 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
9631 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9632 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9633 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9634 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9635 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9637 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9638 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9639 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9640 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9641 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9645 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9646 @kindex A R (Summary)
9647 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9648 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9651 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9652 @kindex A T (Summary)
9653 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9654 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9655 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9656 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9657 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9658 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9659 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9661 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9662 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9663 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9664 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9665 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9666 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9669 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9670 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9672 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9673 You can also ask the @acronym{NNTP} server for an arbitrary article, no
9674 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9675 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9676 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9677 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9678 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9681 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9682 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9683 by giving this command a prefix.
9685 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9686 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9687 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9688 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
9689 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
9690 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9693 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9694 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9695 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9698 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9699 then ask Google if that fails:
9702 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9704 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9707 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9708 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9709 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
9710 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9711 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
9712 group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
9713 not support this at all.
9716 @node Alternative Approaches
9717 @section Alternative Approaches
9719 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9720 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9723 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9724 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9729 @subsection Pick and Read
9730 @cindex pick and read
9732 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9733 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9734 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9735 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9737 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9738 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9739 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9740 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9741 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9742 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9744 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9749 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9750 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9751 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9752 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9753 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9754 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9755 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9756 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9759 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9760 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9761 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9762 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9766 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9767 Unpick the thread or article
9768 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9769 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9770 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9771 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9772 the thread or article at that line.
9776 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9777 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9778 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9779 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9780 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9781 will still be visible when you are reading.
9785 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9786 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9787 which is mapped to the same function
9788 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9790 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9793 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9796 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9797 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9799 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9800 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9801 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9803 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9804 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9805 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9806 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9807 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9808 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9809 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9813 @subsection Binary Groups
9814 @cindex binary groups
9816 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9817 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9818 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9819 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9820 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9821 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9822 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9825 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9826 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9827 command, when you have turned on this mode
9828 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9830 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9831 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9835 @section Tree Display
9838 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9839 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9840 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9841 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9844 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9847 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9848 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9849 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9851 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9852 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9853 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9854 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9855 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9857 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9858 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9859 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9860 default is @code{modeline}.
9862 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9863 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9864 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9865 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9866 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9867 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9868 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9874 The name of the poster.
9876 The @code{From} header.
9878 The number of the article.
9880 The opening bracket.
9882 The closing bracket.
9887 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9889 Variables related to the display are:
9892 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9893 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9894 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9895 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
9897 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9898 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
9899 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
9901 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9903 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9904 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9905 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9906 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9910 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9911 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9912 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9913 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9914 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9915 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9916 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9917 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9918 other windows displayed next to it.
9920 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9924 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9925 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9928 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9929 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9930 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9931 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9932 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9933 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9934 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9938 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9941 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9951 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9956 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9957 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9959 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9961 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9967 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9968 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9969 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
9972 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9973 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9974 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9975 (gnus-add-configuration
9979 (summary 0.75 point)
9984 @xref{Window Layout}.
9987 @node Mail Group Commands
9988 @section Mail Group Commands
9989 @cindex mail group commands
9991 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9992 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9994 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9995 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10000 @kindex B e (Summary)
10001 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
10002 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
10003 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
10004 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
10005 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
10008 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
10009 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
10010 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
10011 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
10012 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
10013 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
10016 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
10017 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
10018 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
10019 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
10020 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
10021 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
10024 @kindex B m (Summary)
10026 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
10027 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
10028 Move the article from one mail group to another
10029 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10030 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10033 @kindex B c (Summary)
10035 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
10036 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
10037 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
10038 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10039 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10042 @kindex B B (Summary)
10043 @cindex crosspost mail
10044 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
10045 Crosspost the current article to some other group
10046 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
10047 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
10048 be properly updated.
10051 @kindex B i (Summary)
10052 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
10053 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
10054 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
10055 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10058 @kindex B I (Summary)
10059 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
10060 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
10061 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
10062 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10065 @kindex B r (Summary)
10066 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
10067 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
10068 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
10069 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
10070 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
10071 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
10072 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
10073 (which is the default).
10077 @kindex B w (Summary)
10078 @kindex e (Summary)
10079 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
10080 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
10081 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
10082 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
10083 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
10084 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
10085 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
10088 @kindex B q (Summary)
10089 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
10090 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
10091 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
10092 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10095 @kindex B t (Summary)
10096 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10097 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10098 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10101 @kindex B p (Summary)
10102 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10103 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10104 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10105 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10106 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10107 article from your news server (or rather, from
10108 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10109 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10110 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10111 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10112 just not have arrived yet.
10115 @kindex K E (Summary)
10116 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10117 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10118 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10119 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10120 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10124 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10125 @cindex moving articles
10126 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
10127 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10128 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10129 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10130 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10131 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10132 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10135 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10136 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10137 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10138 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10142 @node Various Summary Stuff
10143 @section Various Summary Stuff
10146 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10147 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10148 * Summary Generation Commands::
10149 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10153 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10154 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10155 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10156 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10157 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10158 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10160 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10161 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10162 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10165 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10166 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10167 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10169 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10170 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10171 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10172 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10173 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10174 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10177 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10178 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10179 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10180 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10181 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10183 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10184 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10185 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10188 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10189 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10190 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10191 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10192 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10193 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10194 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
10195 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10196 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10197 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10199 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10200 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10201 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10202 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10203 list of articles to be selected.
10205 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10206 the list in one particular group:
10209 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10210 (if (string= group "some.group")
10211 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10215 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10216 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10217 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10218 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
10219 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
10222 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
10223 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
10224 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
10225 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
10226 variable will be used instead.
10228 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
10229 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
10230 buffers. For example:
10233 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10234 '(message-use-followup-to
10235 (gnus-visible-headers .
10236 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10239 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
10243 @node Summary Group Information
10244 @subsection Summary Group Information
10249 @kindex H f (Summary)
10250 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10251 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10252 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
10253 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
10254 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
10255 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
10256 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
10257 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
10258 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
10261 @kindex H d (Summary)
10262 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10263 Give a brief description of the current group
10264 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10265 rereading the description from the server.
10268 @kindex H h (Summary)
10269 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10270 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10271 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10274 @kindex H i (Summary)
10275 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10276 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10280 @node Searching for Articles
10281 @subsection Searching for Articles
10286 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10287 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10288 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10289 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10292 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10293 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10294 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10295 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10298 @kindex & (Summary)
10299 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10300 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10301 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10302 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10303 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10304 search backward instead.
10306 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10307 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10310 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10311 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10312 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10313 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10316 @node Summary Generation Commands
10317 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10322 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10323 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10324 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10327 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10328 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10329 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10330 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10333 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10334 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10335 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10336 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10341 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10342 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10348 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10349 @kindex A D (Summary)
10350 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10351 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10352 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10353 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10354 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10355 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10356 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10357 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10361 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10362 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10363 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10364 several documents into one biiig group
10365 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10366 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10367 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10368 command understands the process/prefix convention
10369 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10372 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10373 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10374 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10375 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10376 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10377 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10380 @kindex = (Summary)
10381 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10382 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10383 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10386 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10387 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10388 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10389 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10392 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10393 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10394 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10395 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10400 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10401 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10402 @cindex summary exit
10403 @cindex exiting groups
10405 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10406 group and return you to the group buffer.
10413 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10414 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
10415 @kindex q (Summary)
10416 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10417 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10418 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10419 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10420 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10421 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10422 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10423 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10424 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10425 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10426 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10427 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10431 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10432 @kindex Q (Summary)
10433 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10434 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10435 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10439 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10440 @kindex c (Summary)
10441 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10442 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10443 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10444 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10447 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10448 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10449 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10450 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10453 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10454 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10455 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10456 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10460 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10461 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
10462 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10463 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10464 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10465 all articles, both read and unread.
10469 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10470 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10471 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10472 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10473 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10474 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10475 articles, both read and unread.
10478 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10479 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10480 Exit the group and go to the next group
10481 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10484 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10485 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10486 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10487 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10490 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10491 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10492 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10493 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10494 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10495 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10498 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10499 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10500 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10501 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10503 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10504 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10505 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10506 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10507 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10508 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10509 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10510 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10511 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10512 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10513 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10514 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10516 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10518 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10519 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10520 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10521 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10522 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10523 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10524 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10525 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10526 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10529 @node Crosspost Handling
10530 @section Crosspost Handling
10534 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10535 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10536 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10537 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10538 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10539 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10542 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10543 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10544 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10545 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10546 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10548 @cindex cross-posting
10550 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
10551 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10552 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
10553 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10554 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
10555 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10556 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10557 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10558 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10559 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10560 the cross reference mechanism.
10562 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10563 @cindex overview.fmt
10564 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10565 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10566 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10567 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10568 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10569 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10572 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10573 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10574 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10579 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10582 @node Duplicate Suppression
10583 @section Duplicate Suppression
10585 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10586 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10587 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10588 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10593 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10594 is evil and not very common.
10597 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10598 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10601 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10602 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
10605 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10608 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10609 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10611 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10612 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10613 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10614 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10615 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10616 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10617 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10620 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10621 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10622 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10623 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10624 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10625 saw the article in.
10628 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10629 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10630 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10632 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10633 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10634 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10635 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10636 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10637 session are suppressed.
10639 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10640 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10641 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10642 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10644 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10645 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10646 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10647 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10650 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10651 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10652 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10653 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10654 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10655 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10656 to you to figure out, I think.
10661 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10662 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
10663 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
10668 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
10669 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
10670 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
10671 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10674 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10675 or newer is recommended.
10679 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10680 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10683 @item mm-verify-option
10684 @vindex mm-verify-option
10685 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10686 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10687 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10689 @item mm-decrypt-option
10690 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10691 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10692 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10693 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10696 @vindex mml1991-use
10697 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10698 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10699 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10703 @vindex mml2015-use
10704 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10705 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10706 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10711 @cindex snarfing keys
10712 @cindex importing PGP keys
10713 @cindex PGP key ring import
10714 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
10715 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
10716 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
10717 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
10718 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
10719 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
10720 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
10721 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
10722 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
10725 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
10728 This happens to also be the default action defined in
10729 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
10732 @section Mailing List
10733 @cindex mailing list
10736 @kindex A M (summary)
10737 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10738 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10739 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10740 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10743 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10748 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10749 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10750 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10753 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10754 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10755 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10758 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10759 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10760 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10764 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10765 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10766 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10769 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10770 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10771 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10774 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10775 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
10776 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10781 @node Article Buffer
10782 @chapter Article Buffer
10783 @cindex article buffer
10785 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10786 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10787 tell Gnus otherwise.
10790 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10791 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
10792 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10793 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10794 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10798 @node Hiding Headers
10799 @section Hiding Headers
10800 @cindex hiding headers
10801 @cindex deleting headers
10803 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10804 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10806 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10807 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10808 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10809 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10810 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10811 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10812 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
10813 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10814 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10816 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10820 @item gnus-visible-headers
10821 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10822 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10823 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10824 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10826 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10827 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10830 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10833 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10836 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10837 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10838 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10839 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10840 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10841 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10843 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10844 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10847 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10850 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10853 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10854 variable will have no effect.
10858 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10859 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10860 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10861 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10862 the headers are to be displayed.
10864 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10865 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10868 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10871 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10872 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10874 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10875 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10876 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10877 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10878 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10879 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
10880 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10883 These conditions are:
10886 Remove all empty headers.
10888 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10889 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10891 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
10892 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
10895 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10898 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10899 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
10901 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10902 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10904 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
10905 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10907 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10910 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10912 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10915 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10918 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10919 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10922 This is also the default value for this variable.
10926 @section Using MIME
10927 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
10929 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10930 while people stand around yawning.
10932 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10933 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10935 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10936 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10937 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10939 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
10940 @findex gnus-display-mime
10941 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
10942 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
10943 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
10944 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
10946 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
10947 @acronym{MIME} button:
10950 @findex gnus-article-press-button
10951 @item RET (Article)
10952 @kindex RET (Article)
10953 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
10954 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
10955 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
10956 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
10957 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
10958 object is displayed inline.
10960 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
10961 @item M-RET (Article)
10962 @kindex M-RET (Article)
10964 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
10965 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
10967 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
10969 @kindex t (Article)
10970 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
10971 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
10973 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
10975 @kindex C (Article)
10976 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
10977 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
10979 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
10981 @kindex o (Article)
10982 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
10983 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
10985 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
10986 @item C-o (Article)
10987 @kindex C-o (Article)
10988 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
10989 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
10990 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
10991 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
10992 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
10993 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
10995 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
10997 @kindex d (Article)
10998 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
10999 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
11000 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
11002 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
11004 @kindex c (Article)
11005 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
11006 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
11007 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
11008 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
11009 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11011 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
11013 @kindex p (Article)
11014 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
11015 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
11016 @file{.mailcap} file.
11018 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
11020 @kindex i (Article)
11021 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
11022 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
11023 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
11024 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
11025 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
11028 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
11030 @kindex E (Article)
11031 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
11032 viewer is available, use an external viewer
11033 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
11035 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
11037 @kindex e (Article)
11038 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
11039 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
11041 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
11043 @kindex | (Article)
11044 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
11046 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
11048 @kindex . (Article)
11049 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
11050 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
11054 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
11055 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
11056 @acronym{MIME} manual.
11058 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
11059 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
11060 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
11061 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
11062 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
11063 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
11064 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
11065 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
11066 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
11068 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
11070 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
11073 @node Customizing Articles
11074 @section Customizing Articles
11075 @cindex article customization
11077 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
11078 exist. You can call these functions interactively
11079 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
11080 called automatically when you select the articles.
11082 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
11083 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
11084 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
11085 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
11087 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
11088 for sensible values.
11092 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
11095 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
11098 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
11101 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
11104 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
11108 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
11109 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
11110 regexps in the list.
11113 A list where the first element is not a string:
11115 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
11116 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
11117 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
11121 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
11126 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
11127 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
11128 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
11129 considered to contain just a single part.
11131 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
11132 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
11133 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
11134 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
11135 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
11136 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
11137 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
11139 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
11140 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
11141 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
11142 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
11145 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
11146 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
11148 @xref{Article Buttons}.
11150 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
11151 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
11152 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
11153 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
11154 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
11155 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
11156 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
11157 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
11158 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
11159 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
11161 @xref{Article Washing}.
11163 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
11164 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
11165 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
11166 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
11167 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
11168 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
11169 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
11171 @xref{Article Date}.
11173 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
11174 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
11175 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
11179 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
11181 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
11183 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
11184 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
11185 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
11189 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
11193 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
11197 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
11198 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11199 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11200 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11201 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11202 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11203 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11204 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11205 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11206 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11208 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11210 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11211 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11212 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11214 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11216 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11217 @item gnus-treat-translate
11218 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
11219 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11221 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11222 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11223 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11224 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11226 @xref{Article Header}.
11231 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11232 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11233 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11234 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11235 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11239 @node Article Keymap
11240 @section Article Keymap
11242 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11243 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11244 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11245 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11248 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11253 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11254 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11255 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11256 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11259 @kindex DEL (Article)
11260 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11261 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11262 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11265 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11266 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11267 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11268 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11269 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11272 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11273 @findex gnus-article-mail
11274 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11275 given a prefix, include the mail.
11278 @kindex s (Article)
11279 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11280 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11281 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11284 @kindex ? (Article)
11285 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11286 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11287 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11290 @kindex TAB (Article)
11291 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11292 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11293 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11296 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11297 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11298 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11301 @kindex R (Article)
11302 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11303 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11304 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11305 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11309 @kindex F (Article)
11310 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11311 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11312 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11313 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11321 @section Misc Article
11325 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11326 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11327 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11328 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11331 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11332 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11333 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11334 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
11335 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11337 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11338 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11339 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11340 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11341 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11342 the contents of the article buffer.
11344 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11345 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11346 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11348 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11349 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11350 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11351 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11353 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11354 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11355 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11356 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11358 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11359 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11360 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11361 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
11362 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
11363 with two extensions:
11368 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11369 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11370 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11375 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11378 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11381 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11382 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11383 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11386 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11389 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11392 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11397 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
11401 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11403 @item gnus-break-pages
11404 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11405 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11406 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11407 paging will not be done.
11409 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11410 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11411 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11415 @cindex internationalized domain names
11416 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11417 @item gnus-use-idna
11418 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11419 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
11420 @samp{Cc} headers. This requires
11421 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
11422 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
11427 @node Composing Messages
11428 @chapter Composing Messages
11429 @cindex composing messages
11432 @cindex sending mail
11437 @cindex using s/mime
11438 @cindex using smime
11440 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11441 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11442 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11443 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11444 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11445 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11448 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11449 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11450 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
11451 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11452 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11453 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11454 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11455 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11456 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11459 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11460 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11466 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11469 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11470 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11471 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11472 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11473 @code{nil} include all headers.
11475 @item gnus-add-to-list
11476 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11477 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11478 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11480 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11481 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11482 This can also be a function receiving the group name as the only
11483 parameter which should return non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is
11484 needed, or a regular expression matching group names, where
11485 confirmation is should be asked for.
11487 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11488 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
11490 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11491 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11492 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11493 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11494 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11499 @node Posting Server
11500 @section Posting Server
11502 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11503 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11505 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11507 It can be quite complicated.
11509 @vindex gnus-post-method
11510 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11511 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11512 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11513 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11514 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11515 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11516 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11517 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11518 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11521 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11524 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11525 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11526 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11527 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11529 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11530 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11532 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11533 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11536 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11537 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11539 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11540 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11541 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11542 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11543 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
11544 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11545 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11546 package correctly. An example:
11549 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11550 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11553 To the thing similar to this, there is
11554 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your @acronym{ISP}
11555 requires the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication.
11556 @xref{POP before SMTP}.
11558 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11559 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11560 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11562 @node POP before SMTP
11563 @section POP before SMTP
11564 @cindex pop before smtp
11565 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
11566 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
11568 Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
11569 authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
11570 mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
11571 a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
11572 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
11575 (setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
11576 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
11580 It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
11581 whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
11582 does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
11583 @code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
11584 Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
11585 @code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
11586 set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
11587 correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
11589 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
11590 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
11591 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
11592 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
11593 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
11594 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
11597 (setq mail-source-primary-source
11598 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11599 :password "secret"))
11603 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
11604 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
11607 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
11609 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
11610 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11611 :password "secret")))
11612 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
11615 @node Mail and Post
11616 @section Mail and Post
11618 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11622 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11623 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11624 @cindex mailing lists
11626 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11627 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
11628 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11629 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11630 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11631 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11632 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11633 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11634 still a pain, though.
11636 @item gnus-user-agent
11637 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11640 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11641 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11642 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11643 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11644 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11645 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11646 use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
11650 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11651 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11652 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11655 @findex ispell-message
11657 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11660 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11661 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11664 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11668 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11669 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11671 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11674 Modify to suit your needs.
11677 @node Archived Messages
11678 @section Archived Messages
11679 @cindex archived messages
11680 @cindex sent messages
11682 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11683 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11684 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11685 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11688 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11689 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11692 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11693 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
11694 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11697 (nnfolder "archive"
11698 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11699 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11700 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11701 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11704 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11705 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11706 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11707 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11710 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11711 '(nnfolder "archive"
11712 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11713 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11714 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11717 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11719 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11720 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11721 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11723 This variable can be used to do the following:
11727 Messages will be saved in that group.
11729 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11730 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11731 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11732 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11733 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11734 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11735 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11736 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11739 @item a list of strings
11740 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11742 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11743 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11746 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11751 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11753 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11756 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11758 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11761 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11763 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11764 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11765 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11766 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11769 More complex stuff:
11771 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11772 '((if (message-news-p)
11777 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11778 messages in one file per month:
11781 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11782 '((if (message-news-p)
11784 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11787 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11788 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11790 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11791 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11792 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11793 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11794 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11795 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11796 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11797 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11798 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11799 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11801 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11802 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11803 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11804 this will disable archiving.
11807 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11808 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11809 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11810 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11811 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11814 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11815 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11816 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11819 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11820 but the latter is the preferred method.
11822 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11823 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11824 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11826 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11827 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11828 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11829 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11830 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11831 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11832 changed in the future.
11837 @node Posting Styles
11838 @section Posting Styles
11839 @cindex posting styles
11842 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11844 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11845 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11846 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11849 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11850 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11851 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11852 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11853 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11858 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11859 (organization "What me?"))
11861 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11862 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11863 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11866 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11867 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11868 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11869 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11870 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11871 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11872 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11873 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11875 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11876 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11877 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
11878 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
11879 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
11880 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
11881 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
11882 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11883 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
11884 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11885 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11886 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
11887 said to @dfn{match}.
11889 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11890 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11891 attribute name can be one of:
11894 @item @code{signature}
11895 @item @code{signature-file}
11896 @item @code{x-face-file}
11897 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
11898 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
11902 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
11903 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
11904 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
11905 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
11906 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
11908 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11909 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11910 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11911 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11912 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11913 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11914 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11915 references chars lines xref extra.
11917 @vindex message-reply-headers
11919 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11920 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11921 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11923 @findex message-mail-p
11924 @findex message-news-p
11926 So here's a new example:
11929 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11931 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11933 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11934 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11936 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11937 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
11938 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11939 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
11940 (signature my-news-signature))
11941 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
11942 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11943 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
11944 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11945 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11946 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
11947 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11948 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11949 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11950 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11952 (From (save-excursion
11953 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11954 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11956 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11959 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11960 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11961 if you fill many roles.
11968 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11969 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11970 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11971 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11972 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11974 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11975 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11976 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11977 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11978 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11982 @vindex nndraft-directory
11983 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11984 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11985 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11986 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11987 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11988 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11990 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11991 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11992 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
11993 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
11994 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
11995 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
11996 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
11997 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
11998 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
12000 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
12001 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
12002 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
12003 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
12004 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
12005 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
12006 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
12007 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
12008 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
12009 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
12010 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
12011 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
12012 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
12013 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
12015 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
12016 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
12017 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
12019 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
12020 @kindex D e (Draft)
12021 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
12022 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
12023 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
12025 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
12028 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
12029 @kindex D s (Draft)
12030 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
12031 @kindex D S (Draft)
12032 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
12033 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
12034 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
12035 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
12036 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
12039 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
12040 @kindex D t (Draft)
12041 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
12042 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
12043 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
12046 @node Rejected Articles
12047 @section Rejected Articles
12048 @cindex rejected articles
12050 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
12051 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
12052 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
12053 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
12055 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
12056 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
12057 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
12058 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
12059 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
12061 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
12062 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
12063 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
12065 @node Signing and encrypting
12066 @section Signing and encrypting
12068 @cindex using s/mime
12069 @cindex using smime
12071 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
12072 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
12073 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
12074 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
12076 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
12077 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
12078 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
12079 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
12080 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
12081 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
12082 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
12083 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
12084 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
12085 automatically encrypted messages.
12087 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
12088 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
12089 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
12094 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
12095 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
12097 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12100 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
12101 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12103 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12106 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
12107 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12109 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12112 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
12113 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
12115 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12118 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
12119 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
12121 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12124 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
12125 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
12127 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12130 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
12131 @findex mml-unsecure-message
12132 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
12136 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
12138 @node Select Methods
12139 @chapter Select Methods
12140 @cindex foreign groups
12141 @cindex select methods
12143 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
12144 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
12145 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
12146 personal mail group.
12148 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
12149 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
12150 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
12151 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
12152 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
12153 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
12155 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
12156 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
12158 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
12161 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
12162 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
12163 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
12164 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
12165 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
12167 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
12170 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
12171 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
12172 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
12173 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
12174 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
12175 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
12176 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
12177 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
12181 @node Server Buffer
12182 @section Server Buffer
12184 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
12185 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
12186 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
12187 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
12188 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
12189 back end represents a virtual server.
12191 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
12192 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
12193 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
12194 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
12196 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
12197 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
12198 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
12199 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
12200 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
12201 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
12202 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
12204 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
12205 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
12208 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
12209 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
12210 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
12211 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
12212 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
12213 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
12214 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
12217 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
12218 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
12221 @node Server Buffer Format
12222 @subsection Server Buffer Format
12223 @cindex server buffer format
12225 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
12226 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
12227 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
12228 variable, with some simple extensions:
12233 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
12236 The name of this server.
12239 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
12242 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
12245 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
12246 The mode line can also be customized by using the
12247 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
12248 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12258 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12261 @node Server Commands
12262 @subsection Server Commands
12263 @cindex server commands
12269 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12270 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12274 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12275 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12278 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12279 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12280 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12284 @findex gnus-server-exit
12285 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12289 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12290 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12294 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12295 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12299 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12300 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12304 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12305 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12309 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12310 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12311 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12316 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12317 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12318 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12319 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12324 @node Example Methods
12325 @subsection Example Methods
12327 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12330 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12333 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12339 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12340 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12343 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12344 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12346 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12347 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12351 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12354 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
12355 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
12357 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
12358 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
12359 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
12363 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
12366 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
12369 Here's the method for a public spool:
12373 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
12374 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
12380 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
12381 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
12382 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12383 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
12384 should probably look something like this:
12388 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
12389 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
12390 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
12391 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12394 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
12395 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
12396 configuration to the example above:
12399 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12402 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
12404 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
12405 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
12406 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
12410 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12411 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
12412 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
12413 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12416 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
12417 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
12418 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
12419 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
12422 @node Creating a Virtual Server
12423 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
12425 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12426 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12428 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12429 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
12430 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12432 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
12434 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
12435 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12436 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12437 will contain the following:
12447 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
12448 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12451 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12452 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12453 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12456 @node Server Variables
12457 @subsection Server Variables
12458 @cindex server variables
12459 @cindex server parameters
12461 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12462 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12463 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12464 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12465 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12467 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12468 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12469 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12470 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12471 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12472 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12473 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12474 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12475 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12479 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12480 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12481 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12484 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
12486 @node Servers and Methods
12487 @subsection Servers and Methods
12489 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12490 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12491 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12492 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12496 @node Unavailable Servers
12497 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12499 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12500 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12501 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12502 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12503 actually the case or not.
12505 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12506 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12507 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12508 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12509 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12510 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12511 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12512 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12514 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12515 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12517 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12518 with the following commands:
12524 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12525 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12526 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12530 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12531 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12532 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12536 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12537 Mark the current server as unreachable
12538 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12541 @kindex M-o (Server)
12542 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12543 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12544 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12547 @kindex M-c (Server)
12548 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12549 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12550 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12554 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12555 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12556 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12560 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12561 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12567 @section Getting News
12568 @cindex reading news
12569 @cindex news back ends
12571 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12572 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
12573 or it can read from a local spool.
12576 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12577 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12585 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
12586 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
12587 server as the, uhm, address.
12589 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12590 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12591 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12592 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12594 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12595 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12596 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12598 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12603 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12604 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12605 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12607 @cindex authentification
12608 @cindex nntp authentification
12609 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12610 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12611 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12612 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
12613 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12614 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12615 present in this hook.
12617 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12618 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12619 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12620 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12621 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
12622 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12623 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12624 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12625 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12626 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12627 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12628 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12632 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12635 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12637 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12638 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12639 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12640 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12641 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12642 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12643 @samp{force} is explained below.
12647 Here's an example file:
12650 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12651 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12654 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12655 have to be first, for instance.
12657 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12658 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12659 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12660 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12661 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12662 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12663 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12665 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12666 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12672 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12673 previously mentioned.
12675 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12677 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12678 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12679 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12680 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12681 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12684 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12685 '(("innd" (ding))))
12688 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12690 The default value is
12693 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12694 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12695 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12698 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12699 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12701 @item nntp-maximum-request
12702 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12703 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
12704 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12705 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12706 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12707 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12708 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12710 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12711 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12712 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12713 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
12714 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12715 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12716 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12717 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12718 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12719 no timeouts are done.
12721 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12722 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12723 @c @cindex PPP connections
12724 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12725 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12726 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12727 @c changes after connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will simply sit
12728 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12729 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12730 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12731 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12732 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12733 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12735 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12736 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12737 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12738 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12739 @c described above.
12741 @item nntp-server-hook
12742 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12743 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @acronym{NNTP}
12746 @item nntp-buggy-select
12747 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12748 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12750 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12751 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12752 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
12753 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
12756 @item nntp-xover-commands
12757 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12758 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
12760 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
12761 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12765 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12766 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
12767 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12768 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12769 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
12770 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12771 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12772 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12773 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12774 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12775 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12777 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12778 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12779 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12781 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12782 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12783 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12784 server closes connection.
12786 @item nntp-record-commands
12787 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12788 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12789 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12790 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
12791 that doesn't seem to work.
12793 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12794 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12795 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12796 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12797 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12798 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12799 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12800 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12802 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12803 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12804 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12805 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12806 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12807 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12808 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12811 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12814 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12815 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12817 @item nntp-read-timeout
12818 @vindex nntp-read-timeout
12819 How long nntp should wait between checking for the end of output.
12820 Shorter values mean quicker response, but is more CPU intensive. The
12821 default is 0.1 seconds. If you have a slow line to the server (and
12822 don't like to see Emacs eat your available CPU power), you might set
12828 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12829 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12830 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12834 @node Direct Functions
12835 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12836 @cindex direct connection functions
12838 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12839 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
12840 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12841 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12844 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12845 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12846 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12849 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
12850 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
12851 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12852 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
12853 installed. You then define a server as follows:
12856 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12857 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
12859 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12860 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
12861 (nntp-port-number )
12862 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12865 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12866 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12867 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12868 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
12869 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
12870 then define a server as follows:
12873 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12874 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
12876 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12877 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12878 (nntp-port-number 563)
12879 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12882 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12883 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12884 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12885 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12886 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12887 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12888 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12889 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12893 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12894 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12895 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12898 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12899 session, which is not a good idea.
12903 @node Indirect Functions
12904 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12905 @cindex indirect connection functions
12907 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12908 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12909 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12910 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
12911 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12912 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12915 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12916 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12917 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12918 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12919 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12921 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12924 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12925 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12926 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12927 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12929 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12930 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12931 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12932 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12933 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
12934 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12935 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
12936 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
12940 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
12941 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12943 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
12944 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
12945 Does essentially the same, but uses
12946 @uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} instead of @samp{telnet}
12947 to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
12949 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
12952 @item nntp-via-netcat-command
12953 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-command
12954 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
12955 intermediate host. The default is @samp{nc}. You can also use other
12956 programs like @uref{http://www.imasy.or.jp/~gotoh/ssh/connect.html,
12959 @item nntp-via-netcat-switches
12960 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-switches
12961 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12962 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{nil}.
12964 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12965 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12966 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12967 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12969 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12970 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12971 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12972 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}.
12975 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12976 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12977 Does essentially also the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12978 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12980 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12983 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12984 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12985 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12988 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12989 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12990 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12991 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12993 @item nntp-via-user-password
12994 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12995 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12997 @item nntp-via-envuser
12998 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12999 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
13000 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
13001 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
13003 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
13004 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
13005 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
13006 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
13010 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13011 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13015 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
13020 @item nntp-via-user-name
13021 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
13022 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
13024 @item nntp-via-address
13025 @vindex nntp-via-address
13026 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
13031 @node Common Variables
13032 @subsubsection Common Variables
13034 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
13035 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
13040 @item nntp-pre-command
13041 @vindex nntp-pre-command
13042 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
13043 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
13044 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is
13045 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
13048 @vindex nntp-address
13049 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13051 @item nntp-port-number
13052 @vindex nntp-port-number
13053 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13054 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
13055 @acronym{tls}/@acronym{ssl}, you may want to use integer ports rather
13056 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
13057 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
13058 not work with named ports.
13060 @item nntp-end-of-line
13061 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
13062 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
13063 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
13064 using a non native telnet connection function.
13066 @item nntp-telnet-command
13067 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
13068 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
13069 @samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
13070 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13073 @item nntp-telnet-switches
13074 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
13075 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
13082 @subsection News Spool
13086 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
13087 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
13088 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
13091 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
13092 anything else) as the address.
13094 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
13095 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
13096 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
13097 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
13101 @item nnspool-inews-program
13102 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
13103 Program used to post an article.
13105 @item nnspool-inews-switches
13106 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
13107 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
13109 @item nnspool-spool-directory
13110 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
13111 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
13112 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
13114 @item nnspool-nov-directory
13115 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
13116 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
13117 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
13119 @item nnspool-lib-dir
13120 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
13121 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
13123 @item nnspool-active-file
13124 @vindex nnspool-active-file
13125 The name of the active file.
13127 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
13128 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
13129 The name of the group descriptions file.
13131 @item nnspool-history-file
13132 @vindex nnspool-history-file
13133 The name of the news history file.
13135 @item nnspool-active-times-file
13136 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
13137 The name of the active date file.
13139 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
13140 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
13141 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
13144 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13145 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13147 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
13148 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
13149 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
13156 @section Getting Mail
13157 @cindex reading mail
13160 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
13164 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
13165 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
13166 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
13167 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
13168 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
13169 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
13170 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
13171 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
13172 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
13173 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
13174 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
13175 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
13176 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
13180 @node Mail in a Newsreader
13181 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
13183 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
13184 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
13185 of a culture shock.
13187 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
13188 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
13190 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
13191 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
13192 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
13193 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
13195 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
13197 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
13198 deleted? How awful!
13200 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
13201 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
13202 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
13203 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
13206 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
13207 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
13208 they want to treat a message.
13210 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
13211 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
13212 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
13213 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
13214 archived somewhere else.
13216 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
13217 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
13218 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
13219 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
13220 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
13222 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
13223 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
13224 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
13226 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
13227 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
13230 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
13231 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
13232 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
13233 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
13234 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
13236 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
13237 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
13238 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
13239 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
13240 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
13241 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
13245 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
13246 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
13248 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
13249 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
13250 and things will happen automatically.
13252 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
13253 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13256 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13259 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
13260 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
13261 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
13262 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
13263 like any other group.
13265 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
13268 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13269 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13270 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13274 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
13275 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
13276 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
13279 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
13280 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
13281 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
13284 @node Splitting Mail
13285 @subsection Splitting Mail
13286 @cindex splitting mail
13287 @cindex mail splitting
13288 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
13290 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
13291 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
13292 to be split into groups.
13295 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13296 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13297 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13298 ("mail.other" "")))
13301 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
13302 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
13303 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
13304 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
13305 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
13306 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
13307 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
13310 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
13313 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13314 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
13315 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
13316 mail belongs in that group.
13318 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
13319 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{*} so that it matches any mails
13320 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
13321 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
13322 rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled.
13323 In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.)
13325 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
13326 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
13327 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
13328 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
13329 thinks should carry this mail message.
13331 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
13332 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
13333 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
13334 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
13336 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
13337 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
13338 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
13339 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
13340 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{*}) group.
13342 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
13345 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
13346 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
13347 links. If that's the case for you, set
13348 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
13349 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
13351 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
13352 @findex nnmail-split-history
13353 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
13354 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
13355 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
13356 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
13359 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
13360 Header lines longer than the value of
13361 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
13364 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
13365 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
13366 By default the splitting codes @acronym{MIME} decodes headers so you
13367 can match on non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. The
13368 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset} variable specifies the default
13369 charset for decoding. The behaviour can be turned off completely by
13370 binding @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to @code{nil}, which is
13371 useful if you want to match articles based on the raw header data.
13373 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13374 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
13375 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
13376 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
13377 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
13378 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
13379 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
13380 other kinds of entries.)
13382 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
13383 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
13384 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
13385 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
13386 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
13387 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
13388 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
13389 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
13390 month's rent money.
13394 @subsection Mail Sources
13396 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
13397 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
13398 maildir, for instance.
13401 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
13402 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
13403 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
13407 @node Mail Source Specifiers
13408 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
13410 @cindex mail server
13413 @cindex mail source
13415 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
13416 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
13421 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
13424 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
13425 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
13426 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
13429 The following mail source types are available:
13433 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
13439 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
13440 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
13441 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
13445 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13448 An example file mail source:
13451 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
13454 Or using the default file name:
13460 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
13461 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
13462 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
13463 mail spool while moving the mail.
13465 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13469 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13472 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
13476 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
13479 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
13481 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
13484 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
13488 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
13489 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
13490 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
13491 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
13492 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
13493 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
13494 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
13495 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
13496 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
13497 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
13499 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13500 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
13501 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
13502 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13508 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13512 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13516 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13517 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13518 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13519 predicate are considered.
13523 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13527 An example directory mail source:
13530 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13535 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
13541 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
13542 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13545 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
13546 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13547 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13548 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13549 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13552 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
13556 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
13557 the user is prompted.
13560 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
13561 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13564 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13567 The valid format specifier characters are:
13571 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13572 included in this string.
13575 The name of the server.
13578 The port number of the server.
13581 The user name to use.
13584 The password to use.
13587 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13588 corresponding keywords.
13591 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13592 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13595 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13596 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13599 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
13600 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
13601 mail should be moved to.
13603 @item :authentication
13604 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13605 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13610 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13611 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
13613 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server,
13614 using the default user name, and default fetcher:
13620 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13623 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13624 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13627 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13630 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13634 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13635 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13636 contains exactly one mail.
13642 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13643 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13646 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13647 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13649 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13650 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13651 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13654 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13655 from locking problems).
13659 Two example maildir mail sources:
13662 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13663 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13667 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13672 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
13673 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
13674 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
13675 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
13676 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
13678 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
13679 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13685 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
13686 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13689 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13690 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
13693 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
13697 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
13701 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13702 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13703 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
13704 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13706 @item :authentication
13707 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13708 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13709 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13710 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13713 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13714 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13715 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13721 The valid format specifier characters are:
13725 The name of the server.
13728 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13731 The port number of the server.
13734 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13735 corresponding keywords.
13738 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13739 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13742 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13743 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13744 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
13745 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13746 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13747 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13750 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13751 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13752 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13753 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13756 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
13757 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
13761 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
13764 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13766 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13770 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
13771 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
13772 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
13774 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13775 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13777 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13783 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13784 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13787 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13791 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13795 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
13796 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
13800 An example webmail source:
13803 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13805 :password "secret")
13810 @item Common Keywords
13811 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13817 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
13818 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
13823 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13828 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13829 useful when you use local mail and news.
13834 @subsubsection Function Interface
13836 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13837 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13838 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13839 consider the following mail-source setting:
13842 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13843 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13846 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13847 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13848 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13849 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13850 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13852 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13855 @node Mail Source Customization
13856 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13858 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13859 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13863 @item mail-source-crash-box
13864 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13865 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
13866 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13868 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13869 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13870 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
13871 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
13872 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
13873 (This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
13874 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
13875 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
13877 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13878 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13879 If non-@code{nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
13880 files. This variable only applies when
13881 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
13883 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
13884 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
13885 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
13887 @item mail-source-directory
13888 @vindex mail-source-directory
13889 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13890 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13891 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13894 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13895 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13896 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13897 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13898 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13899 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13901 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13902 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13903 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13905 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13906 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13907 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
13908 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13913 @node Fetching Mail
13914 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13916 @vindex mail-sources
13917 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13918 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13919 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13920 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13922 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13923 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13926 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
13927 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
13932 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13933 :password "secret")))
13936 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13940 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13941 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13944 :password "secret")))
13948 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13949 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13950 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13951 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13952 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13953 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13957 @node Mail Back End Variables
13958 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13960 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13964 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13965 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13966 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13967 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13969 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13970 @item nnmail-split-hook
13971 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
13972 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
13973 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
13974 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13975 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13976 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13977 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13978 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13979 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13982 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13983 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13984 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13985 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13986 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13987 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13988 starting to handle the new mail) and
13989 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13990 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13991 default file modes the new mail files get:
13994 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13995 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13997 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13998 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
14001 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
14002 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
14003 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
14004 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
14005 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
14006 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
14007 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
14009 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
14010 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
14011 @findex delete-file
14012 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
14014 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14015 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14016 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
14017 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
14018 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
14020 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14021 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14022 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
14023 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
14024 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
14026 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
14027 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
14028 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
14033 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
14034 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
14035 @cindex mail splitting
14036 @cindex fancy mail splitting
14038 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
14039 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
14040 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
14041 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
14042 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
14043 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
14045 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
14048 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
14049 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
14050 ;; @r{from real errors.}
14051 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
14053 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
14054 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
14055 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
14056 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
14057 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
14058 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
14059 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
14060 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
14061 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
14062 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
14063 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
14064 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
14065 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
14066 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
14067 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
14068 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
14069 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
14073 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
14074 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
14075 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
14080 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
14081 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
14083 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split})
14084 If the split is a list, the first element of which is a string, then
14085 store the message as specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field}
14086 (a regexp) contains @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict}
14087 (yet another regexp) matches some string after @var{field} and before
14088 the end of the matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If
14089 none of the @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
14091 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
14092 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
14093 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
14094 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
14095 stored in one or more groups.
14097 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
14098 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
14099 process all @var{split}s in the list.
14102 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
14103 this message. Use with extreme caution.
14105 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
14106 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
14107 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
14108 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
14111 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
14112 body of the messages:
14115 (defun split-on-body ()
14119 (goto-char (point-min))
14120 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
14124 The buffer is narrowed to the message in question when @var{function}
14125 is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called after
14126 @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
14127 above. Also note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will
14128 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
14129 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
14130 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
14132 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
14133 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
14134 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
14135 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
14136 should return a split.
14139 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
14143 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
14144 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
14145 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
14146 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
14147 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
14149 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
14150 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
14151 they are expanded as specified by the variable
14152 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
14153 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
14154 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
14155 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
14159 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
14161 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
14162 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
14164 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
14167 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
14168 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
14169 when all this splitting is performed.
14171 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
14172 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
14173 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
14176 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
14179 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
14180 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
14182 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
14183 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
14184 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
14185 groupings 1 through 9.
14187 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
14188 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} controls whether partial
14189 words are matched during fancy splitting.
14191 Normally, regular expressions given in @code{nnmail-split-fancy} are
14192 implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers, which are word
14193 delimiters. If this variable is true, they are not implicitly
14194 surrounded by anything.
14197 (any "joe" "joemail")
14200 In this example, messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will
14201 normally not be filed in @samp{joemail}. With
14202 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} set to t, however, the
14203 match will happen. In effect, the requirement of a word boundary is
14204 removed and instead the match becomes more like a grep.
14206 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
14207 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
14208 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
14209 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
14210 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
14211 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
14212 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
14213 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
14214 it once per thread.
14216 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
14217 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
14218 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
14219 using the colon feature, like so:
14221 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
14222 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
14224 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
14225 ;; @r{other splits go here}
14229 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
14230 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
14231 in the file specified by the variable
14232 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
14233 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
14234 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
14235 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
14236 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
14237 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
14238 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
14239 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
14240 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
14241 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
14242 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
14243 300 kBytes in size.)
14244 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14245 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
14246 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
14247 messages goes into the new group.
14249 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
14250 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
14251 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
14252 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
14253 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
14254 ``outgoing'' group.
14257 @node Group Mail Splitting
14258 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
14259 @cindex mail splitting
14260 @cindex group mail splitting
14262 @findex gnus-group-split
14263 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
14264 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
14265 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
14266 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
14267 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
14268 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
14269 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
14270 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
14272 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
14273 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
14274 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
14275 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
14277 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
14278 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
14279 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
14280 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
14281 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
14282 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
14283 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
14285 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
14286 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
14287 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
14288 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
14289 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
14290 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
14291 @code{gnus-group-split}.
14293 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
14294 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
14295 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
14296 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
14297 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
14298 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
14299 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
14300 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
14301 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
14302 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
14303 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
14304 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
14305 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
14307 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
14312 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
14313 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
14315 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
14316 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
14317 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
14318 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
14320 ((split-spec . catch-all))
14323 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
14324 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
14325 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
14328 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
14329 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
14330 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
14334 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
14335 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
14336 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
14340 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
14343 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
14344 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
14345 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
14346 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
14347 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
14348 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
14349 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
14350 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
14351 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
14353 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
14354 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
14355 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
14356 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
14357 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
14358 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
14359 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
14360 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
14361 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
14363 @findex gnus-group-split-update
14364 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
14365 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
14366 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
14367 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
14368 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
14371 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
14374 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
14375 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
14376 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
14377 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
14378 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
14381 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
14382 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
14383 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
14384 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
14386 @node Incorporating Old Mail
14387 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
14388 @cindex incorporating old mail
14389 @cindex import old mail
14391 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
14392 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
14393 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
14396 Doing so can be quite easy.
14398 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
14399 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
14400 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
14401 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
14402 your @code{nnml} groups.
14408 Go to the group buffer.
14411 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
14412 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14415 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
14418 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
14419 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14422 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
14423 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
14426 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
14427 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
14428 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
14429 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
14430 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
14432 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
14433 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
14434 using the new mail back end.
14437 @node Expiring Mail
14438 @subsection Expiring Mail
14439 @cindex article expiry
14441 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
14442 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
14443 different approach to mail reading.
14445 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
14446 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
14447 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
14448 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
14449 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
14450 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
14453 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
14454 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
14455 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
14456 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
14457 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
14458 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
14459 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
14460 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
14461 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
14463 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
14464 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
14465 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
14466 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
14467 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
14468 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
14469 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
14472 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
14473 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
14474 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
14475 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
14476 into its own group.)
14478 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
14479 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
14480 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
14481 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
14482 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
14483 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
14484 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
14485 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
14488 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14489 Groups that match the regular expression
14490 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
14491 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
14492 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
14494 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
14495 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
14496 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
14497 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
14498 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14500 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
14502 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
14503 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
14504 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
14507 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
14508 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
14509 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
14510 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
14511 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
14513 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
14514 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
14517 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14518 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
14521 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
14522 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
14524 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
14525 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
14526 don't really mix very well.
14528 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
14529 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
14530 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
14531 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
14534 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
14535 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
14536 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
14537 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14540 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14542 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14544 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14546 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14548 ((string= group "important")
14554 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14555 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14557 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14558 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14559 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14562 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14563 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14565 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14566 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14567 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14568 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14569 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14570 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14571 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14572 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14573 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14574 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14575 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14576 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
14577 name or @code{delete}.
14579 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14581 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14584 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14585 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14586 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14587 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14588 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14591 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14592 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14593 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14594 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14595 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14598 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14599 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14600 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14601 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14602 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14603 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14605 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14606 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14607 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14608 easier for procmail users.
14610 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14611 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14612 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14613 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14614 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14615 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14616 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14617 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14618 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14619 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14620 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14621 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14622 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14625 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14627 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14628 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14629 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14630 auto-expire turned on.
14634 @subsection Washing Mail
14635 @cindex mail washing
14636 @cindex list server brain damage
14637 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14639 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14640 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14641 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14642 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14643 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14644 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14646 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14647 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14648 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14651 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14652 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14653 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14654 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14657 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14658 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14659 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14660 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14661 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14664 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14665 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14666 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14667 Emacs running on MS machines.
14671 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14672 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14673 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14674 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14677 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14678 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14679 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14680 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14682 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14683 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14684 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14685 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14686 into a feature by documenting it.)
14688 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14689 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14690 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14691 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14692 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14693 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14694 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14697 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14698 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14701 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14702 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14705 This can also be done non-destructively with
14706 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14708 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14709 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14710 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14712 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14713 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14715 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14716 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14717 @code{References} headers.
14721 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14722 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14723 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14727 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14728 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14729 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14736 @subsection Duplicates
14738 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14739 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14740 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14741 @cindex duplicate mails
14742 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14743 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14744 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14745 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14746 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14747 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14748 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14749 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14750 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14751 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14752 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14753 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14754 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14756 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14757 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14758 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14759 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14761 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14764 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14765 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14769 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14770 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
14771 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14772 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
14773 (any mail "mail.misc")
14774 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14780 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14781 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14782 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14786 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14787 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14788 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14789 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14790 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14793 @node Not Reading Mail
14794 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14796 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14797 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14798 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14800 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14801 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14802 mail, which should help.
14804 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14805 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14806 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14807 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14808 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14809 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14810 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
14811 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14812 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14813 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14814 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14816 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14817 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14821 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14822 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14824 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14825 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14826 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14828 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14829 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14830 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14834 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14835 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
14836 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14837 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14838 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
14839 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14840 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14844 @node Unix Mail Box
14845 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14847 @cindex unix mail box
14849 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14850 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14851 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14852 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14853 which group it belongs in.
14855 Virtual server settings:
14858 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14859 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14860 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14863 @item nnmbox-active-file
14864 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14865 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14866 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14868 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14869 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14870 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14871 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14876 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14880 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14881 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14882 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
14883 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14884 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14886 Virtual server settings:
14889 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14890 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14891 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14893 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14894 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14895 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14896 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14898 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14899 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14900 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14906 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14908 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
14910 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14911 format. It should be used with some caution.
14913 @vindex nnml-directory
14914 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14915 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14916 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14917 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14919 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14922 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14923 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14924 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14925 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14926 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14927 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14928 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14929 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14931 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14932 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14933 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14934 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14936 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14938 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14939 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14940 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14941 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14942 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14943 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14944 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14945 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14948 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14949 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14950 them next time it starts.
14952 Virtual server settings:
14955 @item nnml-directory
14956 @vindex nnml-directory
14957 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
14958 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
14961 @item nnml-active-file
14962 @vindex nnml-active-file
14963 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14964 @file{~/Mail/active}.
14966 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14967 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14968 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14969 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
14971 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14972 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14973 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14976 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14977 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14978 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
14979 default is @code{nil}.
14981 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14982 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14983 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14985 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14986 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14987 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14989 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14990 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14991 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14992 default is @code{nil}.
14994 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14995 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14996 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14998 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14999 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
15000 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
15005 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
15006 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
15007 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
15008 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
15009 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
15010 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
15011 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
15016 @subsubsection MH Spool
15018 @cindex mh-e mail spool
15020 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
15021 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
15022 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
15023 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
15026 Virtual server settings:
15029 @item nnmh-directory
15030 @vindex nnmh-directory
15031 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
15032 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
15035 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
15036 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15037 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
15041 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
15042 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
15043 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
15044 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
15045 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
15046 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
15047 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
15052 @subsubsection Maildir
15056 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
15057 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
15058 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
15059 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
15060 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
15063 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
15064 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
15065 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
15066 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
15067 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
15068 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
15069 that appear as group in Gnus.
15071 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
15072 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
15073 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
15075 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
15076 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
15077 another, and you will keep your marks.
15079 Virtual server settings:
15083 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
15084 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
15085 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
15086 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
15087 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
15088 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
15089 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
15090 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
15091 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
15092 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
15094 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
15095 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
15096 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
15097 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
15098 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
15099 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
15100 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
15101 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
15102 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
15103 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
15106 @item target-prefix
15107 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
15108 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
15109 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
15112 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
15113 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
15114 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
15115 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
15116 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
15117 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
15118 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
15119 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
15120 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
15122 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
15123 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
15124 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
15125 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
15126 symlinks pointing to them will be).
15128 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
15129 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
15130 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
15131 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
15132 @code{force} argument.
15134 @item directory-files
15135 This should be a function with the same interface as
15136 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
15137 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
15138 parameter is optional; the default is
15139 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
15140 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
15141 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
15142 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
15143 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
15144 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
15147 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
15148 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
15149 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
15150 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
15151 value is @code{nil}.
15153 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
15154 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
15155 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
15156 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
15157 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
15160 @subsubsection Group parameters
15162 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
15163 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
15164 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
15165 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
15166 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
15167 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
15170 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
15171 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
15172 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
15173 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
15174 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
15175 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
15176 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
15177 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
15178 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
15182 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
15183 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
15184 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
15185 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
15186 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (overrideable by
15187 the @code{expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) group parameters. If you
15188 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
15189 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
15190 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
15191 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
15192 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
15193 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
15196 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
15198 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
15200 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
15201 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
15202 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
15203 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
15204 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
15205 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
15206 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
15207 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
15208 article. So that form can refer to
15209 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
15210 article. @emph{If this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir} does
15211 not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
15212 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
15215 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
15216 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
15217 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
15218 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
15219 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
15220 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
15221 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
15222 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
15223 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
15224 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
15225 contain extra copies of the articles.
15227 @item directory-files
15228 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
15229 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
15230 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
15231 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
15233 @item distrust-Lines:
15234 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
15235 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
15236 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
15239 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
15240 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15241 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
15242 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
15243 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
15244 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15247 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
15248 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15249 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
15250 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
15251 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
15252 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15253 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15255 @item nov-cache-size
15256 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
15257 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
15258 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
15259 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
15260 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
15261 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
15262 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
15263 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
15264 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
15265 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
15266 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
15269 @subsubsection Article identification
15270 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
15271 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
15272 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
15273 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
15274 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
15275 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
15276 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
15277 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
15278 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
15279 request the article in the summary buffer.
15281 @subsubsection NOV data
15282 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
15283 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
15284 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
15285 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
15286 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
15287 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
15288 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
15289 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
15290 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
15291 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
15292 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
15294 @subsubsection Article marks
15295 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
15296 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
15297 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15298 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
15299 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15300 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
15301 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
15302 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
15304 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
15305 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
15306 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
15307 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
15308 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
15309 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
15310 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
15311 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
15312 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
15316 @subsubsection Mail Folders
15318 @cindex mbox folders
15319 @cindex mail folders
15321 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
15322 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
15323 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
15324 numbers and arrival dates.
15326 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
15328 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
15329 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15330 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15331 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
15332 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
15333 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
15334 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
15335 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
15336 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
15337 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
15339 Virtual server settings:
15342 @item nnfolder-directory
15343 @vindex nnfolder-directory
15344 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
15345 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
15346 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
15348 @item nnfolder-active-file
15349 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
15350 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
15352 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15353 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15354 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15355 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
15357 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
15358 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15359 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
15360 default is @code{t}
15362 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15363 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15364 @cindex backup files
15365 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
15366 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
15367 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
15368 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
15371 (defun turn-off-backup ()
15372 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
15374 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
15377 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15378 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15379 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
15380 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
15381 extract some information from it before removing it.
15383 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15384 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15385 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15386 default is @code{nil}.
15388 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15389 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15390 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
15392 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
15393 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
15394 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
15395 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15397 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15398 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15399 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15400 default is @code{nil}.
15402 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15403 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15404 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
15406 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
15407 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
15408 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
15409 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15414 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
15415 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
15416 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
15417 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
15418 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
15419 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
15422 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
15423 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
15425 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
15426 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
15427 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
15428 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
15429 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
15431 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
15432 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
15433 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
15434 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
15435 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
15436 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
15437 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
15438 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
15441 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
15442 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
15443 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
15444 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
15449 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
15450 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
15451 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
15452 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
15453 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
15454 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
15455 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
15456 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
15457 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
15458 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
15459 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
15460 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
15461 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
15466 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
15467 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
15468 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
15469 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
15470 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
15471 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
15472 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
15473 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
15474 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
15475 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
15476 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
15477 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
15478 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
15479 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
15481 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
15482 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
15487 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
15488 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
15489 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
15490 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
15491 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
15492 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
15493 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
15494 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
15495 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
15496 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
15497 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
15498 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
15499 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
15500 provided by the active file and overviews.
15502 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
15503 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
15504 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
15505 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
15506 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
15509 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
15510 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
15515 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
15516 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
15517 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
15518 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
15519 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
15520 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
15521 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
15525 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
15526 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
15527 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
15528 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
15529 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
15530 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
15531 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
15532 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
15533 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
15535 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
15536 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
15537 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
15538 friendly mail back end all over.
15542 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
15543 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
15546 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
15547 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
15548 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
15549 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
15550 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
15551 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
15552 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
15553 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
15556 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
15557 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
15558 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
15559 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
15560 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
15561 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
15562 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
15563 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
15564 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
15565 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
15566 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
15568 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
15569 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
15570 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15571 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15572 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15575 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15576 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15577 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15578 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15579 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15580 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15581 removed in the future.
15583 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15584 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
15585 on your file system.
15587 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15588 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15593 @node Browsing the Web
15594 @section Browsing the Web
15596 @cindex browsing the web
15600 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15601 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15602 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15603 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15604 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15605 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15606 even know what a news group is.
15608 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15609 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15610 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15611 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15612 you mad in the end.
15614 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15617 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15618 interfaces to these sources.
15622 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15623 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15624 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15625 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15626 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15627 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
15630 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
15632 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15633 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
15634 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15635 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15636 though, you should be ok.
15638 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15639 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15640 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15641 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15642 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15644 @node Archiving Mail
15645 @subsection Archiving Mail
15646 @cindex archiving mail
15647 @cindex backup of mail
15649 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15650 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15651 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15652 marks is fairly simple.
15654 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15655 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15658 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15659 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15660 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15661 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15662 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15663 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15664 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15665 before you restore the data.
15667 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15668 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15669 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15670 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15671 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15672 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15673 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15674 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15675 is unnecessary in that case.
15678 @subsection Web Searches
15683 @cindex Usenet searches
15684 @cindex searching the Usenet
15686 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15687 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15688 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15689 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15690 searches without having to use a browser.
15692 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
15693 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
15694 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
15695 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
15696 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
15698 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
15699 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
15700 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
15701 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
15702 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
15703 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
15704 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
15705 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
15706 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
15707 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
15710 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
15711 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
15712 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
15713 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
15714 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
15715 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
15717 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
15718 to use @code{nnweb}.
15720 Virtual server variables:
15725 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
15726 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
15727 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
15730 @vindex nnweb-search
15731 The search string to feed to the search engine.
15733 @item nnweb-max-hits
15734 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
15735 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
15738 @item nnweb-type-definition
15739 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
15740 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
15741 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
15746 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
15750 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
15753 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
15756 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
15760 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
15767 @subsection Slashdot
15771 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
15772 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
15773 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
15775 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
15776 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15779 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15780 '((nnslashdot "")))
15783 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
15784 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
15785 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
15786 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
15787 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
15790 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
15791 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15793 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
15794 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
15795 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
15796 @samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
15797 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
15798 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
15799 @acronym{HTML} forms.
15801 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
15804 @item nnslashdot-threaded
15805 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
15806 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
15807 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
15808 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
15809 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
15810 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
15812 @item nnslashdot-login-name
15813 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
15814 The login name to use when posting.
15816 @item nnslashdot-password
15817 @vindex nnslashdot-password
15818 The password to use when posting.
15820 @item nnslashdot-directory
15821 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
15822 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
15823 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
15825 @item nnslashdot-active-url
15826 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
15827 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
15828 information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
15829 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
15831 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
15832 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
15833 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
15835 @item nnslashdot-article-url
15836 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
15837 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
15838 article. The default is
15839 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
15841 @item nnslashdot-threshold
15842 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
15843 The score threshold. The default is -1.
15845 @item nnslashdot-group-number
15846 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
15847 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
15848 updated. The default is 0.
15855 @subsection Ultimate
15857 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
15859 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
15860 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
15861 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
15862 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15864 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
15865 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
15866 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
15867 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
15868 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
15869 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
15870 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
15872 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
15875 @item nnultimate-directory
15876 @vindex nnultimate-directory
15877 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
15878 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
15883 @subsection Web Archive
15885 @cindex Web Archive
15887 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
15888 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
15889 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
15890 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15893 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
15894 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
15895 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
15896 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
15897 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
15898 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
15899 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
15900 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
15902 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
15905 @item nnwarchive-directory
15906 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
15907 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
15908 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
15910 @item nnwarchive-login
15911 @vindex nnwarchive-login
15912 The account name on the web server.
15914 @item nnwarchive-passwd
15915 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
15916 The password for your account on the web server.
15924 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
15925 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
15926 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
15927 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
15928 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
15930 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
15931 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15933 @kindex G R (Summary)
15934 Use @kbd{G R} from the summary buffer to subscribe to a feed---you
15935 will be prompted for the location of the feed.
15937 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
15938 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET y}, then
15939 subscribe to groups.
15942 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
15943 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
15946 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
15947 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
15951 @defun nnrss-opml-export
15952 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
15953 @acronym{OPML} format.
15956 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
15959 @item nnrss-directory
15960 @vindex nnrss-directory
15961 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
15962 @file{~/News/rss/}.
15964 @item nnrss-use-local
15965 @vindex nnrss-use-local
15966 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
15967 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
15968 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
15969 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
15970 download script using @command{wget}.
15973 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
15974 the summary buffer.
15977 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
15978 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
15980 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
15982 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
15983 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
15986 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
15989 (require 'browse-url)
15991 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
15993 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
15996 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
15997 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
16000 (browse-url (cdr url))
16001 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
16002 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
16004 (eval-after-load "gnus"
16005 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
16006 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
16007 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
16010 @node Customizing w3
16011 @subsection Customizing w3
16017 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
16018 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
16019 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
16021 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
16022 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
16023 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
16026 (eval-after-load "w3"
16028 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
16029 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
16030 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
16031 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
16033 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
16036 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
16037 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
16044 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
16046 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
16047 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
16048 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
16049 specify the network address of the server.
16051 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
16052 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
16053 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
16054 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
16055 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
16056 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
16058 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
16059 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
16060 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
16061 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
16063 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
16064 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
16065 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
16066 usage explained in this section.
16068 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
16069 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
16070 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
16074 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
16075 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
16076 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
16078 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16079 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
16080 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
16082 (nnimap-server-port 143)
16083 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16084 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
16085 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
16086 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
16087 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
16088 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
16089 (nnimap-stream network))
16090 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
16092 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
16093 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
16094 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
16097 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
16098 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
16099 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
16100 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
16102 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
16107 @item nnimap-address
16108 @vindex nnimap-address
16110 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
16111 server name if not specified.
16113 @item nnimap-server-port
16114 @vindex nnimap-server-port
16115 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
16117 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
16120 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16121 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
16124 @item nnimap-list-pattern
16125 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
16126 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
16127 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
16128 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
16129 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
16130 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
16132 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
16133 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
16134 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
16137 Example server specification:
16140 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16141 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
16142 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
16145 @item nnimap-stream
16146 @vindex nnimap-stream
16147 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
16148 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
16149 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
16150 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
16151 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
16153 Example server specification:
16156 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16157 (nnimap-stream ssl))
16160 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
16164 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
16165 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
16167 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
16169 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
16170 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
16173 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
16174 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
16176 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
16177 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
16179 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
16181 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
16184 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
16185 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
16186 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
16187 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
16188 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
16189 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
16190 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
16191 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
16192 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
16195 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
16196 needed. It is available from
16197 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
16199 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
16200 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
16201 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
16202 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
16203 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
16204 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
16205 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
16208 @vindex imap-ssl-program
16209 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
16210 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
16211 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
16212 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
16213 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
16214 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
16217 @vindex imap-shell-program
16218 @vindex imap-shell-host
16219 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
16220 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
16222 @item nnimap-authenticator
16223 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
16225 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
16226 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
16228 Example server specification:
16231 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16232 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
16235 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
16239 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
16240 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
16242 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
16245 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
16246 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
16248 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
16250 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
16252 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
16255 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
16257 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
16258 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
16259 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
16260 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
16261 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
16262 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
16265 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
16266 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
16267 running in circles yet?
16269 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
16270 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
16273 The possible options are:
16278 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
16281 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
16282 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
16283 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
16284 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
16286 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
16291 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
16292 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
16294 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
16295 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
16296 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
16297 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
16298 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
16301 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
16302 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
16305 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
16306 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16307 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
16308 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16311 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
16312 as ticked for other users.
16314 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
16316 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
16318 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
16319 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
16320 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
16321 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
16323 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
16324 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
16325 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
16326 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
16328 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
16329 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
16331 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
16332 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
16333 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
16336 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16337 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16339 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
16340 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
16346 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
16347 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
16348 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
16349 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
16350 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
16351 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
16356 @node Splitting in IMAP
16357 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
16358 @cindex splitting imap mail
16360 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
16361 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
16362 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
16363 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
16364 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
16368 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
16369 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
16370 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
16372 Here are the variables of interest:
16376 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
16377 @cindex splitting, crosspost
16379 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
16381 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
16382 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
16383 found will be used.
16385 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
16387 @item nnimap-split-inbox
16388 @cindex splitting, inbox
16390 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
16392 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
16393 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
16394 splitting is disabled!
16397 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
16398 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
16401 No nnmail equivalent.
16403 @item nnimap-split-rule
16404 @cindex splitting, rules
16405 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
16407 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
16410 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
16411 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
16412 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
16413 Neither did I, we need examples.
16416 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16418 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
16419 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
16420 ("INBOX.private" "")))
16423 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
16424 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
16425 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
16427 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
16428 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
16432 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
16435 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
16436 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
16438 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
16439 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
16440 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
16441 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
16443 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
16444 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
16445 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
16446 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
16447 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
16448 them every time you fetch new mail.)
16450 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
16451 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
16452 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
16454 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
16455 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
16456 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16458 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
16460 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
16461 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
16462 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
16465 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16466 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
16467 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
16468 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
16469 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
16470 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
16473 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
16474 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
16475 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
16476 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
16477 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
16478 group/function elements.
16480 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16482 @item nnimap-split-predicate
16484 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
16486 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
16487 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
16489 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
16490 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
16491 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
16494 @item nnimap-split-fancy
16495 @cindex splitting, fancy
16496 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
16497 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
16499 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16500 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
16501 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
16503 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
16504 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16505 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
16506 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16511 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
16512 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
16515 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
16517 @item nnimap-split-download-body
16518 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
16519 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
16521 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
16522 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
16523 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
16524 splitting function that analyses the body to split the article.
16528 @node Expiring in IMAP
16529 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
16530 @cindex expiring imap mail
16532 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
16533 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
16534 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
16535 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
16536 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
16537 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
16540 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
16541 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
16542 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
16543 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
16544 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
16545 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
16546 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
16547 messages. Most do, fortunately.
16551 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
16552 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16554 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
16555 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
16557 @item nnmail-expiry-target
16559 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
16560 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
16561 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
16562 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
16566 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
16567 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
16568 @cindex editing imap acls
16569 @cindex Access Control Lists
16570 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
16571 @kindex G l (Group)
16572 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
16574 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
16575 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
16576 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
16579 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
16580 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
16581 editing window with detailed instructions.
16583 Some possible uses:
16587 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
16588 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
16589 follow the list without subscribing to it.
16591 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
16592 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
16593 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
16597 @node Expunging mailboxes
16598 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
16602 @cindex manual expunging
16603 @kindex G x (Group)
16604 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
16606 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
16607 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
16608 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
16610 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
16613 @node A note on namespaces
16614 @subsection A note on namespaces
16615 @cindex IMAP namespace
16618 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
16619 by the following text in the RFC:
16622 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
16624 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
16625 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
16626 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
16627 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
16629 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
16630 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
16631 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
16632 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
16633 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
16634 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
16637 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
16638 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
16639 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
16641 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
16642 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
16643 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
16644 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
16645 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
16646 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
16647 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
16648 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
16651 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
16652 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
16653 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
16655 @node Debugging IMAP
16656 @subsection Debugging IMAP
16657 @cindex IMAP debugging
16658 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
16660 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
16661 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
16662 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behaviour, chances
16663 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
16665 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
16666 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
16667 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
16668 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
16669 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
16670 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
16671 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
16675 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
16676 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
16683 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
16684 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
16685 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
16686 @code{BAD}---but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
16689 @node Other Sources
16690 @section Other Sources
16692 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
16693 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
16697 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
16698 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
16699 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
16700 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
16701 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
16705 @node Directory Groups
16706 @subsection Directory Groups
16708 @cindex directory groups
16710 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
16711 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
16714 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
16715 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
16716 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
16717 back end to read directories. Big deal.
16719 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
16720 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
16721 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
16722 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
16723 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
16725 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
16727 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
16728 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
16729 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
16730 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
16733 @node Anything Groups
16734 @subsection Anything Groups
16737 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
16738 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
16739 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
16742 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
16743 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
16744 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
16745 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
16746 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
16747 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
16748 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
16749 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
16750 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
16751 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
16754 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
16755 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
16756 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
16757 in the article buffer, just as usual.
16759 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
16760 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
16761 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
16762 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
16764 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
16765 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
16766 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
16767 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
16768 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
16769 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
16770 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
16771 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
16776 @item nneething-map-file-directory
16777 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
16778 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
16779 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
16781 @item nneething-exclude-files
16782 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
16783 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
16784 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
16786 @item nneething-include-files
16787 @vindex nneething-include-files
16788 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
16789 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
16791 @item nneething-map-file
16792 @vindex nneething-map-file
16793 Name of the map files.
16797 @node Document Groups
16798 @subsection Document Groups
16800 @cindex documentation group
16803 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
16804 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
16811 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
16816 The standard Unix mbox file.
16818 @cindex MMDF mail box
16820 The MMDF mail box format.
16823 Several news articles appended into a file.
16826 @cindex rnews batch files
16827 The rnews batch transport format.
16828 @cindex forwarded messages
16831 Forwarded articles.
16834 Netscape mail boxes.
16837 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
16839 @item standard-digest
16840 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
16843 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
16845 @item lanl-gov-announce
16846 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
16848 @item rfc822-forward
16849 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
16852 The Outlook mail box.
16855 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
16858 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
16861 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
16864 An RFC934-forwarded message.
16870 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
16873 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
16879 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
16880 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
16881 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
16884 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
16885 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
16886 group. And that's it.
16888 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
16889 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
16890 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
16891 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
16892 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
16893 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
16894 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
16895 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
16896 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
16897 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
16899 Virtual server variables:
16902 @item nndoc-article-type
16903 @vindex nndoc-article-type
16904 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
16905 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
16906 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
16907 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
16908 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
16910 @item nndoc-post-type
16911 @vindex nndoc-post-type
16912 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
16913 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
16918 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
16922 @node Document Server Internals
16923 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
16925 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
16926 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
16927 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
16928 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
16930 First, here's an example document type definition:
16934 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
16935 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
16938 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
16939 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
16940 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
16941 types can be defined with very few settings:
16944 @item first-article
16945 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
16946 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
16949 @item article-begin
16950 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
16951 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
16953 @item head-begin-function
16954 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
16957 @item nndoc-head-begin
16958 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
16961 @item nndoc-head-end
16962 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
16963 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
16965 @item body-begin-function
16966 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
16970 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
16973 @item body-end-function
16974 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
16978 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
16981 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
16982 regexp will be totally ignored.
16986 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
16987 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
16988 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
16989 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
16990 something that's palatable for Gnus:
16993 @item prepare-body-function
16994 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
16995 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
16996 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
16998 @item article-transform-function
16999 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
17000 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
17001 body of the article.
17003 @item generate-head-function
17004 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
17005 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
17006 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
17007 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
17011 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
17016 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17017 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17018 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
17019 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
17020 (head-end . "^ ?$")
17021 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
17022 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
17023 (subtype digest guess))
17026 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
17027 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
17028 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
17029 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
17030 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
17032 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
17033 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
17034 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
17035 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
17036 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
17037 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
17038 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
17039 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
17040 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
17041 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
17042 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
17043 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
17051 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
17052 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
17053 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
17055 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
17056 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
17057 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
17060 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
17061 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
17062 that interested in doing things properly.
17064 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
17065 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
17068 First some terminology:
17073 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
17074 get news and/or mail from.
17077 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
17078 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
17081 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
17085 @item message packets
17086 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
17087 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
17088 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17090 @item response packets
17091 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
17092 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
17093 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17103 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
17104 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
17105 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
17106 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
17109 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
17112 You put the packet in your home directory.
17115 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
17116 the native or secondary server.
17119 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
17120 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
17123 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
17127 You transfer this packet to the server.
17130 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
17133 You then repeat until you die.
17137 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
17138 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
17141 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
17142 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
17143 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
17147 @node SOUP Commands
17148 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
17150 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
17154 @kindex G s b (Group)
17155 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
17156 Pack all unread articles in the current group
17157 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
17158 process/prefix convention.
17161 @kindex G s w (Group)
17162 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
17163 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
17166 @kindex G s s (Group)
17167 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
17168 Send all replies from the replies packet
17169 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
17172 @kindex G s p (Group)
17173 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
17174 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
17177 @kindex G s r (Group)
17178 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
17179 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
17182 @kindex O s (Summary)
17183 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
17184 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
17185 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
17186 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17191 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
17196 @item gnus-soup-directory
17197 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
17198 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
17199 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
17201 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
17202 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
17203 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
17204 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
17206 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
17207 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
17208 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
17209 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
17211 @item gnus-soup-packer
17212 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
17213 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17214 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
17216 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
17217 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
17218 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17219 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17221 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
17222 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
17223 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
17225 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17226 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17227 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
17228 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
17234 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
17237 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
17238 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
17239 you can read them at leisure.
17241 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
17245 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
17246 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
17247 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
17248 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
17250 @item nnsoup-directory
17251 @vindex nnsoup-directory
17252 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
17253 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
17255 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
17256 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
17257 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
17258 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
17260 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
17261 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
17262 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
17263 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
17264 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
17266 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
17267 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
17268 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
17269 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
17271 @item nnsoup-active-file
17272 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
17273 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
17274 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
17275 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
17276 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
17278 @item nnsoup-packer
17279 @vindex nnsoup-packer
17280 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
17281 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
17283 @item nnsoup-unpacker
17284 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
17285 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
17286 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17288 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
17289 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
17290 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
17293 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
17294 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
17295 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
17298 @item nnsoup-always-save
17299 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
17300 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
17306 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
17308 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
17309 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
17310 more for that to happen.
17312 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
17313 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
17314 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
17317 In specific, this is what it does:
17320 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
17321 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
17324 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
17325 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
17326 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
17329 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
17330 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
17331 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
17334 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
17335 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
17336 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
17338 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
17344 @item nngateway-address
17345 @vindex nngateway-address
17346 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
17348 @item nngateway-header-transformation
17349 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
17350 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
17351 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
17352 transformation should be called, and defaults to
17353 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
17354 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
17357 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
17358 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
17359 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
17362 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
17365 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
17368 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
17371 The following pre-defined functions exist:
17373 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17376 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17377 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17378 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
17380 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17382 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17383 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17384 @code{nngateway-address}.
17392 (setq gnus-post-method
17394 "mail2news@@replay.com"
17395 (nngateway-header-transformation
17396 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
17399 So, to use this, simply say something like:
17402 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
17407 @node Combined Groups
17408 @section Combined Groups
17410 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
17414 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
17415 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
17419 @node Virtual Groups
17420 @subsection Virtual Groups
17422 @cindex virtual groups
17423 @cindex merging groups
17425 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
17428 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
17429 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
17430 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
17432 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
17433 regexp to match component groups.
17435 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
17436 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
17437 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
17438 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
17439 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
17440 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
17441 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
17442 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
17444 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
17445 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
17448 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
17451 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
17452 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
17454 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
17455 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
17456 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
17457 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17460 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17463 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17464 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17465 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17467 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17468 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17469 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17470 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17471 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17473 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17474 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17475 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17477 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17478 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
17479 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
17480 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
17481 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
17482 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
17483 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
17484 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
17485 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
17486 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
17487 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
17489 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17490 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17491 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17492 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17493 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17494 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17495 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17497 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17498 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17500 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17501 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17505 @node Kibozed Groups
17506 @subsection Kibozed Groups
17510 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
17511 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
17512 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
17513 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
17515 @kindex G k (Group)
17516 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
17519 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
17520 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
17521 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
17522 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
17524 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
17525 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
17526 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
17528 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
17529 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
17530 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
17531 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
17532 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
17533 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
17534 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
17535 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
17537 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
17538 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
17539 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
17540 Stranger things have happened.
17542 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
17543 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
17545 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
17546 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
17547 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
17548 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
17549 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
17550 information on what groups have been searched through to find
17551 component articles.
17553 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
17554 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
17557 @node Gnus Unplugged
17558 @section Gnus Unplugged
17563 @cindex Gnus unplugged
17565 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
17566 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
17567 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
17568 read news. Believe it or not.
17570 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
17571 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
17572 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
17573 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
17574 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
17576 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
17577 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
17578 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
17579 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
17580 reading news on a machine.
17582 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
17583 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
17584 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
17586 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
17589 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
17590 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
17591 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
17592 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
17593 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
17594 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
17595 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
17596 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
17597 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
17598 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
17599 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
17600 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
17601 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
17606 @subsection Agent Basics
17608 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
17610 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
17611 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
17612 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
17613 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
17615 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
17616 connected to the net continuously.
17618 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
17619 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
17621 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
17622 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
17623 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
17624 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
17625 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
17627 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
17628 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
17629 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
17630 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
17631 they're kinda like plugged always).
17633 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
17634 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
17635 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
17638 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
17639 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
17640 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
17641 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
17642 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
17644 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
17649 @findex gnus-unplugged
17650 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
17651 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
17652 already fetched while in this mode.
17655 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
17656 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
17657 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
17658 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
17659 Source Specifiers}).
17662 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
17663 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
17664 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
17665 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
17666 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
17669 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
17670 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
17671 then you read the news offline.
17674 And then you go to step 2.
17677 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
17683 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
17684 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
17685 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
17686 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
17687 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
17688 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
17689 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
17690 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
17693 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
17694 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
17695 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
17696 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
17698 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
17699 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
17700 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
17701 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
17702 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
17703 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
17707 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
17711 @node Agent Categories
17712 @subsection Agent Categories
17714 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
17715 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
17716 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
17717 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
17718 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
17719 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
17720 you're interested in the articles anyway.
17722 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
17723 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
17724 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
17725 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
17726 buffer for creating and managing categories.
17728 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
17729 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
17730 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
17731 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
17732 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
17735 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
17736 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
17737 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
17738 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
17739 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
17740 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
17744 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
17745 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
17746 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
17750 @node Category Syntax
17751 @subsubsection Category Syntax
17753 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
17754 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
17755 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
17758 @cindex Agent Parameters
17760 @item agent-cat-name
17761 The name of the category.
17764 The list of groups that are in this category.
17766 @item agent-predicate
17767 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
17768 are eligible for downloading; and
17770 @item agent-score-file
17771 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
17772 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
17773 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
17775 @item agent-enable-expiration
17776 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
17777 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
17778 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
17779 only groups that should not be expired.
17781 @item agent-days-until-old
17782 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
17783 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
17785 @item agent-low-score
17786 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
17788 @item agent-high-score
17789 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
17791 @item agent-length-when-short
17792 an integer that overrides the value of
17793 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
17795 @item agent-length-when-long
17796 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
17798 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
17799 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
17800 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
17801 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
17802 undownloaded faces.
17805 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
17808 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
17809 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
17810 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
17813 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
17814 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
17815 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
17816 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
17818 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
17819 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
17820 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
17822 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
17823 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
17824 operators sprinkled in between.
17826 Perhaps some examples are in order.
17828 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
17829 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
17835 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
17836 short (for some value of ``short'').
17838 Here's a more complex predicate:
17847 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
17848 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
17851 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
17852 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
17853 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
17855 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
17856 you want to do, you can write your own.
17858 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
17859 bound to the value determined by calling
17860 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
17861 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
17862 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
17863 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
17864 predicate to individual groups.
17868 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
17869 lines; default 100.
17872 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
17873 lines; default 200.
17876 True iff the article has a download score less than
17877 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
17880 True iff the article has a download score greater than
17881 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
17884 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
17885 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
17886 checksum and sees whether articles match.
17895 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
17896 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
17897 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
17900 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
17901 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
17902 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
17903 something along the lines of the following:
17906 (defun my-article-old-p ()
17907 "Say whether an article is old."
17908 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
17909 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
17912 with the predicate then defined as:
17915 (not my-article-old-p)
17918 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
17919 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
17923 (require 'gnus-agent)
17924 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
17925 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
17926 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
17929 and simply specify your predicate as:
17935 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
17936 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
17937 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
17938 just don't give a damn.
17940 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
17941 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
17942 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
17943 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
17944 parameters like so:
17947 (agent-predicate . short)
17950 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
17951 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
17952 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
17954 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
17957 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
17960 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
17961 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
17962 predicate is assumed to be a list.
17965 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
17966 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
17967 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
17968 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
17969 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
17970 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
17972 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
17973 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
17974 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
17975 if it's to be specific to that group.
17977 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
17984 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
17985 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
17991 Category specification
17995 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18001 Group/Topic Parameter specification
18004 (agent-score ("from"
18005 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18010 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
18016 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
18017 keywords stated above.
18023 Category specification
18026 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
18032 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
18036 Group Parameter specification
18039 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
18042 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
18047 Use @code{normal} score files
18049 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
18050 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
18051 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
18052 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
18054 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
18055 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
18056 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
18057 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
18061 Category Specification
18068 Group Parameter specification
18071 (agent-score . file)
18076 @node Category Buffer
18077 @subsubsection Category Buffer
18079 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
18080 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
18081 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
18083 The following commands are available in this buffer:
18087 @kindex q (Category)
18088 @findex gnus-category-exit
18089 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
18092 @kindex e (Category)
18093 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
18094 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
18095 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
18098 @kindex k (Category)
18099 @findex gnus-category-kill
18100 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
18103 @kindex c (Category)
18104 @findex gnus-category-copy
18105 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
18108 @kindex a (Category)
18109 @findex gnus-category-add
18110 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
18113 @kindex p (Category)
18114 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
18115 Edit the predicate of the current category
18116 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
18119 @kindex g (Category)
18120 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
18121 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
18122 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
18125 @kindex s (Category)
18126 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
18127 Edit the download score rule of the current category
18128 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
18131 @kindex l (Category)
18132 @findex gnus-category-list
18133 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
18137 @node Category Variables
18138 @subsubsection Category Variables
18141 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
18142 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
18143 Hook run in category buffers.
18145 @item gnus-category-line-format
18146 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
18147 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
18148 Variables}). Valid elements are:
18152 The name of the category.
18155 The number of groups in the category.
18158 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
18159 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
18160 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
18162 @item gnus-agent-short-article
18163 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
18164 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
18166 @item gnus-agent-long-article
18167 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
18168 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
18170 @item gnus-agent-low-score
18171 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
18172 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
18175 @item gnus-agent-high-score
18176 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
18177 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
18180 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
18181 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18182 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
18183 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
18184 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
18185 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
18186 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
18187 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
18191 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18192 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18193 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
18194 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
18195 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
18196 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
18197 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
18202 @node Agent Commands
18203 @subsection Agent Commands
18204 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
18205 @kindex J j (Agent)
18207 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
18208 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
18209 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
18213 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
18214 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
18215 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
18221 @node Group Agent Commands
18222 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
18226 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
18227 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
18228 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
18229 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
18232 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
18233 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
18234 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
18237 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
18238 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
18239 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
18240 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
18243 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
18244 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
18245 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
18246 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
18249 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
18250 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
18251 Add the current group to an Agent category
18252 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
18253 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18256 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
18257 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
18258 Remove the current group from its category, if any
18259 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
18260 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18263 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
18264 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18265 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
18271 @node Summary Agent Commands
18272 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
18276 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
18277 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
18278 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
18281 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
18282 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
18283 Remove the downloading mark from the article
18284 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
18288 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
18289 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
18290 Toggle whether to download the article
18291 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
18295 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
18296 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
18297 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
18300 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
18301 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
18302 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
18303 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
18306 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
18307 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-series
18308 Download all processable articles in this group.
18309 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-series}).
18312 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
18313 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
18314 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
18315 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
18320 @node Server Agent Commands
18321 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
18325 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
18326 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
18327 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
18328 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
18331 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
18332 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
18333 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
18334 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
18339 @node Agent Visuals
18340 @subsection Agent Visuals
18342 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
18343 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
18344 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
18345 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
18346 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
18347 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
18348 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
18349 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
18350 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
18351 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
18353 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
18354 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
18355 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
18356 way, "If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
18357 less than satisfying unplugged session". For this reason, the Agent
18358 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
18359 the download status of each article so that you always know which
18360 articles will be available when unplugged.
18362 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
18363 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
18364 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
18365 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
18366 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
18367 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
18368 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
18369 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
18371 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
18372 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
18373 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
18374 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
18375 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
18376 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
18377 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
18378 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
18379 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
18381 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
18382 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
18383 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
18384 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
18385 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
18386 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
18387 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
18388 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
18389 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
18390 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
18392 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
18393 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
18394 group parameter to t. This parameter, like all other agent
18395 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent
18396 Categories}), a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an
18397 individual group (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
18399 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
18400 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
18401 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
18402 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
18403 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
18404 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
18405 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
18406 expiring'' articles.
18408 @node Agent as Cache
18409 @subsection Agent as Cache
18411 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
18412 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
18413 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
18414 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
18415 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
18416 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
18417 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
18418 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
18419 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
18421 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
18422 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
18423 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
18424 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
18425 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
18428 @subsection Agent Expiry
18430 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18431 @findex gnus-agent-expire
18432 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
18433 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
18434 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
18435 @cindex agent expiry
18436 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
18439 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
18440 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
18441 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
18442 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
18443 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
18444 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
18445 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
18446 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
18448 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
18449 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
18450 synchronized with the group.
18452 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
18453 prevent expiration in selected groups.
18455 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
18456 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
18457 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
18458 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
18459 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
18460 be kept indefinitely.
18462 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
18463 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
18464 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
18465 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
18467 @node Agent Regeneration
18468 @subsection Agent Regeneration
18470 @cindex agent regeneration
18471 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
18472 @cindex regeneration
18474 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
18475 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
18476 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
18477 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
18478 internal inconsistencies.
18480 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
18481 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
18482 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
18483 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
18484 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
18485 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
18487 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
18488 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
18489 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
18490 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
18491 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
18492 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
18494 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18495 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18496 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
18497 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
18498 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
18499 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
18502 @node Agent and IMAP
18503 @subsection Agent and IMAP
18505 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
18506 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
18507 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
18508 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
18510 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
18511 are kept on the @acronym{IMAP} server, rather than in @file{.newsrc} as is the
18512 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
18513 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
18515 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
18516 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
18517 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
18518 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
18520 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18521 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
18522 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
18523 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
18524 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
18525 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
18527 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
18528 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
18529 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
18530 in the group buffer.
18532 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
18533 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
18538 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
18541 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
18545 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
18546 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
18547 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
18548 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group and
18549 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
18550 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
18551 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
18552 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
18555 @node Outgoing Messages
18556 @subsection Outgoing Messages
18558 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
18559 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
18560 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
18562 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
18563 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
18564 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
18566 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
18567 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
18568 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
18569 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
18572 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
18573 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
18574 ask you to confirm your action (see
18575 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
18577 @node Agent Variables
18578 @subsection Agent Variables
18583 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
18584 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
18585 automatically mark some backends as agentized. You may change which
18586 backends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
18588 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
18589 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
18592 @item gnus-agent-directory
18593 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
18594 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
18595 @file{~/News/agent/}.
18597 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
18598 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
18599 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
18600 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
18601 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
18604 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18605 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18606 Hook run when connecting to the network.
18608 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18609 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18610 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
18612 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18613 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18614 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
18616 @item gnus-agent-cache
18617 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
18618 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
18619 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
18620 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
18622 @item gnus-agent-go-online
18623 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
18624 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
18625 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
18626 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
18627 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
18628 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
18631 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18632 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18633 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
18634 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
18635 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
18636 read. The default is t.
18638 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18639 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18640 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
18641 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
18642 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
18643 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
18644 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
18645 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
18646 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
18647 over and over again.
18649 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18650 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18651 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
18652 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
18653 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
18654 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
18655 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
18656 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
18657 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
18658 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
18659 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
18660 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
18663 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
18664 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
18665 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
18666 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
18667 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
18668 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
18669 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
18670 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
18671 is only valid if the Agent is used.
18673 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18674 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18675 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
18676 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
18677 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
18678 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
18680 The legal values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
18681 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
18682 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
18683 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
18684 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
18686 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
18687 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
18688 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
18689 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
18690 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
18691 mail. The default is @code{t}.
18693 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
18694 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
18695 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
18696 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
18697 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
18699 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
18700 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
18701 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
18702 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
18703 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
18704 which backends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
18705 to agentize remote backends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
18706 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
18707 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
18708 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
18709 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
18714 @node Example Setup
18715 @subsection Example Setup
18717 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
18718 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
18719 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
18722 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
18723 ;;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
18724 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
18726 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
18727 ;;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
18728 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
18730 ;;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
18731 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
18733 ;;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
18734 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
18735 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
18738 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
18739 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
18742 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
18743 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
18744 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
18745 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
18746 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
18749 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
18750 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
18751 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
18752 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
18753 back all the killed groups.)
18755 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
18756 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
18757 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
18760 @node Batching Agents
18761 @subsection Batching Agents
18762 @findex gnus-agent-batch
18764 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
18765 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
18766 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
18768 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
18769 following incantation:
18773 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
18777 @node Agent Caveats
18778 @subsection Agent Caveats
18780 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
18781 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
18785 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
18787 @strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
18788 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
18789 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
18791 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
18792 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
18794 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
18798 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
18799 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
18800 locally stored articles.
18807 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
18808 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
18809 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
18812 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
18813 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
18814 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
18815 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
18816 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
18818 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
18819 before generating the summary buffer.
18821 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
18822 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
18823 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
18825 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
18826 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
18827 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
18828 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
18831 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
18832 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
18833 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
18834 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
18835 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
18836 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
18837 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
18838 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
18839 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
18840 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
18841 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
18842 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
18843 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
18844 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
18845 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
18846 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
18850 @node Summary Score Commands
18851 @section Summary Score Commands
18852 @cindex score commands
18854 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
18855 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
18856 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
18857 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
18858 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
18860 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
18861 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
18862 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
18863 score file the current one.
18865 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
18870 @kindex V s (Summary)
18871 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
18872 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
18875 @kindex V S (Summary)
18876 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
18877 Display the score of the current article
18878 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
18881 @kindex V t (Summary)
18882 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
18883 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
18884 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
18885 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
18886 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
18887 score file and edit it.
18890 @kindex V w (Summary)
18891 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
18892 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
18895 @kindex V R (Summary)
18896 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
18897 Run the current summary through the scoring process
18898 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
18899 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
18900 effect you're having.
18903 @kindex V c (Summary)
18904 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
18905 Make a different score file the current
18906 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
18909 @kindex V e (Summary)
18910 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
18911 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
18912 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
18916 @kindex V f (Summary)
18917 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
18918 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
18919 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
18922 @kindex V F (Summary)
18923 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18924 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
18925 after editing score files.
18928 @kindex V C (Summary)
18929 @findex gnus-score-customize
18930 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
18931 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
18935 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
18940 @kindex V m (Summary)
18941 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
18942 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
18943 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
18946 @kindex V x (Summary)
18947 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
18948 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
18949 expunge all articles below this score
18950 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
18953 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
18954 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
18957 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
18958 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
18962 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
18963 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
18965 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
18966 keys are available:
18970 Score on the author name.
18973 Score on the subject line.
18976 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
18979 Score on the @code{References} line.
18985 Score on the number of lines.
18988 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
18991 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
18992 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
18995 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
18996 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
18997 @file{ADAPT} files.)
19006 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
19012 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
19013 what headers you are scoring on.
19025 Substring matching.
19028 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
19057 Greater than number.
19062 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
19063 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
19064 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
19069 Temporary score entry.
19072 Permanent score entry.
19075 Immediately scoring.
19079 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
19080 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
19081 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
19085 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
19086 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
19087 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
19088 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
19090 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
19091 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
19092 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
19093 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
19094 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
19096 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
19097 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
19098 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
19099 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
19100 current score file.
19102 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
19103 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
19104 pretend they are keymaps or not.
19107 @node Group Score Commands
19108 @section Group Score Commands
19109 @cindex group score commands
19111 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
19116 @kindex W e (Group)
19117 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
19118 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
19119 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
19122 @kindex W f (Group)
19123 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19124 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
19125 all the time. This command will flush the cache
19126 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
19130 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
19132 @findex gnus-batch-score
19133 @cindex batch scoring
19135 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
19139 @node Score Variables
19140 @section Score Variables
19141 @cindex score variables
19145 @item gnus-use-scoring
19146 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
19147 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
19148 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
19150 @item gnus-kill-killed
19151 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
19152 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
19153 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
19154 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
19155 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
19156 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
19157 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
19159 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
19160 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
19161 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
19162 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
19163 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
19165 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
19166 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
19167 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
19168 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
19170 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19171 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19172 @cindex score cache
19173 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
19174 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
19175 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
19176 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
19177 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
19178 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
19179 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
19182 @item gnus-save-score
19183 @vindex gnus-save-score
19184 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
19185 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
19186 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
19188 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
19189 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
19190 across group visits.
19192 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19193 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19194 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
19195 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
19196 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
19197 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
19198 manually entered data.
19200 @item gnus-summary-default-score
19201 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
19202 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
19204 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
19205 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
19206 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
19207 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
19208 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
19209 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
19211 @item gnus-score-over-mark
19212 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
19213 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
19214 default. Default is @samp{+}.
19216 @item gnus-score-below-mark
19217 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
19218 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
19219 default. Default is @samp{-}.
19221 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19222 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19223 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
19224 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
19226 Predefined functions available are:
19229 @item gnus-score-find-single
19230 @findex gnus-score-find-single
19231 Only apply the group's own score file.
19233 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
19234 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
19235 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
19236 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
19237 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
19238 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
19239 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
19240 then a regexp match is done.
19242 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
19243 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
19245 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
19246 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
19247 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
19248 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
19250 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19251 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19252 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
19253 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
19254 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
19258 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
19259 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
19260 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
19261 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
19262 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
19263 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
19264 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
19267 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
19268 overall score file, you could use the value
19270 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
19271 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
19274 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
19275 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
19276 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
19277 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
19278 are expired. It's 7 by default.
19280 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19281 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19282 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
19283 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
19284 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
19285 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
19286 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
19287 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
19289 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19290 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19291 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
19293 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
19294 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
19295 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
19296 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
19297 threading---according to the current value of
19298 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
19299 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
19300 simplified in this manner.
19305 @node Score File Format
19306 @section Score File Format
19307 @cindex score file format
19309 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
19310 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
19311 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
19313 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
19317 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
19319 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
19321 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
19323 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
19328 (mark-and-expunge -10)
19332 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
19333 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
19334 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
19335 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
19339 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
19340 Scoring}, for a different approach.
19342 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
19343 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
19344 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
19346 Six keys are supported by this alist:
19351 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
19352 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
19353 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
19354 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
19355 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
19356 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
19357 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
19358 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
19359 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
19360 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
19361 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
19362 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
19363 to articles that matches these score entries.
19365 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
19366 score entry has one to four elements.
19370 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
19371 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
19375 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
19376 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
19377 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
19378 is successful. If this element is not present, the
19379 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
19380 instead. This is 1000 by default.
19383 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
19384 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
19385 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
19386 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
19387 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
19390 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
19391 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
19392 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
19393 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
19396 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
19397 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
19398 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
19399 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
19400 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
19401 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
19402 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
19403 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
19404 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
19405 instead, if you feel like.
19408 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
19409 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
19410 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
19411 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
19412 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
19413 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
19417 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
19418 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
19422 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
19423 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
19425 These predicates are true if
19428 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
19431 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
19432 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
19439 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
19440 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
19441 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
19442 it's not. I think.)
19444 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
19445 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
19446 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
19447 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
19450 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
19451 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
19452 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
19453 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
19454 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
19455 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
19456 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
19460 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
19461 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
19462 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
19463 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
19464 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
19465 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
19466 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
19467 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
19470 @item Head, Body, All
19471 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
19475 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
19476 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
19477 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
19478 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
19479 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
19480 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
19481 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
19485 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
19486 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
19487 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
19488 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
19489 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
19490 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
19491 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
19492 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
19493 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
19494 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
19495 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
19499 @cindex score file atoms
19501 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19502 lower than this number will be marked as read.
19505 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19506 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
19508 @item mark-and-expunge
19509 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19510 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
19513 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
19514 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
19515 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
19516 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
19517 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
19520 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
19521 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
19524 @item exclude-files
19525 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
19526 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
19530 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
19531 ignored when handling global score files.
19534 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
19535 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
19536 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
19537 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
19540 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
19541 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
19542 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
19543 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
19545 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
19549 (mark-and-expunge -100)
19552 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
19553 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
19554 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
19555 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
19556 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
19558 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
19559 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
19560 scoring rules exist.
19563 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
19564 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
19565 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
19566 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
19567 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
19568 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
19569 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19570 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
19571 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
19572 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
19573 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
19577 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
19578 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
19579 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
19580 file for a number of groups.
19583 @cindex local variables
19584 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
19585 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
19586 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
19587 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
19588 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
19593 @node Score File Editing
19594 @section Score File Editing
19596 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
19597 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
19598 with a mode for that.
19600 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
19601 additional commands:
19606 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
19607 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
19608 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
19609 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
19612 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
19613 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
19614 Insert the current date in numerical format
19615 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
19616 you were wondering.
19619 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
19620 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
19621 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
19622 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
19623 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
19628 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
19630 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
19631 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
19633 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
19634 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
19637 @node Adaptive Scoring
19638 @section Adaptive Scoring
19639 @cindex adaptive scoring
19641 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
19642 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
19643 stupidity, to be precise.
19645 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
19646 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
19647 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
19648 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
19649 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19650 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
19651 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
19652 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
19653 variable to @code{(word line)}.
19655 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19656 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
19657 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
19658 might look something like this:
19661 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19662 '((gnus-unread-mark)
19663 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
19664 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
19665 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
19666 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
19667 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
19668 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
19669 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
19670 (gnus-ancient-mark)
19671 (gnus-low-score-mark)
19672 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
19675 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
19676 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
19677 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
19678 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
19679 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
19680 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
19683 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
19684 will be applied to each article.
19686 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
19687 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
19688 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
19689 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
19691 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
19692 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
19693 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
19694 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
19696 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
19697 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
19698 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
19699 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
19701 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
19702 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
19703 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
19704 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
19705 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
19706 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
19708 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
19709 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
19710 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
19712 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
19713 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
19714 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
19716 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
19717 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
19718 let you use different rules in different groups.
19720 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
19721 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
19722 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
19725 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
19726 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
19727 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
19728 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
19729 the length of the match is less than
19730 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
19731 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
19734 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19735 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
19736 headers. If you adapt on words, the
19737 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
19738 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
19741 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19742 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
19743 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
19744 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
19745 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
19748 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
19749 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
19750 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
19751 score with 30 points.
19753 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
19754 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
19755 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
19756 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
19757 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
19759 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
19760 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
19761 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
19762 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
19763 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
19765 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
19766 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
19767 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
19768 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
19770 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
19771 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
19772 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
19773 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
19775 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
19776 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
19777 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
19778 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
19779 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
19781 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
19782 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
19783 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
19785 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
19786 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
19787 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
19788 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
19791 @node Home Score File
19792 @section Home Score File
19794 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
19795 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
19796 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
19797 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
19799 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
19800 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
19801 could perhaps use the same home score file.
19803 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
19804 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
19809 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
19813 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
19814 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
19818 A list. The elements in this list can be:
19822 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
19823 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
19826 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
19827 be used as the home score file.
19830 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
19833 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
19838 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
19841 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19842 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
19845 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
19846 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
19848 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
19850 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19851 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
19854 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
19855 Other functions include
19858 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
19859 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
19860 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
19861 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
19865 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
19866 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
19867 their own home score files:
19870 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19871 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
19872 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
19873 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
19874 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
19877 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
19878 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
19879 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
19880 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
19881 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
19883 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
19884 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
19885 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
19886 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
19887 precedence over this variable.
19890 @node Followups To Yourself
19891 @section Followups To Yourself
19893 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
19894 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
19895 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
19896 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
19897 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
19898 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
19902 @item gnus-score-followup-article
19903 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
19904 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
19907 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
19908 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
19909 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
19913 @vindex message-sent-hook
19914 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
19915 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
19917 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
19921 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
19922 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
19926 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19927 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19930 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
19931 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
19936 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
19940 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
19941 is system-dependent.
19944 @node Scoring On Other Headers
19945 @section Scoring On Other Headers
19946 @cindex scoring on other headers
19948 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
19949 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
19950 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
19951 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
19952 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
19954 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
19955 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
19956 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
19957 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
19958 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
19960 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
19963 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
19964 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
19967 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
19968 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
19969 time if you have much mail.
19971 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
19972 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
19978 @section Scoring Tips
19979 @cindex scoring tips
19985 @cindex scoring crossposts
19986 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
19987 the @code{Xref} header.
19989 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
19992 @item Multiple crossposts
19993 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
19994 more than, say, 3 groups:
19997 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
20001 @item Matching on the body
20002 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
20003 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
20004 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
20005 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
20006 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
20007 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
20008 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
20011 @item Marking as read
20012 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
20013 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
20014 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
20018 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
20020 @item Negated character classes
20021 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
20022 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
20023 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
20027 @node Reverse Scoring
20028 @section Reverse Scoring
20029 @cindex reverse scoring
20031 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
20032 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
20033 like this in your score file:
20037 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
20042 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
20043 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
20046 @node Global Score Files
20047 @section Global Score Files
20048 @cindex global score files
20050 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
20051 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
20052 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
20054 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
20055 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
20056 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
20058 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
20059 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
20060 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
20061 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
20062 files are applicable to which group.
20064 To use the score file
20065 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
20066 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
20070 (setq gnus-global-score-files
20071 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
20072 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
20075 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
20077 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
20078 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
20079 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
20080 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
20082 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
20083 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
20085 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
20086 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
20087 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
20088 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
20089 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
20090 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
20092 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
20098 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
20100 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
20102 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
20104 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
20105 lowered out of existence.
20107 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
20108 articles completely.
20111 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
20112 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
20113 old articles for a long time.
20116 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
20117 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
20118 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
20119 holding our breath yet?
20123 @section Kill Files
20126 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
20127 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
20128 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
20130 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
20131 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
20132 files into score files.
20134 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
20135 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
20136 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
20137 that isn't a very good idea.
20139 Normal kill files look like this:
20142 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20143 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
20147 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
20148 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
20150 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
20151 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
20154 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
20159 @kindex M-k (Summary)
20160 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
20161 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
20164 @kindex M-K (Summary)
20165 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
20166 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
20169 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
20174 @kindex M-k (Group)
20175 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
20176 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
20179 @kindex M-K (Group)
20180 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
20181 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
20184 Kill file variables:
20187 @item gnus-kill-file-name
20188 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
20189 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
20190 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
20191 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
20192 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
20193 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
20195 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20196 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20197 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
20198 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
20201 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
20202 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
20203 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
20204 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
20205 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
20206 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
20207 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
20208 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
20209 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
20211 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20212 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20213 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
20218 @node Converting Kill Files
20219 @section Converting Kill Files
20221 @cindex converting kill files
20223 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
20224 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
20225 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
20228 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
20229 You can fetch it from
20230 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
20232 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
20233 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
20234 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
20238 @node Advanced Scoring
20239 @section Advanced Scoring
20241 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
20242 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
20243 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
20244 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
20245 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
20247 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
20251 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
20252 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
20253 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
20257 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
20258 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
20260 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
20261 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
20262 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
20263 non-@code{nil} value.
20265 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
20266 operator, and various match operators.
20273 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20274 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
20275 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
20280 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20281 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
20282 then this operator will return @code{false}.
20287 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
20288 logical negation of the value of its argument.
20292 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
20293 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
20294 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
20295 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
20296 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
20297 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
20298 the ancestry you want to go.
20300 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
20301 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
20302 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
20303 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
20304 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
20307 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
20308 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
20310 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
20311 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
20314 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
20315 when he's talking about Gnus:
20320 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20321 ("subject" "Gnus"))
20328 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
20332 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20339 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
20340 really don't want to read what he's written:
20344 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20345 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
20349 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
20350 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
20351 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
20358 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
20359 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
20360 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
20361 ("body" "white.*socks"))
20365 The possibilities are endless.
20368 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
20369 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
20371 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
20372 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
20373 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
20374 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
20375 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
20376 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
20377 @samp{subject}) first.
20379 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
20380 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
20391 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
20392 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
20398 ("subject" "Gnus")))
20405 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
20406 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
20411 @section Score Decays
20412 @cindex score decays
20415 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
20416 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
20417 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
20418 use them in any sensible way.
20420 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
20421 @findex gnus-decay-score
20422 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
20423 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
20424 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
20425 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
20426 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
20427 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
20428 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
20429 definition of that function:
20432 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
20433 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
20434 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
20436 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
20438 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
20440 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
20441 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
20442 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
20443 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
20444 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
20446 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
20450 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
20451 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
20452 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
20453 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
20457 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
20460 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
20463 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
20467 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
20468 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
20469 the new score, which should be an integer.
20471 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
20472 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
20477 @include message.texi
20478 @chapter Emacs MIME
20479 @include emacs-mime.texi
20481 @include sieve.texi
20493 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
20494 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
20495 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
20496 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
20497 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
20498 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
20499 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
20500 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
20501 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
20502 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
20503 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
20504 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
20505 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
20506 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
20507 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
20508 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
20509 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
20510 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
20511 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
20512 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
20516 @node Process/Prefix
20517 @section Process/Prefix
20518 @cindex process/prefix convention
20520 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
20521 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
20523 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
20524 command to be performed on.
20528 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
20529 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
20530 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
20531 with the current one.
20533 @vindex transient-mark-mode
20534 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
20535 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
20537 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
20538 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
20541 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
20542 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
20544 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
20547 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
20548 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
20549 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
20550 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
20552 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
20553 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
20554 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
20555 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
20556 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
20557 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
20558 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
20559 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
20561 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
20562 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
20563 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
20564 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
20565 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
20569 @section Interactive
20570 @cindex interaction
20574 @item gnus-novice-user
20575 @vindex gnus-novice-user
20576 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
20577 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
20578 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
20579 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
20582 @item gnus-expert-user
20583 @vindex gnus-expert-user
20584 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
20585 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
20586 matter how strange.
20588 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
20589 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
20590 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
20591 is @code{t} by default.
20593 @item gnus-interactive-exit
20594 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
20595 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20600 @node Symbolic Prefixes
20601 @section Symbolic Prefixes
20602 @cindex symbolic prefixes
20604 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
20605 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
20606 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
20607 rule of 900 to the current article.
20609 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
20610 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
20611 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
20612 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
20613 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
20614 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
20615 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
20617 @kindex M-i (Summary)
20618 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
20619 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
20620 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
20621 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
20622 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
20623 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
20624 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
20625 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
20627 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
20628 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
20629 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
20631 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
20635 @node Formatting Variables
20636 @section Formatting Variables
20637 @cindex formatting variables
20639 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
20640 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
20641 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
20642 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
20643 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
20646 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
20647 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
20648 lots of percentages everywhere.
20651 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
20652 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
20653 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
20654 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
20655 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
20656 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
20657 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
20658 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
20661 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
20662 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
20663 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
20664 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
20665 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
20666 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
20667 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
20668 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
20670 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
20671 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
20673 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
20674 @findex gnus-update-format
20675 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
20676 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
20677 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
20678 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
20682 @node Formatting Basics
20683 @subsection Formatting Basics
20685 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
20686 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
20687 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
20689 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
20690 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
20691 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
20692 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
20693 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
20696 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
20697 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
20698 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
20699 less than 4 characters wide.
20701 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
20702 @samp{%&user-date;}.
20705 @node Mode Line Formatting
20706 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
20708 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
20709 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
20710 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
20711 with the following two differences:
20716 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
20719 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
20720 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
20721 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
20722 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
20723 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
20724 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
20725 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
20730 @node Advanced Formatting
20731 @subsection Advanced Formatting
20733 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
20734 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
20735 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
20736 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
20738 These are the valid modifiers:
20743 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
20747 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
20752 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
20755 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
20760 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
20763 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
20766 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
20769 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
20775 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
20780 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
20781 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
20782 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
20783 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
20784 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
20785 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
20786 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
20788 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
20789 last operation, padding.
20791 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
20792 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
20793 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
20794 @xref{Compilation}.
20797 @node User-Defined Specs
20798 @subsection User-Defined Specs
20800 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
20801 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
20802 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
20803 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
20804 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
20805 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
20806 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
20807 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
20808 should protect against that.
20810 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
20811 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
20813 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
20814 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
20815 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
20816 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
20820 @node Formatting Fonts
20821 @subsection Formatting Fonts
20823 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
20824 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
20825 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
20826 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
20829 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
20830 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
20831 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
20832 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
20833 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
20834 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
20836 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
20837 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
20838 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
20839 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
20840 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
20841 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
20842 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
20843 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
20844 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
20845 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
20846 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
20849 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
20852 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
20853 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
20854 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
20856 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
20857 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
20858 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
20859 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
20860 ;; @r{Set the color.}
20861 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
20862 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
20864 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
20865 (setq gnus-group-line-format
20866 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
20869 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
20870 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
20872 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
20873 mode-line variables.
20875 @node Positioning Point
20876 @subsection Positioning Point
20878 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
20879 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
20880 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
20882 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
20884 @findex gnus-goto-colon
20885 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
20886 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
20888 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
20889 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
20890 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
20895 @subsection Tabulation
20897 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
20898 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
20899 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
20900 about lining up the following text afterwards.
20902 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
20903 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
20905 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20906 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
20907 This is the soft tabulator.
20909 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20910 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
20911 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
20914 @node Wide Characters
20915 @subsection Wide Characters
20917 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
20918 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
20919 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
20921 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
20922 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
20923 these countries, that's not true.
20925 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
20926 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
20927 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
20928 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
20932 @node Window Layout
20933 @section Window Layout
20934 @cindex window layout
20936 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
20938 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
20939 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
20940 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
20941 @code{t} by default.
20943 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
20944 glitches. Use at your own peril.
20946 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
20947 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
20948 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
20951 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
20952 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
20953 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20957 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
20958 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
20959 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
20960 possible names is listed below.
20962 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
20963 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
20966 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20970 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
20971 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
20972 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
20973 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
20974 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
20975 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
20976 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
20977 size spec per split.
20979 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
20980 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
20981 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
20982 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
20983 present) gets focus.
20985 Here's a more complicated example:
20988 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
20989 (summary 0.25 point)
20990 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
20994 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
20995 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
20996 occupy, not a percentage.
20998 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
20999 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
21000 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
21001 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
21002 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
21005 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
21008 (article (horizontal 1.0
21013 (summary 0.25 point)
21018 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
21019 @code{horizontal} thingie?
21021 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
21022 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
21023 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
21024 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
21025 the screen is to be given to this strip.
21027 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
21028 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
21029 lines from the splits.
21031 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
21036 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
21037 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
21038 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
21039 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
21040 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
21041 size = number | frame-params
21042 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
21046 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
21047 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
21048 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
21049 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
21051 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
21052 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
21053 @cindex window height
21054 @cindex window width
21055 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
21056 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
21057 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
21058 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
21059 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
21060 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
21062 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
21063 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
21064 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
21065 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
21067 @findex gnus-configure-frame
21068 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
21069 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
21070 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
21071 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
21072 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
21073 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
21074 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
21075 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
21076 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
21077 configuration list.
21080 (gnus-configure-frame
21084 (article 0.3 point))
21092 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
21093 @code{frame} split:
21096 (gnus-configure-frame
21099 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
21101 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
21102 (user-position . t)
21103 (left . -1) (top . 1))
21108 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
21109 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
21110 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
21111 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
21112 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
21113 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
21114 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
21115 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
21117 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
21118 be found in its default value.
21120 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
21121 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
21122 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
21126 (message (horizontal 1.0
21127 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
21129 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
21134 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
21135 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
21136 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
21141 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
21142 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
21143 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
21144 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
21145 (name . "Message"))
21146 (message 1.0 point))))
21149 @findex gnus-add-configuration
21150 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
21151 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
21152 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
21153 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
21156 (gnus-add-configuration
21157 '(article (vertical 1.0
21159 (summary .25 point)
21163 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
21164 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
21165 Gnus has been loaded.
21167 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
21168 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
21169 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
21170 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
21171 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
21173 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
21174 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
21175 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
21178 @subsection Example Window Configurations
21182 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
21183 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
21198 (gnus-add-configuration
21201 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21203 (summary 0.16 point)
21206 (gnus-add-configuration
21209 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21210 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
21216 @node Faces and Fonts
21217 @section Faces and Fonts
21222 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
21223 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
21224 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
21229 @section Compilation
21230 @cindex compilation
21231 @cindex byte-compilation
21233 @findex gnus-compile
21235 Remember all those line format specification variables?
21236 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
21237 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
21238 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
21239 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
21240 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
21243 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
21244 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
21245 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
21246 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
21247 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
21248 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
21249 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
21253 @section Mode Lines
21256 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
21257 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
21258 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
21259 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
21260 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
21261 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
21262 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
21265 @cindex display-time
21267 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
21268 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
21269 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
21270 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
21271 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
21272 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
21273 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
21274 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
21277 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
21279 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
21280 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
21282 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
21283 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
21284 (length display-time-string)))))
21287 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
21288 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
21289 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
21290 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
21291 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
21294 @node Highlighting and Menus
21295 @section Highlighting and Menus
21297 @cindex highlighting
21300 @vindex gnus-visual
21301 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
21302 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
21303 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
21306 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
21307 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
21310 @item group-highlight
21311 Do highlights in the group buffer.
21312 @item summary-highlight
21313 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
21314 @item article-highlight
21315 Do highlights in the article buffer.
21317 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
21319 Create menus in the group buffer.
21321 Create menus in the summary buffers.
21323 Create menus in the article buffer.
21325 Create menus in the browse buffer.
21327 Create menus in the server buffer.
21329 Create menus in the score buffers.
21331 Create menus in all buffers.
21334 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
21335 buffers, you could say something like:
21338 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
21341 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
21344 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
21347 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
21348 in all Gnus buffers.
21350 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
21353 @item gnus-mouse-face
21354 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
21355 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
21356 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
21360 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
21364 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
21365 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
21366 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
21368 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
21369 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
21370 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
21372 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
21373 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
21374 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
21376 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
21377 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
21378 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
21380 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
21381 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
21382 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
21384 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
21385 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
21386 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
21397 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
21398 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
21399 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
21400 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
21401 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
21405 @vindex gnus-carpal
21406 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
21407 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
21408 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
21413 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21414 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21415 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
21417 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
21418 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
21419 Face used on buttons.
21421 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
21422 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
21423 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
21425 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21426 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21427 Buttons in the group buffer.
21429 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21430 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21431 Buttons in the summary buffer.
21433 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21434 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21435 Buttons in the server buffer.
21437 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21438 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21439 Buttons in the browse buffer.
21442 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
21443 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
21444 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
21452 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
21453 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
21454 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
21455 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
21456 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
21458 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
21459 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
21460 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
21462 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
21463 been idle for thirty minutes:
21466 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
21469 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
21473 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
21476 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
21477 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
21478 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21480 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
21481 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
21482 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
21483 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21485 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
21486 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
21487 @var{idle} minutes.
21489 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
21490 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
21493 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
21494 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
21495 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
21497 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
21498 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
21499 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
21500 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
21502 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
21503 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21505 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
21507 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
21510 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
21511 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
21512 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
21513 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
21514 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
21515 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
21516 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
21517 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
21518 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
21519 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
21520 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
21522 @findex gnus-demon-init
21523 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
21524 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
21525 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
21526 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
21527 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
21529 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
21530 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
21531 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
21540 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
21541 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
21543 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
21544 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
21545 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
21546 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
21549 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
21550 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
21551 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
21552 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
21554 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
21555 this will make spam disappear.
21557 There are some variables to customize, of course:
21560 @item gnus-use-nocem
21561 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
21562 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
21565 @item gnus-nocem-groups
21566 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
21567 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
21570 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
21571 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
21574 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
21575 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
21576 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
21577 people you want to listen to. The default is
21579 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
21580 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
21582 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
21584 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
21585 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
21587 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
21588 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
21589 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
21590 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
21591 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
21592 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
21593 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
21594 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
21595 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
21596 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
21598 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
21599 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
21602 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
21605 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
21606 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
21609 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
21612 The specs are applied left-to-right.
21615 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
21616 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
21618 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
21619 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
21620 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
21621 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
21623 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
21624 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
21627 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
21629 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
21637 This might be dangerous, though.
21639 @item gnus-nocem-directory
21640 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
21641 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
21642 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
21644 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21645 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21646 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
21647 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
21648 might then see old spam.
21650 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
21651 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
21652 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
21653 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
21654 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
21657 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21658 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21659 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
21660 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
21664 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
21665 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
21666 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
21667 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
21674 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
21675 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
21676 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
21678 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
21679 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
21680 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
21681 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
21682 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
21683 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
21684 @code{undo} function.
21686 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
21687 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
21688 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
21689 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
21690 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
21691 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
21692 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
21693 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
21694 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
21695 never be totally undoable.
21697 @findex gnus-undo-mode
21698 @vindex gnus-use-undo
21700 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
21701 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
21702 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
21703 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
21707 @node Predicate Specifiers
21708 @section Predicate Specifiers
21709 @cindex predicate specifiers
21711 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
21712 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
21713 to type all that much.
21715 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
21720 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
21721 gnus-article-unread-p)
21724 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
21725 functions all take one parameter.
21727 @findex gnus-make-predicate
21728 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
21729 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
21730 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
21735 @section Moderation
21738 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
21739 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
21740 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
21743 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
21747 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
21750 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
21752 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
21757 You split your incoming mail by matching on
21758 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
21759 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
21762 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
21763 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
21766 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
21767 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
21771 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
21774 (setq gnus-moderated-list
21775 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
21779 @node Image Enhancements
21780 @section Image Enhancements
21782 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
21783 support images yet.}, is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has
21784 taken advantage of that.
21787 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
21788 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
21789 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
21790 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
21791 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
21799 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
21800 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
21801 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
21805 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
21806 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
21807 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
21815 Gnus now uses the internal ELisp-based @code{uncompface} program for
21816 decoding an @code{X-Face} header normally in Emacs. While it doesn't
21817 require any other external program, you may feel it is slow if you are
21818 using a slow machine. In such a case, you can modify the following
21822 @item uncompface-use-external
21823 @vindex uncompface-use-external
21824 Specify which of the internal or the external decoder should be used.
21825 @code{nil} means to use the internal ELisp-based @code{uncompface}
21826 program. @code{t} means to use the external decoder. The default value
21827 is normally @code{undecided} which means to determine it by checking
21828 whether the host machine is slow, being controlled by
21829 @code{uncompface-use-external-threshold} (which see).
21831 @item uncompface-use-external-threshold
21832 @vindex uncompface-use-external-threshold
21833 A number of seconds to check whether the host machine is slow. If the
21834 host takes time larger than this value for decoding an @code{X-Face}
21835 using the internal ELisp-based @code{uncompface} program, it will be
21836 changed to using the external decoder. The default is 0.1 seconds.
21839 If the internal decoder is invalidated or if you are using XEmacs,
21840 decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
21841 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
21842 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
21843 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
21845 The variable that controls this is the
21846 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
21847 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
21848 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
21849 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
21850 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
21852 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
21853 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
21854 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
21855 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
21858 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
21859 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
21860 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
21861 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
21862 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
21863 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
21864 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
21865 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
21867 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
21875 @vindex gnus-x-face
21876 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
21877 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
21878 default colors are black and white.
21880 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
21881 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
21882 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
21883 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
21884 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
21885 XEmacs. Here are examples:
21888 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
21889 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
21890 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
21891 (png . (:ascent 80))))
21893 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
21894 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
21895 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
21896 (png . (:relief -2))))
21899 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
21900 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
21901 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
21902 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
21903 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
21904 @samp{libcompface} library.
21907 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21908 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
21910 @findex gnus-random-x-face
21911 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
21912 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
21913 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
21914 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
21915 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
21916 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
21917 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
21918 header data as a string.
21920 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
21921 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
21922 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
21923 randomly generated data.
21925 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
21926 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
21927 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
21928 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
21929 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
21931 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
21932 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21935 (setq message-required-news-headers
21936 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21937 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
21940 Using the last function would be something like this:
21943 (setq message-required-news-headers
21944 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21945 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
21946 (gnus-x-face-from-file
21947 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
21955 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces'implementations should really be harmonized.
21957 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
21958 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
21959 represent the author of the message.
21962 @findex gnus-article-display-face
21963 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
21964 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
21967 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
21968 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
21970 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21971 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
21973 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
21974 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
21975 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
21977 @findex gnus-face-from-file
21978 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
21979 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
21980 converts the file to Face format by using the
21981 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
21983 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
21984 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21987 (setq message-required-news-headers
21988 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21989 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
21990 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
21995 @subsection Smileys
22000 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
22005 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
22006 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
22008 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
22009 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22012 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
22015 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
22016 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
22017 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
22018 text and maps that to file names.
22020 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
22021 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
22022 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
22023 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
22024 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
22027 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
22032 @item smiley-data-directory
22033 @vindex smiley-data-directory
22034 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
22036 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
22037 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
22038 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
22052 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
22053 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
22054 over your shoulder as you read news.
22056 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
22065 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
22066 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
22067 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
22068 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
22069 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
22070 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
22071 @code{GIF} formats.
22074 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22075 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
22076 point your Web browser at
22077 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
22079 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
22080 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
22082 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
22083 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
22086 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
22090 @item gnus-picon-databases
22091 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22092 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
22093 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
22094 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
22095 "/usr/local/faces")}.
22097 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
22098 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
22099 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22100 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
22102 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
22103 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
22104 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
22105 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
22107 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
22108 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
22109 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22110 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
22111 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
22113 @item gnus-picon-file-types
22114 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
22115 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
22116 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
22122 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
22125 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22126 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22127 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
22128 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
22129 unusual directory structure.
22131 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
22132 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
22133 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
22134 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
22136 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
22137 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
22138 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
22139 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
22140 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
22141 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
22143 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22144 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22145 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
22150 @subsubsection Toolbar
22154 @item gnus-use-toolbar
22155 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
22156 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
22157 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
22158 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
22160 @item gnus-group-toolbar
22161 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
22162 The toolbar in the group buffer.
22164 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
22165 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
22166 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
22168 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22169 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22170 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
22181 @node Fuzzy Matching
22182 @section Fuzzy Matching
22183 @cindex fuzzy matching
22185 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
22186 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
22188 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
22189 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
22190 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
22192 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
22193 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
22194 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
22195 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
22196 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
22199 @node Thwarting Email Spam
22200 @section Thwarting Email Spam
22204 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22206 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
22207 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
22208 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
22209 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
22210 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
22211 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
22212 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
22213 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
22216 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
22217 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
22218 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
22219 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
22220 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
22221 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
22223 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
22226 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
22227 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
22228 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
22229 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
22230 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
22231 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
22234 @node The problem of spam
22235 @subsection The problem of spam
22237 @cindex spam filtering approaches
22238 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
22240 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22242 First, some background on spam.
22244 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
22245 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
22246 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
22247 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
22248 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
22249 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
22250 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
22251 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
22252 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
22254 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
22255 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
22256 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
22257 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
22258 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
22259 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
22260 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
22261 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
22262 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
22265 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
22266 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
22267 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
22268 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
22269 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
22270 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
22271 from Bulgarian IPs.
22273 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
22274 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
22275 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
22276 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
22278 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
22279 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
22280 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
22281 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
22283 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
22284 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
22285 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
22286 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
22287 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
22288 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
22289 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
22290 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
22291 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
22293 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
22294 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
22295 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
22296 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
22297 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
22298 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
22299 down for some time because of the incident.
22301 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
22302 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
22303 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
22304 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
22305 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
22306 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
22307 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
22308 to store the database of spam analyses. Statistical analysis on the
22309 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
22310 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
22311 the server that it has misclassified mail.
22313 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
22314 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
22315 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
22316 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
22317 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
22318 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
22319 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
22322 @node Anti-Spam Basics
22323 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
22327 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22329 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
22330 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
22332 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
22333 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
22334 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
22335 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
22336 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
22337 part of the mail address.)
22340 (setq message-default-news-headers
22341 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
22344 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
22345 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22349 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
22350 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
22351 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
22356 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
22357 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
22358 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
22359 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
22361 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
22362 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
22363 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
22364 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
22365 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
22366 your fancy split rule in this way:
22371 (to "larsi" "misc")
22375 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
22376 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
22377 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
22378 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
22379 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
22381 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
22382 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
22383 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
22384 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
22386 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
22390 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
22391 @cindex SpamAssassin
22392 @cindex Vipul's Razor
22395 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
22396 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
22397 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
22398 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
22399 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
22400 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
22401 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
22403 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
22404 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
22405 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
22408 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
22409 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
22410 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
22411 Specifiers}) follow.
22415 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
22419 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
22422 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
22423 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
22424 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
22427 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
22431 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22434 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
22435 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
22439 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
22440 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
22441 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
22442 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
22445 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
22447 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
22451 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
22452 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
22456 Note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will not be
22457 downloaded by default. You need to set
22458 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
22459 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
22461 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
22462 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
22463 spam. And here is the nifty function:
22466 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
22467 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
22469 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
22470 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
22471 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
22475 @subsection Hashcash
22478 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
22479 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
22480 you cannot rely on everyone in the world using this technique,
22481 since it is not part of the Internet standards, but it may be useful
22482 in smaller communities.
22484 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
22485 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
22486 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
22487 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
22488 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
22489 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
22490 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
22491 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
22492 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
22493 one of them separately.
22496 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
22497 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
22498 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
22499 header. For more details, and for the external application
22500 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
22501 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
22502 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
22504 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
22508 (require 'hashcash)
22509 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
22512 The @file{hashcash.el} library can be found in the Gnus development
22513 contrib directory or at
22514 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}.
22516 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
22520 @item hashcash-default-payment
22521 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
22522 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
22523 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
22524 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
22526 @item hashcash-payment-alist
22527 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
22528 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
22529 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
22530 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
22531 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
22532 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
22533 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
22534 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
22538 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
22542 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
22543 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
22544 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
22545 a useful contribution, however.
22547 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22548 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22549 @cindex spam filtering
22552 The idea behind @file{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
22553 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @file{spam.el} does two things: it
22554 filters new mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
22555 @dfn{Ham} is the name used throughout @file{spam.el} to indicate
22558 First of all, you @strong{must} run the function
22559 @code{spam-initialize} to autoload @code{spam.el} and to install the
22560 @code{spam.el} hooks. There is one exception: if you use the
22561 @code{spam-use-stat} (@pxref{spam-stat spam filtering}) setting, you
22562 should turn it on before @code{spam-initialize}:
22565 (setq spam-use-stat t) ;; if needed
22569 So, what happens when you load @file{spam.el}?
22571 First, some hooks will get installed by @code{spam-initialize}. There
22572 are some hooks for @code{spam-stat} so it can save its databases, and
22573 there are hooks so interesting things will happen when you enter and
22574 leave a group. More on the sequence of events later (@pxref{Spam
22575 ELisp Package Sequence of Events}).
22577 You get the following keyboard commands:
22587 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
22588 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
22590 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
22591 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
22592 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
22593 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
22599 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
22600 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
22602 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
22608 Also, when you load @file{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
22609 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
22613 * Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
22614 * Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
22615 * Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
22616 * Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
22617 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
22618 * BBDB Whitelists::
22619 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
22620 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
22622 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
22624 * SpamAssassin backend::
22625 * ifile spam filtering::
22626 * spam-stat spam filtering::
22628 * Extending the Spam ELisp package::
22631 @node Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
22632 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
22633 @cindex spam filtering
22634 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
22637 You must read this section to understand how @code{spam.el} works.
22638 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
22640 There are two @emph{contact points}, if you will, between
22641 @code{spam.el} and the rest of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and
22644 Getting new mail is done in one of two ways. You can either split
22645 your incoming mail or you can classify new articles as ham or spam
22646 when you enter the group.
22648 Splitting incoming mail is better suited to mail backends such as
22649 @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap} where new mail appears in a single file
22650 called a @dfn{Spool File}. See @xref{Spam ELisp Package Filtering of
22653 @vindex gnus-spam-autodetect
22654 @vindex gnus-spam-autodetect-methods
22655 For backends such as @code{nntp} there is no incoming mail spool, so
22656 an alternate mechanism must be used. This may also happen for
22657 backends where the server is in charge of splitting incoming mail, and
22658 Gnus does not do further splitting. The @code{spam-autodetect} and
22659 @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameters (accessible with
22660 @kbd{G c} and @kbd{G p} as usual), and the corresponding variables
22661 @code{gnus-spam-autodetect} and @code{gnus-spam-autodetect-methods}
22662 (accessible with @kbd{M-x customize-variable} as usual) can help.
22664 When @code{spam-autodetect} is used (you can turn it on for a
22665 group/topic or wholesale by regex, as needed), it hooks into the
22666 process of entering a group. Thus, entering a group with unseen or
22667 unread articles becomes the substitute for checking incoming mail.
22668 Whether only unseen articles or all unread articles will be processed
22669 is determined by the @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages}. When
22670 set to @code{t}, unread messages will be rechecked.
22672 @code{spam-autodetect} grants the user at once more and less control
22673 of spam filtering. The user will have more control over each group's
22674 spam methods, so for instance the @samp{ding} group may have
22675 @code{spam-use-BBDB} as the autodetection method, while the
22676 @samp{suspect} group may have the @code{spam-use-blacklist} and
22677 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods enabled. Every article detected to
22678 be spam will be marked with the spam mark @samp{$} and processed on
22679 exit from the group as normal spam. The user has less control over
22680 the @emph{sequence} of checks, as he might with @code{spam-split}.
22682 When the newly split mail goes into groups, or messages are
22683 autodetected to be ham or spam, those groups must be exited (after
22684 entering, if needed) for further spam processing to happen. It
22685 matters whether the group is considered a ham group, a spam group, or
22686 is unclassified, based on its @code{spam-content} parameter
22687 (@pxref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). Spam groups have the
22688 additional characteristic that, when entered, any unseen or unread
22689 articles (depending on the @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam}
22690 variable) will be marked as spam. Thus, mail split into a spam group
22691 gets automatically marked as spam when you enter the group.
22693 So, when you exit a group, the @code{spam-processors} are applied, if
22694 any are set, and the processed mail is moved to the
22695 @code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination}
22696 depending on the article's classification. If the
22697 @code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination},
22698 whichever is appropriate, are @code{nil}, the article is left in the
22701 If a spam is found in any group (this can be changed to only non-spam
22702 groups with @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only}), it is
22703 processed by the active @code{spam-processors} (@pxref{Spam ELisp
22704 Package Global Variables}) when the group is exited. Furthermore, the
22705 spam is moved to the @code{spam-process-destination} (@pxref{Spam
22706 ELisp Package Global Variables}) for further training or deletion.
22707 You have to load the @code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
22708 @code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want spam to be processed
22709 no more than once. Thus, spam is detected and processed everywhere,
22710 which is what most people want. If the
22711 @code{spam-process-destination} is @code{nil}, the spam is marked as
22712 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
22714 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only backend such as
22715 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
22717 If a ham mail is found in a ham group, as determined by the
22718 @code{ham-marks} parameter, it is processed as ham by the active ham
22719 @code{spam-processor} when the group is exited. With the variables
22720 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
22721 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} the behavior can be further
22722 altered so ham found anywhere can be processed. You have to load the
22723 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
22724 @code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want ham to be processed
22725 no more than once. Thus, ham is detected and processed only when
22726 necessary, which is what most people want. More on this in
22727 @xref{Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples}.
22729 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only backend such as
22730 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
22732 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
22733 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
22734 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
22736 @node Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
22737 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
22738 @cindex spam filtering
22739 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
22742 To use the @file{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
22743 must add the following to your fancy split list
22744 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
22750 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
22751 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
22752 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
22754 Also, @code{spam-split} will not modify incoming mail in any way.
22756 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
22757 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
22758 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
22759 but you can customize @code{spam-split-group}. Make sure the contents
22760 of @code{spam-split-group} are an @emph{unqualified} group name, for
22761 instance in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server} the value
22762 @samp{spam} will turn out to be @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The
22763 value @samp{nnimap+server:spam}, therefore, is wrong and will
22764 actually give you the group
22765 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam} which may or may not
22766 work depending on your server's tolerance for strange group names.
22768 You can also give @code{spam-split} a parameter,
22769 e.g. @code{spam-use-regex-headers} or @code{"maybe-spam"}. Why is
22772 Take these split rules (with @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and
22773 @code{spam-use-blackholes} set):
22776 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
22777 (any "ding" "ding")
22779 ;; @r{default mailbox}
22783 Now, the problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the
22784 ding folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam
22785 detected by SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through,
22786 when it's sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to
22787 the ding list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the
22788 invocation of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
22790 You can let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, but all other
22791 @code{spam-split} rules (including a second invocation of the
22792 regex-headers check) will be after the ding rule:
22797 ;; @r{all spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
22798 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
22799 (any "ding" "ding")
22800 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
22802 ;; @r{default mailbox}
22806 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
22807 your particular needs, and to target the results of those checks to a
22808 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
22809 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
22810 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
22811 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
22812 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
22814 You should still have specific checks such as
22815 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} set to @code{t}, even if you
22816 specifically invoke @code{spam-split} with the check. The reason is
22817 that when loading @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done
22818 depending on what @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. This
22819 is usually not critical, though.
22821 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
22823 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
22824 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
22825 the headers. By default, the nnimap back end will only retrieve the
22826 message headers. If you use @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
22827 @code{spam-check-ifile}, or @code{spam-check-stat} (the splitters that
22828 can benefit from the full message body), you should set this variable.
22829 It is not set by default because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and
22830 that is not an appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user.
22832 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
22834 @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
22835 statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
22838 @node Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
22839 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
22840 @cindex spam filtering
22841 @cindex spam filtering variables
22842 @cindex spam variables
22845 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
22846 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
22847 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
22848 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
22849 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
22850 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
22851 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
22852 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
22853 will be detected later.
22855 The format of the spam or ham processor entry used to be a symbol,
22856 but now it is a @sc{cons} cell. See the individual spam processor entries
22857 for more information.
22859 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
22860 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
22861 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
22862 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
22863 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
22864 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
22865 by customizing the corresponding variable
22866 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
22867 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
22868 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
22869 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
22870 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
22871 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
22872 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
22875 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
22877 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
22878 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
22879 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
22880 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
22881 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
22882 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
22883 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
22884 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
22885 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
22886 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
22887 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
22888 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
22889 processor which will study them as spam samples.
22891 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
22892 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
22893 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
22894 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
22895 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
22896 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
22897 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
22898 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
22901 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
22902 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
22903 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
22904 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
22905 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
22906 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
22907 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
22912 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
22913 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
22914 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
22915 you really want to.
22918 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
22919 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
22920 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
22921 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
22922 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
22923 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
22926 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
22927 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
22928 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
22929 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
22930 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
22931 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
22932 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
22933 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
22934 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
22935 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
22936 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
22937 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
22938 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
22939 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
22940 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
22942 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only backend such as
22943 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
22945 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
22946 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
22947 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
22949 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
22950 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
22952 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
22953 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
22954 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
22955 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
22956 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
22958 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
22959 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
22960 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
22961 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
22962 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
22965 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
22966 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
22967 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
22968 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
22969 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
22970 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
22971 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
22972 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
22973 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
22974 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
22975 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
22976 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
22977 group buffer then you need it here as well.
22979 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only backend such as
22980 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
22982 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
22983 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
22986 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
22987 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
22988 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
22989 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
22990 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
22991 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
22992 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
22994 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
22995 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
22996 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
22997 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
22999 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
23000 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
23001 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
23002 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
23003 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
23004 from the mail server.
23006 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
23007 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
23008 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
23009 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
23011 @node Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
23012 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
23013 @cindex spam filtering
23014 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
23015 @cindex spam configuration examples
23018 @subsubheading Ted's setup
23020 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
23022 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
23023 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
23024 (gnus-registry-initialize)
23027 ;; @r{I like @kbd{C-s} for marking spam}
23028 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map "\C-s" 'gnus-summary-mark-as-spam)
23031 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
23033 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
23034 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
23035 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
23036 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
23037 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
23038 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
23039 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
23040 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
23041 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
23042 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
23043 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
23044 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
23045 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
23046 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
23047 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
23048 (any "ding" "ding")
23049 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
23051 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23054 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
23056 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
23057 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
23058 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
23059 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
23061 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23063 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
23064 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
23065 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
23066 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
23067 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23069 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
23070 ((spam-autodetect . t))
23072 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
23074 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
23075 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
23077 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
23078 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
23079 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
23081 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
23083 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
23084 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
23086 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
23087 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
23088 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
23090 (gnus-ticked-mark))
23091 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
23092 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
23093 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
23095 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
23096 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
23097 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
23101 @subsubheading Using @file{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
23102 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23104 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
23105 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
23106 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
23107 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
23108 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
23109 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
23110 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
23111 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
23112 @samp{training.spam} folders.
23114 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
23115 does most of the job for me:
23118 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
23119 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
23120 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
23121 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
23122 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
23123 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
23124 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
23129 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
23131 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
23132 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
23133 bogofilter or DCC).
23135 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
23136 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
23137 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark (@code{ham-marks},
23138 @ref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). On group exit, those
23139 messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want to have
23140 the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter) and
23141 deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
23143 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
23144 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
23145 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
23146 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
23147 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
23148 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
23150 @item @b{Ham folders:}
23152 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
23153 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
23154 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
23155 @samp{training.ham}.
23158 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
23160 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23162 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
23163 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
23164 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
23168 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
23171 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
23172 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
23173 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
23174 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
23175 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
23177 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
23178 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
23179 @cindex spam filtering
23180 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
23181 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
23184 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
23186 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
23187 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
23188 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
23189 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
23194 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
23196 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
23197 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
23198 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
23199 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
23200 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
23204 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
23206 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
23207 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
23208 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
23212 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
23214 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23215 customizing the group parameters or the
23216 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23217 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23218 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
23222 Instead of the obsolete
23223 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
23224 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
23225 the same way, we promise.
23229 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
23231 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23232 customizing the group parameters or the
23233 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23234 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23235 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
23240 Instead of the obsolete
23241 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
23242 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
23243 the same way, we promise.
23247 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
23248 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
23249 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
23250 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
23251 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
23253 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
23254 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
23255 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
23256 Emacs regular expression syntax.
23258 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
23259 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
23260 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
23261 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
23262 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
23263 @file{blacklist} respectively.
23265 @node BBDB Whitelists
23266 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
23267 @cindex spam filtering
23268 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
23269 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
23272 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
23274 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
23275 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
23276 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
23277 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
23278 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
23279 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
23280 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
23284 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
23286 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
23287 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
23288 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
23289 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
23290 classified as spammers.
23294 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
23296 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23297 customizing the group parameters or the
23298 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23299 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23300 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
23305 Instead of the obsolete
23306 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
23307 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
23308 the same way, we promise.
23312 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
23313 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
23314 @cindex spam reporting
23315 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
23316 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
23319 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
23321 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23322 customizing the group parameters or the
23323 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23324 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
23325 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
23328 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
23332 Instead of the obsolete
23333 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
23334 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
23335 same way, we promise.
23339 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
23341 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
23342 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
23343 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
23344 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
23345 @code{spam-report.el} will use the @code{X-Report-Spam} header that
23350 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
23351 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
23352 @cindex spam filtering
23353 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
23356 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
23358 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
23359 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
23360 instead of the sender address. You must have the @code{hashcash.el}
23361 package loaded for @code{spam-use-hashcash} to work properly.
23362 Messages without a hashcash payment token will be sent to the next
23363 spam-split rule. This is an explicit filter, meaning that unless a
23364 hashcash token is found, the messages are not assumed to be spam or
23370 @subsubsection Blackholes
23371 @cindex spam filtering
23372 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
23375 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
23377 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
23378 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
23379 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
23380 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
23381 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
23382 contains outdated servers.
23384 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
23385 @file{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
23386 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
23387 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
23388 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
23389 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
23393 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
23395 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
23399 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
23401 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
23402 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
23406 @defvar spam-use-dig
23408 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
23409 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
23413 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
23414 ham processor for blackholes.
23416 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
23417 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
23418 @cindex spam filtering
23419 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
23422 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
23424 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
23425 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
23426 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
23427 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
23428 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
23429 message is spam or ham, respectively.
23433 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
23435 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
23436 the message, positively identify it as spam.
23440 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
23442 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
23443 the message, positively identify it as ham.
23447 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
23448 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
23451 @subsubsection Bogofilter
23452 @cindex spam filtering
23453 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
23456 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
23458 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
23461 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
23462 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
23463 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
23464 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
23465 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
23466 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
23468 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
23469 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
23472 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
23473 processing will be turned off.
23475 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
23479 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
23481 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
23482 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
23483 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
23484 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
23485 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
23486 installation documents for details.
23488 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
23492 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
23493 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23494 customizing the group parameters or the
23495 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23496 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
23497 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
23501 Instead of the obsolete
23502 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
23503 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
23504 the same way, we promise.
23507 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
23508 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23509 customizing the group parameters or the
23510 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23511 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
23512 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
23513 of non-spam messages.
23517 Instead of the obsolete
23518 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
23519 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
23520 the same way, we promise.
23523 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
23525 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
23526 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
23527 database directory.
23531 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
23532 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
23533 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
23534 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
23535 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
23536 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
23538 @node SpamAssassin backend
23539 @subsubsection SpamAssassin backend
23540 @cindex spam filtering
23541 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
23544 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
23546 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
23548 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
23549 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
23550 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
23551 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
23554 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
23555 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
23556 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
23557 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
23560 You should not enable this is you use
23561 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
23565 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
23567 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
23568 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
23570 You should not enable this is you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
23574 @defvar spam-spamassassin-path
23576 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
23577 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
23578 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
23579 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
23583 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
23584 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
23585 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
23586 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
23587 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
23588 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
23589 to test this functionality.
23591 @node ifile spam filtering
23592 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
23593 @cindex spam filtering
23594 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
23597 @defvar spam-use-ifile
23599 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
23600 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
23604 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
23606 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
23607 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
23608 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
23612 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
23614 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
23615 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
23616 the default value of @samp{spam}.
23619 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
23621 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
23622 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
23626 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
23627 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
23628 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
23629 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
23632 @node spam-stat spam filtering
23633 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
23634 @cindex spam filtering
23635 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
23639 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
23641 @defvar spam-use-stat
23643 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
23644 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
23648 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
23649 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23650 customizing the group parameters or the
23651 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23652 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
23653 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
23657 Instead of the obsolete
23658 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
23659 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
23660 the same way, we promise.
23663 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
23664 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23665 customizing the group parameters or the
23666 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23667 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
23668 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
23669 of non-spam messages.
23673 Instead of the obsolete
23674 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
23675 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
23676 the same way, we promise.
23679 This enables @file{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
23680 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
23681 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
23682 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
23683 @code{spam-split} are provided.
23686 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
23687 @cindex spam filtering
23691 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
23692 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
23693 installed separately.
23695 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
23696 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
23697 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
23698 mail as a spam mail or not.
23700 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
23701 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
23702 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
23704 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Filtering Spam
23705 Using The Spam ELisp Package}) call SpamOracle.
23707 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
23708 To enable SpamOracle usage by @file{spam.el}, set the variable
23709 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
23710 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy} as described in
23711 the section @xref{Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package}. In
23712 this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is filtered using
23713 SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be moved to
23714 @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham messages stay
23718 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
23719 spam-split-group "Junk"
23720 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
23721 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
23722 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
23725 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
23726 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
23730 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
23731 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
23732 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
23736 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
23737 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
23738 store its analyses. This is controlled by the variable
23739 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
23740 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
23741 database to live somewhere special, set
23742 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
23745 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
23746 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
23747 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns the
23748 characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
23749 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
23750 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary buffer
23751 and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using @file{spam.el}'s
23752 spam- and ham-processors, which is much more convenient. For a
23753 detailed description of spam- and ham-processors, @xref{Filtering Spam
23754 Using The Spam ELisp Package}.
23756 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
23757 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23758 customizing the group parameter or the
23759 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
23760 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
23761 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
23765 Instead of the obsolete
23766 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
23767 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
23768 the same way, we promise.
23771 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
23772 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23773 customizing the group parameter or the
23774 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
23775 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
23776 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
23781 Instead of the obsolete
23782 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
23783 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
23784 the same way, we promise.
23787 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
23788 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
23791 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
23792 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
23793 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
23795 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
23796 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
23797 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
23798 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
23799 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
23800 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
23802 @node Extending the Spam ELisp package
23803 @subsubsection Extending the Spam ELisp package
23804 @cindex spam filtering
23805 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
23806 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
23808 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
23809 incoming mail, provide the following:
23817 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
23818 "True if blackbox should be used.")
23823 (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
23825 to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
23829 (gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox ham spam-use-blackbox)
23830 (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox spam spam-use-blackbox)
23833 to @code{spam-list-of-processors}.
23837 (spam-use-blackbox spam-blackbox-register-routine
23839 spam-blackbox-unregister-routine
23843 to @code{spam-registration-functions}. Write the register/unregister
23844 routines using the bogofilter register/unregister routines as a
23845 start, or other restister/unregister routines more appropriate to
23851 Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
23852 @samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other
23853 conventions. See the existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for
23854 examples of what you can do, and stick to the template unless you
23855 fully understand the reasons why you aren't.
23857 Make sure to add @code{spam-use-blackbox} to
23858 @code{spam-list-of-statistical-checks} if Blackbox is a statistical
23859 mail analyzer that needs the full message body to operate.
23863 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
23870 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
23871 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
23873 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
23874 variables. Instead the form @code{'(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
23875 @code{'(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
23876 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
23879 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
23880 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
23881 Only applicable to spam groups.")
23883 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
23884 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
23885 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
23894 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
23895 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
23897 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
23898 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
23899 variable customization.
23903 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
23905 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
23911 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
23912 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
23913 @cindex Paul Graham
23914 @cindex Graham, Paul
23915 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
23916 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
23917 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
23919 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
23920 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
23921 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
23922 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
23923 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
23924 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
23925 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
23926 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
23927 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
23930 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
23931 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
23932 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
23933 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
23934 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
23935 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
23936 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
23937 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
23939 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
23940 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
23941 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
23942 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
23943 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
23946 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
23947 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
23948 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
23951 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
23952 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
23954 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
23955 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
23956 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
23957 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
23958 need several hundred emails in both collections.
23960 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
23961 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
23962 per mail. Use the following:
23964 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
23965 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
23966 is treated as one spam mail.
23969 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
23970 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
23971 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
23974 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
23975 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
23976 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
23977 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
23978 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
23979 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
23981 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
23982 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
23983 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
23984 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
23985 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
23988 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
23989 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
23990 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
23991 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
23994 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
23995 reset the dictionary.
23997 @defun spam-stat-reset
23998 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
24001 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
24002 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
24003 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
24004 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
24005 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
24006 only non-spam mails.
24008 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
24009 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
24010 to update the dictionary incrementally.
24013 @defun spam-stat-save
24014 Save the dictionary.
24017 @defvar spam-stat-file
24018 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
24019 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
24022 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
24023 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
24025 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
24026 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24029 (require 'spam-stat)
24033 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
24036 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
24037 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
24038 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
24039 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
24041 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
24042 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
24043 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
24044 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
24047 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24048 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24052 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
24053 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
24056 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
24057 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
24058 expression are considered potential spam.
24061 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24062 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24063 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24067 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
24068 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
24069 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
24070 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
24071 mails, when creating the dictionary!
24074 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24075 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24076 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24080 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
24081 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
24082 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
24083 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
24084 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
24088 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24089 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
24090 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24091 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24096 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
24097 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
24099 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
24101 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
24102 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
24103 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
24106 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
24107 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
24108 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
24111 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
24112 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
24113 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
24114 already been processed as non-spam.
24117 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
24118 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
24119 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
24120 been processed as spam.
24123 @defun spam-stat-save
24124 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
24125 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
24128 @defun spam-stat-load
24129 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
24130 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
24133 @defun spam-stat-score-word
24134 Return the spam score for a word.
24137 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
24138 Return the spam score for a buffer.
24141 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
24142 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
24143 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
24146 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
24147 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24150 (require 'spam-stat)
24154 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
24157 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
24158 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24159 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24160 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24161 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
24162 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
24163 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24164 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24165 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
24166 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24167 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
24168 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
24169 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24170 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24173 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
24176 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
24177 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24178 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24179 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
24180 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
24181 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24185 @section Interaction with other modes
24190 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provided some useful functions for dired
24191 buffers. It is enabled with
24193 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
24198 @findex gnus-dired-attach
24199 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
24200 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
24203 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
24204 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
24205 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
24209 @findex gnus-dired-print
24210 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
24211 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
24214 @node Various Various
24215 @section Various Various
24221 @item gnus-home-directory
24222 @vindex gnus-home-directory
24223 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
24224 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
24226 @item gnus-directory
24227 @vindex gnus-directory
24228 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
24229 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
24230 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
24232 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
24233 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
24234 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
24235 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
24237 @item gnus-default-directory
24238 @vindex gnus-default-directory
24239 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
24240 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
24241 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
24242 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
24243 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
24244 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
24247 @vindex gnus-verbose
24248 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
24249 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
24250 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
24251 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
24252 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
24254 @item gnus-verbose-backends
24255 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
24256 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
24257 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
24259 @item nnheader-max-head-length
24260 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
24261 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
24262 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
24263 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
24264 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
24265 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
24266 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
24267 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
24268 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
24270 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
24271 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
24272 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
24273 read when doing the operation described above.
24275 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
24276 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
24278 @cindex invalid characters in file names
24279 @cindex characters in file names
24280 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
24281 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
24282 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
24286 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
24291 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
24292 Windows (phooey) systems.
24294 @item gnus-hidden-properties
24295 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
24296 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
24297 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
24298 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
24300 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
24301 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
24302 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
24303 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
24304 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
24306 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
24307 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
24308 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
24310 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
24311 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
24313 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
24314 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
24315 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
24316 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
24319 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
24327 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
24328 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
24330 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
24332 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
24338 Not because of victories @*
24341 but for the common sunshine,@*
24343 the largess of the spring.
24347 but for the day's work done@*
24348 as well as I was able;@*
24349 not for a seat upon the dais@*
24350 but at the common table.@*
24355 @chapter Appendices
24358 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
24359 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
24360 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
24361 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
24362 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
24363 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
24364 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
24365 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
24366 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
24373 @cindex installing under XEmacs
24375 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
24376 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
24377 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
24378 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
24379 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{w3},
24380 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
24387 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
24388 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
24390 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
24391 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
24392 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
24393 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
24394 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
24396 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
24397 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
24398 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
24399 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
24400 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
24401 appropriate name, don't you think?)
24403 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
24404 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
24405 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
24406 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
24409 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
24410 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
24411 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
24412 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
24413 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
24414 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
24415 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
24416 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
24417 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
24421 @node Gnus Versions
24422 @subsection Gnus Versions
24424 @cindex September Gnus
24426 @cindex Quassia Gnus
24427 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
24430 @cindex Gnus versions
24432 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
24433 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
24434 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
24436 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
24437 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
24439 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
24440 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
24442 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
24443 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
24445 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
24446 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
24449 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
24451 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
24452 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
24453 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
24454 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
24455 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
24456 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
24459 @node Other Gnus Versions
24460 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
24463 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
24464 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
24465 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
24466 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
24468 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
24469 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
24470 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
24471 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
24478 What's the point of Gnus?
24480 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
24481 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
24482 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
24483 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
24484 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
24485 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
24486 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
24487 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
24488 keep track of millions of people who post?
24490 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
24491 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
24492 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
24493 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
24494 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
24495 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
24496 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
24497 every one of you to explore and invent.
24499 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
24500 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
24503 @node Compatibility
24504 @subsection Compatibility
24506 @cindex compatibility
24507 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
24508 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
24509 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
24514 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
24518 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
24521 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
24524 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
24525 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
24526 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
24527 important variables have their values copied into their global
24528 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
24529 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
24531 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
24532 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
24533 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
24534 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
24535 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
24539 @cindex highlighting
24540 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
24541 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
24542 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
24543 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
24544 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
24545 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
24548 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
24549 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
24550 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
24551 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
24553 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
24554 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
24555 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
24556 to stop doing it the old way.
24558 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
24560 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
24562 @cindex reporting bugs
24564 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
24565 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
24566 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
24568 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
24569 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
24570 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
24571 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
24576 @subsection Conformity
24578 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
24579 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
24587 There are no known breaches of this standard.
24591 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
24593 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
24594 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
24595 We do have some breaches to this one.
24601 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
24602 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
24603 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
24604 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
24605 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
24610 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
24611 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
24612 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
24613 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
24615 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
24616 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
24617 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
24619 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
24620 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
24622 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
24625 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
24626 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
24627 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
24628 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
24629 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
24632 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
24633 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
24634 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
24635 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
24637 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
24638 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
24640 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
24641 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
24642 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
24643 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
24644 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
24645 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
24646 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
24647 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
24651 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
24652 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
24657 @subsection Emacsen
24663 Gnus should work on:
24671 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
24675 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
24676 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
24679 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
24680 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
24681 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
24685 @node Gnus Development
24686 @subsection Gnus Development
24688 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
24689 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
24690 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
24691 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
24692 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
24693 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
24694 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
24695 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
24697 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
24698 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
24699 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
24700 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
24701 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
24704 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
24705 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
24706 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
24707 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
24708 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
24710 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
24711 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
24712 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
24713 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
24714 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
24715 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
24716 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
24717 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
24718 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
24719 can't be assumed to do so.
24724 @subsection Contributors
24725 @cindex contributors
24727 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
24728 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
24729 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
24730 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
24731 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
24732 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
24733 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
24734 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
24735 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
24736 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
24738 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
24744 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
24747 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
24748 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
24749 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
24750 functionality and stuff.
24753 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
24754 well as numerous other things).
24757 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
24760 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
24763 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
24766 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
24769 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
24770 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
24773 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
24776 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
24779 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
24782 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
24785 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
24788 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
24791 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
24792 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
24795 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
24798 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
24801 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
24804 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
24808 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
24811 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
24814 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
24817 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
24818 well as autoconf support.
24822 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
24823 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
24825 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
24840 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
24842 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
24846 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
24856 Alexei V. Barantsev,
24871 Massimo Campostrini,
24876 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
24877 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
24881 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
24884 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
24890 Michael Welsh Duggan,
24895 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
24899 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
24907 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
24909 Michelangelo Grigni,
24913 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
24915 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
24917 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
24924 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
24925 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
24926 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
24928 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
24938 Peter Skov Knudsen,
24939 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
24941 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
24942 Thor Kristoffersen,
24945 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
24963 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
24964 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
24971 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
24976 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
24980 John McClary Prevost,
24986 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
24991 Christian von Roques,
24994 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
25001 Philippe Schnoebelen,
25003 Randal L. Schwartz,
25017 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
25022 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
25042 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
25043 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
25044 (550kB and counting).
25046 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
25049 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
25050 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
25054 @subsection New Features
25055 @cindex new features
25058 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
25059 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
25060 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
25061 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
25062 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
25063 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10.
25064 * No Gnus:: Lars, FIXME!
25067 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
25068 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
25069 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
25072 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
25074 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
25079 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
25080 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
25083 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
25084 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
25087 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
25090 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
25091 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
25092 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
25095 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
25096 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
25097 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
25098 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
25101 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
25102 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25105 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
25106 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
25107 (@pxref{The Active File}).
25110 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
25111 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
25114 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
25115 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
25116 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
25119 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
25120 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
25121 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
25124 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
25125 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
25128 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
25129 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
25132 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
25133 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
25136 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
25137 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25140 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
25141 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
25144 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
25145 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
25148 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
25151 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
25152 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
25155 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
25156 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
25159 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
25160 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
25163 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
25166 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
25167 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
25170 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
25174 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
25178 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
25179 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
25182 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
25188 @node September Gnus
25189 @subsubsection September Gnus
25193 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
25197 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
25202 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
25203 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
25207 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
25208 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
25212 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
25216 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
25217 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
25220 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
25224 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
25227 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
25230 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
25233 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
25237 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
25238 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
25241 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
25245 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
25249 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
25253 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
25257 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
25260 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
25261 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
25264 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
25268 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
25269 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
25272 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
25275 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
25276 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
25277 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
25280 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
25284 The Gnus cache is much faster.
25287 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
25291 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
25292 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
25295 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
25296 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
25299 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
25300 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
25303 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
25304 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
25305 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
25308 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
25309 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
25312 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
25315 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
25318 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
25321 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
25324 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
25325 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
25328 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
25332 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
25335 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
25340 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
25343 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
25347 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25350 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
25354 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
25357 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
25360 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
25361 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
25364 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
25365 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
25369 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
25370 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
25373 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
25377 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
25378 buffer to allow easier treatment.
25381 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
25384 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
25388 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
25392 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
25393 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
25396 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
25400 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
25401 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
25404 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
25405 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
25408 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
25412 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
25415 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
25418 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
25424 @subsubsection Red Gnus
25426 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
25430 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
25437 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
25440 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
25441 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
25444 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
25445 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
25449 Article washing status can be displayed in the
25450 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
25453 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
25456 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
25457 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
25460 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
25464 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
25465 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
25469 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
25470 Server Internals}).
25473 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
25477 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
25480 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
25481 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
25484 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
25485 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
25486 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
25489 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
25490 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
25493 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
25494 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
25497 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
25501 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
25502 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
25505 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
25506 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
25509 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
25513 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
25516 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
25520 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
25521 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
25524 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
25525 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
25528 A new command for reading collections of documents
25529 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
25530 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
25533 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
25537 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
25538 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
25541 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
25542 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
25543 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
25546 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
25547 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
25551 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
25555 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
25559 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
25564 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
25568 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
25572 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
25573 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
25576 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
25582 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
25584 New features in Gnus 5.6:
25589 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
25590 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
25591 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
25594 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
25595 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
25596 group, which is created automatically.
25599 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
25603 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
25606 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
25607 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
25610 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
25614 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
25617 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
25618 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
25621 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
25624 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
25628 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
25629 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
25632 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
25633 control over simplification.
25636 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
25639 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
25643 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
25646 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
25649 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
25650 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
25651 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
25654 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
25655 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
25658 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
25662 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
25663 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
25666 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
25667 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
25670 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
25674 A history of where mails have been split is available.
25677 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
25680 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
25681 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
25684 A new function for citing in Message has been
25685 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
25688 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
25691 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
25695 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
25696 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
25699 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
25700 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
25703 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
25706 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
25710 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
25711 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
25713 New features in Gnus 5.8:
25718 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
25719 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
25721 If you used procmail like in
25724 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
25725 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
25726 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
25727 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
25730 this now has changed to
25734 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
25738 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
25741 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
25742 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
25745 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
25746 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
25749 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
25750 called to position point.
25753 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
25754 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
25757 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
25758 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
25761 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
25762 subtly different manner.
25765 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
25766 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
25767 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
25770 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
25775 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
25778 New features in Gnus 5.10:
25783 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
25784 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
25785 region if the region is active.
25788 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
25792 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
25793 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
25796 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
25797 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
25800 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
25802 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
25803 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
25804 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
25805 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
25806 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
25807 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
25808 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
25809 isn't save in general.
25814 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
25815 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
25816 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
25817 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
25822 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
25823 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
25824 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
25828 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
25831 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
25836 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
25837 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
25839 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
25840 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
25844 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
25845 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
25848 Retrieval of charters and control messages
25850 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
25851 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
25856 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
25857 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
25858 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
25861 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
25862 decompressed when activated.
25865 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
25866 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
25869 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
25872 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
25873 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
25876 Warn about email replies to news
25878 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
25879 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
25883 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
25884 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
25888 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
25889 opposed to old but unread messages).
25892 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
25893 Gcc articles as read.
25896 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
25899 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
25900 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
25903 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
25904 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
25907 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
25908 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
25911 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
25912 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
25915 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
25917 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
25918 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
25919 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
25920 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
25923 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
25925 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
25926 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
25927 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, iff you want
25928 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
25929 the second parameter.
25931 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
25932 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
25933 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
25934 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
25935 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
25936 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
25937 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
25938 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
25939 cycle used under Unix systems.
25941 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} superfluous, so it has
25945 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
25947 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
25948 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
25949 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
25950 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
25951 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
25955 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
25957 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
25958 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
25959 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
25960 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
25964 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
25966 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
25967 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
25968 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
25969 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
25971 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
25972 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
25973 message cited below.
25976 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
25979 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
25981 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
25982 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
25983 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
25984 variable in @file{~/.emacs} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
25985 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
25988 (setq gnus-parameters
25990 (gnus-show-threads nil)
25991 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
25992 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
25993 (to-group . "\\1"))))
25997 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now iconized for Emacs too.
25999 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.emacs} to
26003 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
26005 Earlier it was generated iff the user configurable email address was
26006 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
26007 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
26008 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
26009 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
26010 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
26011 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
26012 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
26013 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
26016 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
26018 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
26019 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
26020 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
26021 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
26022 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
26023 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
26026 References and X-Draft-Headers are no longer generated when you start
26027 composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
26031 Improved anti-spam features.
26033 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
26034 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
26035 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
26036 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
26037 are also new. @xref{Thwarting Email Spam}.
26040 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers.
26043 Face headers handling.
26046 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
26047 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
26050 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
26053 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
26055 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
26056 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
26057 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
26058 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
26059 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
26060 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
26061 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
26062 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
26063 when getting new mail, remove the function.
26066 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
26068 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
26069 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
26070 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
26071 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
26072 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
26073 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
26074 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
26075 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
26076 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
26077 was inserted directly.
26080 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
26082 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
26083 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
26089 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
26090 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
26091 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
26092 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
26093 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
26094 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
26095 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
26096 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
26097 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
26098 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
26099 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
26100 behaviour of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
26101 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
26102 is not needed any more.
26105 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
26107 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
26108 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
26109 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
26110 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
26111 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
26115 @file{deuglify.el} (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article})
26117 A new file from Raymond Scholz @email{rscholz@@zonix.de} for deuglifying
26118 broken Outlook (Express) articles.
26121 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
26123 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
26124 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
26125 lisp directory into load-path.
26127 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
26128 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
26131 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
26133 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
26136 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
26138 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
26139 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
26140 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
26141 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
26144 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
26146 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
26148 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
26149 'bbdb-complete-name)
26153 Externalizing and deleting of attachments.
26155 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
26156 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
26157 local files as external parts.
26159 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
26160 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
26161 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
26162 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
26163 that support editing.
26166 @code{gnus-default-charset}
26168 The default value is determined from the
26169 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
26170 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
26171 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
26174 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
26176 Add a new format of match like
26178 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
26179 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
26181 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
26183 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
26184 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
26188 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
26190 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
26191 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
26192 need add those two headers too.
26195 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
26197 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
26198 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
26199 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
26202 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
26203 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
26204 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
26208 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
26210 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
26213 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
26215 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
26218 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
26220 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
26221 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
26222 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
26225 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
26227 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
26231 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
26233 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
26234 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
26235 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
26236 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
26237 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
26238 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
26239 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
26240 The behaviour can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
26243 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
26245 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
26246 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
26247 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
26248 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
26249 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
26252 Extended format specs.
26254 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
26255 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
26256 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
26257 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
26258 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
26259 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
26262 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
26264 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
26265 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
26266 out other articles.
26268 @item Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
26270 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
26271 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
26272 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
26273 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
26276 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
26278 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
26279 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
26280 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
26283 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
26285 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
26286 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
26287 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
26288 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
26289 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
26290 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
26291 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
26292 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
26293 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
26294 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
26295 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
26298 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
26299 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
26302 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
26303 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
26304 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
26305 message, Message Manual}).
26308 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
26309 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
26311 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
26312 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
26313 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
26315 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
26319 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
26320 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
26322 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
26323 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
26324 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
26325 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
26328 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
26331 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
26334 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
26335 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
26338 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to symbol @code{best}.
26340 The behaviour for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
26341 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
26342 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
26343 invalidate the digital signature.
26347 @subsubsection No Gnus
26350 New features in No Gnus:
26351 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
26353 @include gnus-news.texi
26359 @section The Manual
26363 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
26364 either @code{texi2dvi}
26366 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
26367 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
26369 to get what you hold in your hands now.
26371 The following conventions have been used:
26376 This is a @samp{string}
26379 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
26382 This is a @file{file}
26385 This is a @code{symbol}
26389 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
26393 (setq flargnoze "yes")
26396 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
26399 (setq flumphel 'yes)
26402 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
26403 ever get them confused.
26407 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
26408 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
26409 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
26410 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
26411 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
26412 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
26413 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
26419 @node On Writing Manuals
26420 @section On Writing Manuals
26422 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
26423 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
26424 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
26425 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
26426 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
26427 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
26430 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
26431 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
26432 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
26435 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
26436 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
26441 @section Terminology
26443 @cindex terminology
26448 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
26449 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
26450 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
26451 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
26452 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
26456 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
26457 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
26458 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
26459 not posting, and replying is not following up.
26463 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
26467 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
26472 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
26473 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
26474 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
26475 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
26476 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
26477 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
26478 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
26479 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
26480 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
26483 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
26484 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
26485 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
26486 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
26487 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
26488 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
26490 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
26491 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
26492 access the articles.
26494 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
26495 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
26496 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
26501 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
26502 default, way of getting news.
26506 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
26507 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
26512 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
26513 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
26517 A message that has been posted as news.
26520 @cindex mail message
26521 A message that has been mailed.
26525 A mail message or news article
26529 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
26534 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
26539 A line from the head of an article.
26543 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
26544 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
26546 @item @acronym{NOV}
26547 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
26548 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
26549 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
26550 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
26551 normal @sc{head} format.
26555 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
26556 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
26557 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
26558 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
26559 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
26560 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
26562 @item killed groups
26563 @cindex killed groups
26564 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
26565 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
26567 @item zombie groups
26568 @cindex zombie groups
26569 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
26572 @cindex active file
26573 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
26574 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
26575 is rather large, as you might surmise.
26578 @cindex bogus groups
26579 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
26580 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
26581 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
26584 @cindex activating groups
26585 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
26586 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
26587 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
26591 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
26593 @item select method
26594 @cindex select method
26595 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
26598 @item virtual server
26599 @cindex virtual server
26600 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
26601 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
26602 whole is a virtual server.
26606 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
26607 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
26610 @item ephemeral groups
26611 @cindex ephemeral groups
26612 @cindex temporary groups
26613 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
26614 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
26615 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
26618 @cindex solid groups
26619 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
26620 group buffer are solid groups.
26622 @item sparse articles
26623 @cindex sparse articles
26624 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
26625 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
26629 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
26630 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
26634 @cindex thread root
26635 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
26636 articles in the thread.
26640 An article that has responses.
26644 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
26648 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
26649 specified by RFC 1153.
26652 @cindex splitting, terminolgy
26653 @cindex mail sorting
26654 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
26655 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
26656 incorrectly called mail filtering.
26662 @node Customization
26663 @section Customization
26664 @cindex general customization
26666 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
26667 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
26668 for some quite common situations.
26671 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
26672 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
26673 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
26674 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
26678 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
26679 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
26681 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
26682 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
26683 Gnus has to get from the @acronym{NNTP} server.
26687 @item gnus-read-active-file
26688 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
26689 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
26690 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
26691 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
26692 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
26694 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
26695 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
26696 the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast. Not all @acronym{NNTP} servers
26697 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
26701 @node Slow Terminal Connection
26702 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
26704 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
26705 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
26706 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
26710 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
26711 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
26712 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
26713 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
26714 horizontal and vertical recentering.
26716 @item gnus-visible-headers
26717 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
26718 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
26719 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
26720 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
26722 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
26724 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
26725 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
26726 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
26729 @item gnus-use-full-window
26730 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
26731 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
26732 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
26733 want to read them anyway.
26735 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
26736 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
26740 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
26741 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
26742 lines, which might save some time.
26746 @node Little Disk Space
26747 @subsection Little Disk Space
26750 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
26751 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
26755 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
26756 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
26757 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
26758 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
26761 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
26762 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
26763 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
26764 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
26767 @item gnus-save-killed-list
26768 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
26769 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
26770 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
26771 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
26777 @subsection Slow Machine
26778 @cindex slow machine
26780 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
26781 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
26783 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
26784 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
26786 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
26787 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
26788 summary buffer faster.
26790 Gnus uses the internal ELisp-based @code{uncompface} program for
26791 decoding an @code{X-Face} header normally in Emacs. If you feel it is
26792 slow, set @code{uncompface-use-external} to @code{t}. @xref{X-Face}.
26796 @node Troubleshooting
26797 @section Troubleshooting
26798 @cindex troubleshooting
26800 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
26808 Make sure your computer is switched on.
26811 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
26812 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
26816 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
26817 like @samp{Gnus v5.10.6} you have the right files loaded. Otherwise
26818 you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
26821 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
26822 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
26825 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
26826 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
26827 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
26828 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
26829 something like that.
26832 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
26835 @cindex reporting bugs
26837 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
26839 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
26840 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
26841 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
26842 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
26844 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
26845 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
26846 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
26847 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
26850 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
26851 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
26852 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
26853 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
26854 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
26855 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
26857 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
26858 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
26859 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
26863 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
26864 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
26867 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
26868 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
26869 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
26870 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
26871 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
26872 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
26873 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
26874 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
26875 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
26876 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
26877 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
26878 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
26879 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
26880 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
26885 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
26886 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
26887 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
26888 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
26889 helps isolating the real problem areas).
26891 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
26892 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
26893 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
26894 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
26895 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
26896 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
26897 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
26898 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
26899 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
26900 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
26901 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
26902 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
26903 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
26906 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
26907 @cindex ding mailing list
26908 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
26909 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
26910 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
26911 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
26915 @node Gnus Reference Guide
26916 @section Gnus Reference Guide
26918 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
26919 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
26920 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
26921 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
26924 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
26925 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
26926 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
26927 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
26928 and general methods of operation.
26931 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
26932 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
26933 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
26934 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
26935 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
26936 * Group Info:: The group info format.
26937 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
26938 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
26939 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
26943 @node Gnus Utility Functions
26944 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
26945 @cindex Gnus utility functions
26946 @cindex utility functions
26948 @cindex internal variables
26950 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
26951 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
26952 Below is a list of the most common ones.
26956 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
26957 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
26958 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
26960 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
26961 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
26962 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
26964 @item gnus-group-real-name
26965 @findex gnus-group-real-name
26966 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
26969 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
26970 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
26971 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
26972 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
26974 @item gnus-get-info
26975 @findex gnus-get-info
26976 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
26978 @item gnus-group-unread
26979 @findex gnus-group-unread
26980 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
26984 @findex gnus-active
26985 The active entry for @var{group}.
26987 @item gnus-set-active
26988 @findex gnus-set-active
26989 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
26991 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
26992 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
26993 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
26996 @item gnus-continuum-version
26997 @findex gnus-continuum-version
26998 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
26999 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
27002 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
27003 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
27004 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
27006 @item gnus-news-group-p
27007 @findex gnus-news-group-p
27008 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
27010 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
27011 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
27012 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
27014 @item gnus-server-to-method
27015 @findex gnus-server-to-method
27016 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
27018 @item gnus-server-equal
27019 @findex gnus-server-equal
27020 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
27022 @item gnus-group-native-p
27023 @findex gnus-group-native-p
27024 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
27026 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
27027 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
27028 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
27030 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
27031 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
27032 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
27034 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
27035 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
27036 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
27037 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
27039 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
27040 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
27041 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
27043 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
27044 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
27045 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
27047 @item gnus-check-backend-function
27048 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
27049 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
27050 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
27053 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
27057 @item gnus-read-method
27058 @findex gnus-read-method
27059 Prompts the user for a select method.
27064 @node Back End Interface
27065 @subsection Back End Interface
27067 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
27068 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
27069 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
27070 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
27071 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
27072 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
27074 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
27075 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
27076 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
27077 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
27078 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
27079 been opened, the function should fail.
27081 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
27082 name. Take this example:
27086 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
27087 (nntp-port-number 4324))
27090 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
27091 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
27093 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
27094 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
27095 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
27097 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
27098 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
27099 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
27101 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
27102 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
27103 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
27104 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
27105 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
27106 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
27109 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
27110 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
27111 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
27112 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
27115 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
27116 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
27117 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
27118 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
27119 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
27120 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
27121 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
27122 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
27123 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
27124 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
27126 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
27127 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
27128 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
27129 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
27130 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
27131 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
27132 of numbers as long as possible.
27134 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
27135 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
27136 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
27138 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
27141 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
27144 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
27145 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
27146 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
27147 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
27148 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
27149 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
27153 @node Required Back End Functions
27154 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
27158 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
27160 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
27161 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
27162 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
27163 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
27165 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
27166 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
27167 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
27168 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
27170 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
27171 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
27172 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
27173 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
27174 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
27175 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
27176 number, do maximum fetches.
27178 Here's an example HEAD:
27181 221 1056 Article retrieved.
27182 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
27183 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
27184 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
27185 Subject: Re: Something very droll
27186 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
27187 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
27189 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
27190 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
27191 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
27195 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
27196 these in the data buffer.
27198 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
27202 head = error / valid-head
27203 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
27204 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
27205 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
27206 header = <text> eol
27210 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
27212 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
27213 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
27217 nov-buffer = *nov-line
27218 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
27219 field = <text except TAB>
27222 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
27226 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
27228 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
27229 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
27231 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
27232 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
27233 server. In fact, it should do so.
27235 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
27236 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
27239 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
27241 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
27242 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
27245 There should be no data returned.
27248 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
27250 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
27251 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
27252 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
27253 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
27255 There should be no data returned.
27258 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
27260 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
27261 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
27262 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
27263 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
27265 There should be no data returned.
27268 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
27270 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
27272 There should be no data returned.
27275 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
27277 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
27278 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
27279 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
27280 it would be nice if that were possible.
27282 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
27283 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
27284 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
27285 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
27286 into its article buffer.
27288 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
27289 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
27290 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
27291 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
27292 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
27293 on successful article retrieval.
27296 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
27298 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
27299 making @var{group} the current group.
27301 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
27304 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
27307 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
27310 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
27311 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
27312 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
27313 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
27314 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
27315 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
27316 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
27317 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
27318 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
27322 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
27323 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
27324 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
27328 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
27330 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
27331 a no-op on most back ends.
27333 There should be no data returned.
27336 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
27338 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
27341 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
27344 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
27345 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
27348 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
27349 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
27350 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
27351 and the highest as 0.
27354 active-file = *active-line
27355 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
27357 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
27360 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
27361 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
27362 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
27365 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
27367 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
27368 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
27369 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
27370 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
27371 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
27372 clear if the posting could not be completed.
27374 There should be no result data from this function.
27379 @node Optional Back End Functions
27380 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
27384 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
27386 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
27387 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
27388 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
27390 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
27391 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
27392 former is in the same format as the data from
27393 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
27394 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
27397 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
27401 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
27403 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
27404 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
27405 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
27406 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
27407 should return a non-@code{nil} value.
27409 There should be no result data from this function.
27412 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
27414 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
27415 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
27416 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
27417 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
27418 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
27419 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
27420 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
27421 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
27423 There should be no result data from this function.
27426 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
27428 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
27429 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
27430 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
27431 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
27432 propagate the mark information to the server.
27434 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
27437 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
27440 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
27441 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
27442 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
27443 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
27444 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
27445 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
27446 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
27447 possible, not limit itself to these.
27449 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
27450 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
27451 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
27452 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
27454 An example action list:
27457 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
27458 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
27459 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
27462 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
27463 mark on (currently not used for anything).
27465 There should be no result data from this function.
27467 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
27469 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
27470 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
27471 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
27472 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
27473 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
27475 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
27476 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
27477 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
27480 There should be no result data from this function.
27483 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
27485 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
27486 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
27487 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
27488 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
27489 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
27490 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
27491 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
27492 local if that's practical.
27494 There should be no result data from this function.
27497 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
27499 The result data from this function should be a description of
27503 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
27505 description = <text>
27508 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
27510 The result data from this function should be the description of all
27511 groups available on the server.
27514 description-buffer = *description-line
27518 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
27520 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
27521 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
27522 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
27523 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
27524 in the active buffer format.
27526 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
27527 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
27528 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
27529 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
27530 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
27531 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
27532 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
27535 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
27537 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
27539 There should be no return data.
27542 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
27544 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
27545 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
27546 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
27547 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
27548 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
27551 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
27554 There should be no result data returned.
27557 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
27559 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
27560 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
27562 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
27563 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
27564 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
27565 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
27566 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
27567 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
27569 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
27570 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
27573 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
27574 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
27576 There should be no data returned.
27579 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
27581 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
27582 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
27583 this function in short order.
27585 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
27586 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
27588 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
27589 article for that group.
27591 There should be no data returned.
27594 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
27596 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
27597 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
27599 There should be no data returned.
27602 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
27604 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
27605 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
27606 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
27608 There should be no data returned.
27611 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
27613 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
27614 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
27616 There should be no data returned.
27621 @node Error Messaging
27622 @subsubsection Error Messaging
27624 @findex nnheader-report
27625 @findex nnheader-get-report
27626 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
27627 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
27628 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
27629 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
27630 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
27631 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
27634 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
27636 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
27639 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
27640 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
27641 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
27642 takes one argument---the server symbol.
27644 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
27645 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
27646 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
27649 @node Writing New Back Ends
27650 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
27652 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
27653 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
27654 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
27655 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
27656 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
27659 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
27660 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
27661 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
27663 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
27664 package called @code{nnoo}.
27666 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
27667 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
27673 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
27674 parameters. For instance:
27677 (nnoo-declare nndir
27681 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
27682 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
27685 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
27686 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
27687 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
27689 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
27690 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
27691 a function in those back ends.
27694 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
27695 "Where nndir will look for groups."
27696 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
27699 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
27700 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
27701 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
27703 @item nnoo-define-basics
27704 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
27708 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
27712 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
27713 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
27714 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
27716 @item nnoo-map-functions
27717 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
27718 functions from the parent back ends.
27721 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
27722 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
27723 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
27726 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
27727 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
27728 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
27729 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
27732 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
27733 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
27734 haven't already been defined.
27740 nnmh-request-newgroups)
27744 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
27745 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
27746 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
27751 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
27754 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
27755 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
27759 (require 'nnheader)
27763 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
27765 (nnoo-declare nndir
27768 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
27769 "Where nndir will look for groups."
27770 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
27772 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
27773 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
27776 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
27778 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
27779 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
27780 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
27782 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
27783 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
27785 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
27787 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
27789 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
27790 (setq nndir-directory
27791 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
27793 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
27794 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
27795 (push `(nndir-current-group
27796 ,(file-name-nondirectory
27797 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
27799 (push `(nndir-top-directory
27800 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
27802 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
27804 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
27805 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
27806 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
27807 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
27808 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
27812 nnmh-status-message
27814 nnmh-request-newgroups))
27820 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
27821 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
27823 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
27824 @findex gnus-declare-backend
27825 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
27826 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
27827 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
27829 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
27830 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
27835 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
27838 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
27840 The abilities can be:
27844 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
27846 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
27848 This back end supports both mail and news.
27850 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
27853 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
27854 articles and groups.
27856 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
27857 true for almost all back ends.
27858 @item prompt-address
27859 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
27860 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
27861 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
27865 @node Mail-like Back Ends
27866 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
27868 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
27869 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
27870 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
27871 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
27874 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
27875 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
27876 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
27879 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
27880 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
27883 This function takes four parameters.
27887 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
27890 @item exit-function
27891 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
27893 @item temp-directory
27894 Where the temporary files should be stored.
27897 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
27898 performed for one group only.
27901 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
27902 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
27903 find the article number assigned to this article.
27905 The function also uses the following variables:
27906 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
27907 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
27908 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
27909 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
27913 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
27914 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
27918 @node Score File Syntax
27919 @subsection Score File Syntax
27921 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
27922 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
27923 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
27925 Here's a typical score file:
27929 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
27936 BNF definition of a score file:
27939 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
27940 element = rule / atom
27941 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
27942 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
27943 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
27944 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
27946 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
27947 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
27948 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
27949 date-header = "date"
27950 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27951 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27952 score = "nil" / <integer>
27953 date = "nil" / <natural number>
27954 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
27955 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
27956 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
27957 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
27958 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27959 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27960 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
27961 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27962 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
27963 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
27964 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
27965 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
27966 exclude-files / read-only / touched
27967 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
27968 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
27969 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
27970 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
27971 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
27972 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
27973 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
27974 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
27975 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
27976 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
27977 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
27978 eval = "eval" space <form>
27979 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
27982 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
27985 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
27986 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
27987 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
27988 one looong line, then that's ok.
27990 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
27991 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
27995 @subsection Headers
27997 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
27998 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
27999 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
28000 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
28002 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
28003 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
28004 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
28005 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
28006 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
28007 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
28008 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
28010 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
28011 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
28012 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
28013 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
28014 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
28016 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
28017 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
28023 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
28024 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
28026 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
28027 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
28028 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
28029 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
28031 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
28035 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
28038 is transformed into
28041 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
28044 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
28045 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
28048 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
28051 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
28052 is slightly tricky:
28055 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
28061 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
28064 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
28070 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
28077 and is equal to the previous range.
28079 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
28080 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
28081 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
28085 range = simple-range / normal-range
28086 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
28087 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
28088 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
28089 number *[ " " contents ]
28092 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
28093 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
28094 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
28095 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
28096 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
28101 @subsection Group Info
28103 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
28104 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
28105 describes the group.
28107 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
28108 second is a more complex one:
28111 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
28113 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
28114 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
28116 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
28119 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
28120 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
28121 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
28122 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
28123 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
28124 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
28125 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
28126 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
28127 this section is about.
28129 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
28130 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
28131 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
28133 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
28136 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
28137 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
28138 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28139 group = quote <string> quote
28140 ralevel = rank / level
28141 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
28142 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
28143 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
28145 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
28146 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
28147 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
28148 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
28151 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
28152 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
28155 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
28156 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
28159 @item gnus-info-group
28160 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
28161 @findex gnus-info-group
28162 @findex gnus-info-set-group
28163 Get/set the group name.
28165 @item gnus-info-rank
28166 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
28167 @findex gnus-info-rank
28168 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
28169 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
28171 @item gnus-info-level
28172 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
28173 @findex gnus-info-level
28174 @findex gnus-info-set-level
28175 Get/set the group level.
28177 @item gnus-info-score
28178 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
28179 @findex gnus-info-score
28180 @findex gnus-info-set-score
28181 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
28183 @item gnus-info-read
28184 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
28185 @findex gnus-info-read
28186 @findex gnus-info-set-read
28187 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
28189 @item gnus-info-marks
28190 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
28191 @findex gnus-info-marks
28192 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
28193 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
28195 @item gnus-info-method
28196 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
28197 @findex gnus-info-method
28198 @findex gnus-info-set-method
28199 Get/set the group select method.
28201 @item gnus-info-params
28202 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
28203 @findex gnus-info-params
28204 @findex gnus-info-set-params
28205 Get/set the group parameters.
28208 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
28209 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
28211 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
28212 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
28213 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
28214 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
28217 @node Extended Interactive
28218 @subsection Extended Interactive
28219 @cindex interactive
28220 @findex gnus-interactive
28222 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
28223 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
28224 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
28227 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
28228 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
28233 The best thing to do would have been to implement
28234 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
28235 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
28236 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
28237 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
28238 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
28239 @code{interactive}.
28241 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
28246 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
28247 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
28251 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
28252 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
28253 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
28256 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
28260 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
28264 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
28270 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
28271 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
28275 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
28276 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
28277 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
28279 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
28280 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
28281 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
28282 Gnus, that's very useful.
28284 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
28285 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
28286 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
28287 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
28288 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
28289 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
28290 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
28291 following function:
28294 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
28298 (,function ,@@args))
28302 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
28303 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
28304 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
28307 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
28308 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
28309 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
28311 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
28312 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
28313 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
28316 @node Various File Formats
28317 @subsection Various File Formats
28320 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
28321 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
28325 @node Active File Format
28326 @subsubsection Active File Format
28328 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
28329 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
28332 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
28335 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
28336 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
28337 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
28338 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
28339 no.general 1000 900 y
28342 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
28345 active = *group-line
28346 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
28347 group = <non-white-space string>
28349 high-number = <non-negative integer>
28350 low-number = <positive integer>
28351 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
28354 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
28355 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
28358 @node Newsgroups File Format
28359 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
28361 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
28362 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
28363 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
28366 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
28367 Here's the definition:
28371 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
28372 group = <non-white-space string>
28374 description = <string>
28379 @node Emacs for Heathens
28380 @section Emacs for Heathens
28382 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
28383 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
28384 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
28385 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
28386 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
28387 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
28388 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
28392 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
28393 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
28398 @subsection Keystrokes
28402 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
28405 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
28408 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
28409 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
28410 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
28411 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
28412 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
28413 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
28415 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
28416 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
28417 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
28418 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
28419 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
28420 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
28421 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
28423 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
28424 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
28425 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
28426 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
28427 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
28428 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
28429 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
28431 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
28432 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
28433 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
28434 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
28435 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
28441 @subsection Emacs Lisp
28443 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
28444 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
28445 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
28446 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
28448 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
28449 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
28450 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
28451 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
28452 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
28453 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
28454 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
28457 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
28458 write the following:
28461 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
28464 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
28465 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
28466 you can go and fill your @file{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
28469 If you have put that thing in your @file{.emacs} file, it will be read
28470 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
28471 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
28472 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
28473 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
28475 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
28476 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
28477 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
28481 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
28485 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
28488 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
28489 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
28492 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
28495 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
28496 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
28499 @include gnus-faq.texi
28519 @c Local Variables:
28521 @c coding: iso-8859-1