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4 @settitle Red Gnus 0.24 Manual
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240 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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249 Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
251 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
252 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
253 are preserved on all copies.
255 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
256 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
257 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
258 permission notice identical to this one.
260 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
261 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
270 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
272 Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
274 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
275 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
276 are preserved on all copies.
279 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
280 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
281 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
282 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
285 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
286 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
287 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
288 permission notice identical to this one.
290 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
291 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
297 @title Red Gnus 0.24 Manual
299 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
302 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
303 Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
305 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
306 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
307 are preserved on all copies.
309 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
310 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
311 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
312 permission notice identical to this one.
314 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
315 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
324 @top The Red Gnus Newsreader
328 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
329 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
330 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
342 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
343 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
345 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
346 being accused of plagiarism:
348 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
349 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
350 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you can
351 even read news with it!
353 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
354 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
355 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
356 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
357 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
364 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
365 * The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
366 * The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
367 * The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
368 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
369 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
370 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
371 * Various:: General purpose settings.
372 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
373 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
374 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
375 * Key Index:: Key Index.
379 @chapter Starting Gnus
384 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
385 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
388 @findex gnus-other-frame
389 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
390 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
391 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
393 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
397 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
398 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
399 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
400 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
401 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
402 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
403 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
404 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
405 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
406 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
407 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
411 @node Finding the News
412 @section Finding the News
414 @vindex gnus-select-method
416 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
417 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
418 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
419 native method. All groups that are not fetched with this method are
422 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
423 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
426 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
429 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
432 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
435 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
436 certainly be much faster.
438 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
440 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
441 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
442 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
443 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
444 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
445 that fails as well, Gnus will will try to use the machine that is
446 running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long-shot, though.
448 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
449 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
450 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
451 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
453 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
454 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
455 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
456 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
457 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
458 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting.
460 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
462 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
463 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
464 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
465 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
466 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
467 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
469 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
471 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
472 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
473 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
474 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
475 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
476 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
479 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
480 would typically set this variable to
483 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
488 @section The First Time
489 @cindex first time usage
491 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
492 be subscribed by default.
494 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
495 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
496 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
497 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
500 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
501 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is here
502 defined as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
504 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
505 help you with most common problems.
507 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
508 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
512 @node The Server is Down
513 @section The Server is Down
514 @cindex server errors
516 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
517 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
518 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
520 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
521 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
522 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
523 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
524 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
525 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
526 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
528 @findex gnus-no-server
529 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
531 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
532 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
533 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
534 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
535 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
536 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
541 @section Slave Gnusae
544 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
545 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (eg., if you
546 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
547 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
549 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
552 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
553 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
554 @dfn{servants}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
555 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
556 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
557 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
558 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
560 Anyways, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
561 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
562 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
563 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contains information only
564 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
565 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
566 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
567 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
569 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
570 information in the normal (i. e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
573 @node Fetching a Group
574 @section Fetching a Group
576 @findex gnus-fetch-group
577 It it sometime convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
578 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
579 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
580 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
581 It takes the group name as a parameter.
588 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
589 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
590 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
592 This variable should contain a function. Some handy pre-fab values
597 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
598 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
599 Make all new groups zombies. You can browse the zombies later (with
600 @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly, or subscribe to them.
603 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
604 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
605 Subscribe all new groups randomly.
607 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
608 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
609 Subscribe all new groups alphabetically.
611 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
612 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
613 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
614 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
615 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
616 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into it's
617 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
618 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
619 up. Or something like that.
621 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
622 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
623 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
624 you about @strong{all} new groups.
626 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
627 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
632 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
633 A closely related variable is
634 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
635 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
636 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
637 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
640 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above to
641 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
642 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
644 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
645 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
646 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
649 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
652 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
653 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
654 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
655 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
656 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
657 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
658 subscribing these groups.
659 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
660 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
662 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
663 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
664 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
665 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
666 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
667 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
668 and if the the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
669 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
671 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
672 Yet another variable that meddles here is
673 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
674 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
675 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
676 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
677 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
678 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
679 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
680 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
682 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
683 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
684 you could set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
685 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
686 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
687 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
688 is @code{t} by default.
690 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
691 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
692 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
693 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
694 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster &
695 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
696 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
697 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
698 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
699 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
701 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
702 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
703 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
704 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
705 few days. If any do, then it works. If any don't, then it doesn't
706 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
707 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
708 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
709 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
710 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
711 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
713 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
714 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
715 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
716 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
717 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
718 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
721 @node Changing Servers
722 @section Changing Servers
724 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
725 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
726 very flake and you want to use another.
728 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
729 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
733 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
734 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
735 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
736 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
739 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
740 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
741 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
742 functions more than absolutely necessary.
744 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
745 @findex gnus-change-server
746 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
747 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map
748 reads and article marks. The @kbd{M-x gnus-change-server} command will
749 do this for all your native groups. It will prompt for the method you
752 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
753 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
754 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
755 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
756 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
758 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
759 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
760 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
761 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
762 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
763 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
767 @section Startup Files
768 @cindex startup files
771 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
772 information is traditionally stored in this file.
774 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
775 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
776 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
777 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
778 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
779 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
780 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
782 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
783 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
784 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
785 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file.
787 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
788 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
789 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
790 the file and save some space, as well as making exit from Gnus faster.
791 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
792 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right?
794 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
795 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
796 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
797 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
798 will also means that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
799 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
800 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
801 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
802 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
803 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
804 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
805 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
807 @vindex gnus-startup-file
808 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
809 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
810 file being whatever that one is with a @samp{.eld} appended.
812 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
813 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
814 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
815 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
816 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
817 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
818 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
819 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
820 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
821 startup files. If you want to backup creation off, say something like:
824 (defun turn-off-backup ()
825 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
827 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
828 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
831 @vindex gnus-init-file
832 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
833 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus.el} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
834 (@file{~/.gnus.el} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
835 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{.emacs} and
836 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff.
844 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
845 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
846 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
847 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
848 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
851 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
852 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
855 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
856 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
857 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
859 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
860 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
861 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
862 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
863 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
864 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
867 @node The Active File
868 @section The Active File
870 @cindex ignored groups
872 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
873 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
874 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
876 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
877 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
878 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
879 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
880 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
881 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
882 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
885 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
886 @c if you set it to anything else.
888 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
890 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
891 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
892 reading the active file. This variable is @code{t} by default.
894 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
895 you actually subscribe to.
897 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
898 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
899 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
900 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
902 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
903 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
904 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
905 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
906 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
907 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
909 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
910 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
911 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
912 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
913 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
914 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
916 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
917 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
920 @node Startup Variables
921 @section Startup Variables
926 @vindex gnus-load-hook
927 A hook that is run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
928 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
929 times you start Gnus.
931 @item gnus-startup-hook
932 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
933 A hook that is run after starting up Gnus successfully.
935 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
936 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
937 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
938 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
939 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
940 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
941 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
942 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
944 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
945 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
946 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
947 your boss might not notice that you are reading news instead of doing
950 @item gnus-no-groups-message
951 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
952 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
956 @node The Group Buffer
957 @chapter The Group Buffer
960 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
961 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
962 long as Gnus is active.
965 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
966 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
967 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
968 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
969 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
970 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
971 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
972 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
973 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
974 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
975 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
976 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
977 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
978 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
979 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
980 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
984 @node Group Buffer Format
985 @section Group Buffer Format
986 @cindex group buffer format
989 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
990 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
991 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
995 @node Group Line Specification
996 @subsection Group Line Specification
998 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
999 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1001 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1004 25: news.announce.newusers
1005 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1010 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1011 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1012 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1013 asterisk at the beginning of the line?)
1015 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1016 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1017 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1018 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1019 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1020 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1022 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1024 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1025 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1026 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1027 never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1030 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1031 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1032 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1034 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1039 Only marked articles.
1042 Whether the group is subscribed.
1045 Level of subscribedness.
1048 Number of unread articles.
1051 Number of dormant articles.
1054 Number of ticked articles.
1057 Number of read articles.
1060 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1061 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1064 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1067 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1076 Newsgroup description.
1079 @samp{m} if moderated.
1082 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1091 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1095 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1098 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1099 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1100 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1101 The default is @code{1}.
1104 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1105 be a letter. @sc{gnus} will call the function
1106 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1107 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current headers as
1108 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
1109 into the buffer just like information from any other specifier.
1113 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1114 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1115 group, or a bogus (or semi-bogus) native group.
1118 @node Group Modeline Specification
1119 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1121 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1122 The mode line can be changed by setting
1123 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). It
1124 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1128 The native news server.
1130 The native select method.
1134 @node Group Highlighting
1135 @subsection Group Highlighting
1137 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1138 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1139 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1140 that look like @var{(form . face)}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1141 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1143 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1147 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1149 ,(custom-face-lookup "Red" nil nil t nil nil))
1150 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) .
1151 ,(custom-face-lookup "SeaGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
1153 ,(custom-face-lookup "SpringGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
1155 ,(custom-face-lookup "SteelBlue" nil nil t nil nil))
1157 ,(custom-face-lookup "SkyBlue" nil nil t nil nil))
1161 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1168 The number of unread articles in the group.
1172 Whether the group is a mail group.
1174 The level of the group.
1176 The score of the group.
1178 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1180 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1183 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1184 topic being inserted.
1187 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1188 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1189 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1191 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1192 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1193 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1194 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1195 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1198 @node Group Maneuvering
1199 @section Group Maneuvering
1200 @cindex group movement
1202 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1203 expected, hopefully.
1209 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1210 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1211 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1218 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1219 Go to the previous group group that has unread articles
1220 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1224 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1225 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1229 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1230 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1234 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1235 Go to the next unread group on the same level (or lower)
1236 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1240 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1241 Go to the previous unread group on the same level (or lower)
1242 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1245 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1251 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1252 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1253 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1258 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1259 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1260 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1264 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1265 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1266 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1269 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1270 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1271 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1272 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1276 @node Selecting a Group
1277 @section Selecting a Group
1278 @cindex group selection
1283 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1284 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1285 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1286 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1287 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1288 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1289 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, Gnus
1290 will fetch @var{N} number of articles. If @var{N} is positive, fetch
1291 the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is negative, fetch the
1292 @var{abs(N)} oldest articles.
1296 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1297 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1298 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1299 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1300 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1304 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1305 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1306 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1307 minimum amount off fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1308 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1309 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1310 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1311 (i. e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer.
1312 This might be useful if you want to toggle threading before entering the
1316 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1317 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1318 This is yet one more command that does the same as the one above, but
1319 this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1320 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1324 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
1325 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
1326 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
1327 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
1328 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is when catching up a group from
1333 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
1334 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
1335 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
1339 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1340 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
1341 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1343 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1344 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1345 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1346 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
1347 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
1348 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
1353 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1354 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
1355 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1356 unread articles than this, Gnus will query the user before entering the
1357 group. The user can then specify how many articles should be fetched
1358 from the server. If the user specifies a negative number (@code{-n}),
1359 the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it is positive, the
1360 @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will be fetched.
1362 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
1363 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
1364 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
1365 automatically when entering a group.
1370 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
1371 full summary buffer.
1374 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
1377 Select the most high-scored article in the group when entering the
1381 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
1382 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
1383 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
1387 @node Subscription Commands
1388 @section Subscription Commands
1397 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
1398 Toggle subscription to the current group
1399 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
1405 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
1406 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
1407 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
1408 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
1414 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
1415 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
1421 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
1422 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
1425 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
1426 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
1427 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
1428 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
1429 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
1435 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
1436 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
1440 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
1441 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
1444 @kindex S C-k (Group)
1445 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
1446 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
1447 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
1448 be used with some caution. The only thing where this command comes in
1449 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
1450 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level @code{7} will
1451 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
1452 @file{.newsrc} file.
1456 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1460 @section Group Levels
1463 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
1464 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
1465 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
1466 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
1467 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1469 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
1475 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
1476 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
1477 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
1478 prompted for a level.
1481 @vindex gnus-level-killed
1482 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
1483 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
1484 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
1485 Gnus considers groups on between levels 1 and
1486 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
1487 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
1488 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
1489 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
1490 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (default 9),
1491 completely dead. Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly
1492 the same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what
1493 articles you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and
1494 living groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely
1495 for reasons of efficiency.
1497 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
1498 low levels (eg. 1 or 2).
1500 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
1501 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
1502 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
1504 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
1505 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
1506 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
1507 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
1508 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
1509 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
1510 relevant legal ranges.
1512 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
1513 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
1514 will only move to groups that are of the same level (or lower). In
1515 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
1516 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
1517 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
1520 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
1521 All groups with a level less than or equal to
1522 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
1525 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
1526 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
1527 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
1528 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
1531 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
1532 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
1533 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
1534 use this level as the ``work'' level.
1536 @vindex gnus-activate-level
1537 Gnus will normally just activate groups that are on level
1538 @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to activate
1539 unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable to
1544 @section Group Score
1547 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
1548 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
1549 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
1552 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can assign a score to each
1553 group. You can then sort the group buffer based on this score.
1554 Alternatively, you can sort on score and then level. (Taken together,
1555 the level and the score is called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group
1556 that is on level 4 and has a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group
1557 on level 5 that has a score of 300. (The level is the most significant
1558 part and the score is the least significant part.)
1560 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
1561 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
1562 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
1563 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
1564 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
1565 action after each summary exit, you can add
1566 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
1567 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
1568 slow things down somewhat.
1571 @node Marking Groups
1572 @section Marking Groups
1573 @cindex marking groups
1575 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
1576 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
1577 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
1578 bidding on those groups.
1580 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
1581 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
1582 with the process mark and then execute the command.
1590 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
1591 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
1597 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
1598 Remove the mark from the current group
1599 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
1603 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
1604 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
1608 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
1609 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
1613 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
1614 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
1618 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
1619 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
1620 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
1623 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
1625 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
1626 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
1627 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
1628 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
1629 the command to be executed.
1632 @node Foreign Groups
1633 @section Foreign Groups
1635 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
1636 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
1637 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
1638 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
1645 @findex gnus-group-make-group
1646 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
1647 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
1648 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
1652 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
1653 Rename the current group to something else
1654 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is legal only on some
1655 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
1660 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
1661 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
1662 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
1666 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
1667 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
1668 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
1672 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
1673 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
1674 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
1678 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
1679 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
1680 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
1684 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
1685 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
1689 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
1690 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
1691 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
1692 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
1693 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
1694 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
1695 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
1699 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
1700 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
1701 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
1702 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
1703 @xref{Kibozed Groups}
1707 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
1708 Read an arbitrary directory as if with were a newsgroup with the
1709 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
1710 @xref{Anything Groups}.
1714 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
1715 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
1716 Make a group based on some file or other
1717 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1718 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
1719 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
1720 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs}, and
1721 @code{forward}. If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will
1722 guess at the file type. @xref{Document Groups}.
1726 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
1730 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
1731 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1732 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
1733 search engine type and the search string. Legal search engine types
1734 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
1735 @xref{Web Searches}.
1738 @kindex G DEL (Group)
1739 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
1740 This function will delete the current group
1741 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
1742 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
1743 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
1744 absolutely sure of what you are doing.
1748 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
1749 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
1750 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
1754 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
1755 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
1756 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
1759 @xref{Select Methods} for more information on the various select
1762 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
1763 If the @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
1764 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
1765 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
1766 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers.
1769 @node Group Parameters
1770 @section Group Parameters
1771 @cindex group parameters
1773 Gnus stores all information on a group in a list that is usually known
1774 as the @dfn{group info}. This list has from three to six elements.
1775 Here's an example info.
1778 ("nnml:mail.ding" 3 ((1 . 232) 244 (256 . 270)) ((tick 246 249))
1779 (nnml "private") ((to-address . "ding@@ifi.uio.no")))
1782 The first element is the @dfn{group name}, as Gnus knows the group,
1783 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
1784 normally is a small integer. The third element is a list of ranges of
1785 read articles. The fourth element is a list of lists of article marks
1786 of various kinds. The fifth element is the select method (or virtual
1787 server, if you like). The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group
1788 parameters}, which is what this section is about.
1790 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
1791 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
1792 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
1794 The group parameters store information local to a particular group:
1799 If the group parameter list contains an element that looks like
1800 @code{(to-address . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used by
1801 the backend when doing followups and posts. This is primarily useful in
1802 mail groups that represent closed mailing lists---mailing lists where
1803 it's expected that everybody that writes to the mailing list is
1804 subscribed to it. Since using this parameter ensures that the mail only
1805 goes to the mailing list itself, it means that members won't receive two
1806 copies of your followups.
1808 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
1809 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
1810 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
1811 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
1812 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
1813 list address instead.
1817 If the group parameter list has an element that looks like
1818 @code{(to-list . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used when
1819 doing a @kbd{a} in any group. It is totally ignored when doing a
1820 followup---except that if it is present in a news group, you'll get mail
1821 group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
1823 @item broken-reply-to
1824 @cindex broken-reply-to
1825 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
1826 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
1827 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
1828 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
1829 broken behavior. So there!
1833 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
1834 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
1838 If this symbol is present in the group parameter list and set to
1839 @code{t}, new composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current
1840 group. If it is present and set to @code{none}, no @code{Gcc:} header
1841 will be generated, if it is present and a string, this string will be
1842 inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header (this symbol takes precedence over
1843 any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later).
1847 If this symbol is present in the group parameter list, all articles that
1848 are read will be marked as expirable. For an alternative approach,
1849 @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
1852 @cindex total-expire
1853 If this symbol is present, all read articles will be put through the
1854 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
1859 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
1860 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
1861 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
1862 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
1863 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
1864 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
1867 @cindex score file group parameter
1868 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
1869 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. This
1870 means that all score commands you issue will end up in that file.
1873 @cindex adapt file group parameter
1874 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
1875 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
1876 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
1879 When unsubscribing to a mailing list you should never send the
1880 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
1881 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
1882 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
1885 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} says which articles to
1886 display on entering the group. Legal values are:
1890 Display all articles, both read and unread.
1893 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
1898 This parameter allows you to enter a arbitrary comment on the group.
1900 @item @var{(variable form)}
1901 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
1902 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
1903 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
1904 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
1905 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
1906 @code{eval}ed there.
1908 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
1909 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
1910 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
1911 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
1912 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
1916 Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group.
1918 Also @xref{Topic Parameters}.
1921 @node Listing Groups
1922 @section Listing Groups
1923 @cindex group listing
1925 These commands all list various slices of the groups that are available.
1933 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
1934 List all groups that have unread articles
1935 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
1936 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
1937 only lists groups of level five or lower (i.e., just subscribed groups).
1943 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
1944 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
1945 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
1946 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
1947 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
1948 unsubscribed groups).
1952 @findex gnus-group-list-level
1953 List all unread groups on a specific level
1954 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
1955 with no unread articles.
1959 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
1960 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
1961 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
1962 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
1967 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
1968 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
1972 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
1973 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
1974 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
1978 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
1979 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
1983 @findex gnus-group-list-active
1984 List absolutely all groups that are in the active file(s) of the
1985 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
1986 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
1987 to do a @kbd{A m} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
1988 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list group that
1989 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they are killed groups.
1990 Take the output with some grains of salt.
1994 @findex gnus-group-apropos
1995 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
1996 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2000 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2001 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2002 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2006 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2007 @cindex visible group parameter
2008 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2009 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2010 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2011 get the same effect.
2013 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2014 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2015 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2016 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2017 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2020 @node Sorting Groups
2021 @section Sorting Groups
2022 @cindex sorting groups
2024 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2025 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2026 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2027 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2028 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2029 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2034 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2035 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2036 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2038 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2039 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2040 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2042 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2043 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2044 Sort by group level.
2046 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2047 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2048 Sort by group score.
2050 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2051 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2052 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2053 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}.
2055 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2056 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2057 Sort by number of unread articles.
2059 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2060 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2061 Sort by alphabetically on the select method.
2066 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2067 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2071 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2072 some sorting criteria:
2076 @kindex G S a (Group)
2077 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2078 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2079 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2082 @kindex G S u (Group)
2083 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2084 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2085 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2088 @kindex G S l (Group)
2089 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2090 Sort the group buffer by group level
2091 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2094 @kindex G S v (Group)
2095 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2096 Sort the group buffer by group score
2097 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}).
2100 @kindex G S r (Group)
2101 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2102 Sort the group buffer by group level
2103 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}).
2106 @kindex G S m (Group)
2107 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2108 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2109 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2113 When given a prefix, all these commands will sort in reverse order.
2115 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
2119 @kindex G P a (Group)
2120 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
2121 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
2122 group name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
2125 @kindex G P u (Group)
2126 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
2127 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by the number of
2128 unread articles (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
2131 @kindex G P l (Group)
2132 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
2133 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group level
2134 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
2137 @kindex G P v (Group)
2138 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
2139 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group score
2140 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}).
2143 @kindex G P r (Group)
2144 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
2145 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group level
2146 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}).
2149 @kindex G P m (Group)
2150 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
2151 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
2152 backend name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
2158 @node Group Maintenance
2159 @section Group Maintenance
2160 @cindex bogus groups
2165 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
2166 Find bogus groups and delete them
2167 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
2171 @findex gnus-find-new-newsgroups
2172 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-find-new-newsgroups}). If
2173 given a prefix, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server for
2177 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
2178 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
2179 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
2180 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
2183 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
2184 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
2185 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
2186 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
2191 @node Browse Foreign Server
2192 @section Browse Foreign Server
2193 @cindex foreign servers
2194 @cindex browsing servers
2199 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
2200 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
2201 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
2202 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
2205 @findex gnus-browse-mode
2206 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
2207 will be use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit
2208 (well, a lot) like a normal group buffer, but with one major difference
2209 - you can't enter any of the groups. If you want to read any of the
2210 news available on that server, you have to subscribe to the groups you
2211 think may be interesting, and then you have to exit this buffer. The
2212 new groups will be added to the group buffer, and then you can read them
2213 as you would any other group.
2215 Future versions of Gnus may possibly permit reading groups straight from
2218 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
2223 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2224 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2228 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2229 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2232 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
2233 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
2234 Enter the current group and display the first article
2235 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
2238 @kindex RET (Browse)
2239 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
2240 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
2244 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
2245 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
2246 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2252 @findex gnus-browse-exit
2253 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
2257 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
2258 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
2259 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
2264 @section Exiting Gnus
2265 @cindex exiting Gnus
2267 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
2272 @findex gnus-group-suspend
2273 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
2274 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
2275 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
2279 @findex gnus-group-exit
2280 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
2284 @findex gnus-group-quit
2285 Quit Gnus without saving any startup files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
2288 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
2289 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
2290 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
2291 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
2292 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
2297 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
2298 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
2299 trying to customize meta-variables.
2304 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, feels her feet go
2305 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
2306 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
2312 @section Group Topics
2315 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
2316 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
2317 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
2318 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
2319 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
2320 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
2322 @findex gnus-topic-mode
2324 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
2325 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
2326 is a toggling command.)
2328 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
2329 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
2330 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
2331 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
2334 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
2335 the hook for the group mode:
2338 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
2342 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
2343 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
2344 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
2345 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
2346 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
2350 @node Topic Variables
2351 @subsection Topic Variables
2352 @cindex topic variables
2354 Now, if you select a topic, if will fold/unfold that topic, which is
2355 really neat, I think.
2357 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
2358 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
2359 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
2372 Number of groups in the topic.
2374 Number of unread articles in the topic.
2376 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
2379 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
2380 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
2381 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
2382 The default is @code{2}.
2384 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
2385 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
2387 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
2388 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
2389 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
2392 @node Topic Commands
2393 @subsection Topic Commands
2394 @cindex topic commands
2396 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
2397 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
2398 definitions slightly.
2404 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
2405 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
2406 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
2410 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
2411 Move the current group to some other topic
2412 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2413 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2417 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
2418 Copy the current group to some other topic
2419 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2420 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2424 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
2425 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
2426 This command uses the process/prefix convention
2427 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2431 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
2432 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2433 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
2437 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
2438 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2439 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
2443 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
2444 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
2445 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
2448 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
2449 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
2450 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
2451 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
2455 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
2457 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
2458 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
2459 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
2460 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
2461 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
2462 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
2465 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
2466 @findex gnus-topic-indent
2467 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
2468 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
2469 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
2473 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
2474 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}).
2478 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
2479 Yank the previously killed group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}).
2480 Note that all topics will be yanked before all groups.
2484 @findex gnus-topic-rename
2485 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
2488 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
2489 @findex gnus-topic-delete
2490 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
2494 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
2495 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
2496 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
2500 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
2501 @cindex group parameters
2502 @cindex topic parameters
2504 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
2505 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
2511 @subsection Topic Sorting
2512 @cindex topic sorting
2514 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
2520 @kindex T S a (Topic)
2521 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2522 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
2523 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2526 @kindex T S u (Topic)
2527 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
2528 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
2529 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2532 @kindex T S l (Topic)
2533 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
2534 Sort the current topic by group level
2535 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
2538 @kindex T S v (Topic)
2539 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
2540 Sort the current topic by group score
2541 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}).
2544 @kindex T S r (Topic)
2545 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
2546 Sort the current topic by group level
2547 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}).
2550 @kindex T S m (Topic)
2551 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
2552 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
2553 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
2557 @xref{Sorting Groups} for more information about group sorting.
2560 @node Topic Topology
2561 @subsection Topic Topology
2562 @cindex topic topology
2565 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
2571 2: alt.religion.emacs
2574 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2576 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2577 13: comp.sources.unix
2580 So, here we have one top-level topic, two topics under that, and one
2581 sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always just one (1)
2582 top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as follows:
2586 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
2587 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
2591 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
2592 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
2593 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
2594 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
2595 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
2596 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
2598 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
2599 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
2600 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
2603 @node Topic Parameters
2604 @subsection Topic Parameters
2606 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
2607 ancestor) topic parameters. All legal group parameters are legal topic
2608 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
2610 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
2611 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
2612 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
2613 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
2619 2: alt.religion.emacs
2623 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2625 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2626 13: comp.sources.unix
2630 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
2631 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
2632 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
2633 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
2634 @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
2635 . "religion.SCORE")}.
2637 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
2638 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
2639 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
2640 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
2641 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
2643 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
2644 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
2645 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
2646 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
2647 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
2648 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
2649 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
2650 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
2653 @node Misc Group Stuff
2654 @section Misc Group Stuff
2657 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
2658 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
2659 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
2666 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
2667 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}). @xref{The
2672 @findex gnus-group-post-news
2673 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). The current
2674 group name will be used as the default.
2678 @findex gnus-group-mail
2679 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
2683 Variables for the group buffer:
2687 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
2688 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
2689 @code{gnus-group-mode-hook} is called after the group buffer has been
2692 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
2693 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
2694 @code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} is called after the group buffer is
2695 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
2698 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2699 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2700 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
2701 whether they are empty or not.
2706 @node Scanning New Messages
2707 @subsection Scanning New Messages
2708 @cindex new messages
2709 @cindex scanning new news
2715 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
2716 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
2717 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
2718 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
2719 command will force a total rereading of the active file(s) from the
2724 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
2725 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
2726 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
2727 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
2728 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
2729 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
2731 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
2732 @cindex activating groups
2734 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
2735 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
2740 @findex gnus-group-restart
2741 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}).
2745 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
2746 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
2748 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
2749 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
2753 @node Group Information
2754 @subsection Group Information
2755 @cindex group information
2756 @cindex information on groups
2762 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
2763 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
2766 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
2767 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
2768 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
2769 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
2770 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
2771 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} will be used for fetching
2774 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
2775 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
2779 @cindex describing groups
2780 @cindex group description
2781 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
2782 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
2783 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
2787 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
2788 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
2789 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
2794 @findex gnus-version
2795 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
2799 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
2800 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
2803 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
2806 @findex gnus-info-find-node
2807 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
2812 @subsection File Commands
2813 @cindex file commands
2819 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
2820 @vindex gnus-init-file
2821 @cindex reading init file
2822 Read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
2823 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
2827 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
2828 @cindex saving .newsrc
2829 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
2830 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
2831 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
2834 @c @kindex Z (Group)
2835 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
2836 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
2841 @node The Summary Buffer
2842 @chapter The Summary Buffer
2843 @cindex summary buffer
2845 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
2846 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
2849 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
2850 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
2851 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
2852 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
2853 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
2854 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
2855 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
2856 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
2857 * Threading:: How threads are made.
2858 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
2859 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
2860 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
2861 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
2862 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
2863 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
2864 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
2865 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
2866 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
2867 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
2868 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
2869 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
2870 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
2871 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
2872 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
2873 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
2874 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
2878 @node Summary Buffer Format
2879 @section Summary Buffer Format
2880 @cindex summary buffer format
2883 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
2884 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
2885 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
2888 @findex mail-extract-address-components
2889 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
2890 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
2891 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
2892 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
2893 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined function exist:
2894 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
2895 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
2896 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
2897 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
2898 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead.
2900 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
2901 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
2902 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
2903 with those specs that require it. The default is @samp{}.
2906 @node Summary Buffer Lines
2907 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
2909 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
2910 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
2911 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
2912 lines a a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
2913 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
2915 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
2917 The following format specification characters are understood:
2925 Subject if the article is the root or the previous article had a
2926 different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
2927 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @samp{}.)
2929 Full @code{From} header.
2931 The name (from the @code{From} header).
2933 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
2934 spec in that it uses @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is
2935 slower, but may be more thorough.
2937 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
2940 Number of lines in the article.
2942 Number of characters in the article.
2944 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
2946 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
2947 pushes everything after it off the screen).
2949 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{\[}, but can also be @samp{<}
2950 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
2952 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{\]}, but can also be @samp{>}
2953 for adopted articles.
2955 One space for each thread level.
2957 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
2965 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
2966 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
2967 default level. If the difference between
2968 @code{gnus-summary-default-level} and the score is less than
2969 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
2977 The @code{Date} in @code{YY-MMM} format.
2979 The @code{Date} in @code{YYYYMMDDTHHMMSS} format.
2985 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
2986 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
2988 A single character will be displayed if the article has any children.
2992 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
2993 be a letter. @sc{gnus} will call the function
2994 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
2995 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
2996 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
2997 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
3000 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
3001 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
3002 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
3003 that. This means that it is illegal to have these specs after a
3004 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
3005 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
3007 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
3008 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
3010 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
3013 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
3014 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
3016 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
3017 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar. Set
3018 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you like. Here are the
3019 elements you can play with:
3025 Unprefixed group name.
3027 Current article number.
3031 Number of unread articles in this group.
3033 Number of unselected articles in this group.
3035 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
3036 either as @samp{<%U(+%u) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
3037 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
3038 and no unselected ones.
3040 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
3041 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
3043 Subject of the current article.
3047 Name of the current score file.
3049 Number of dormant articles.
3051 Number of ticked articles.
3053 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
3055 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
3059 @node Summary Highlighting
3060 @subsection Summary Highlighting
3064 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3065 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3066 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
3067 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
3068 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3070 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
3071 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
3072 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
3073 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3075 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
3076 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
3077 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) that is used to
3078 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
3080 @item gnus-summary-highlight
3081 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
3082 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
3083 list where the elements are on the format @code{(FORM . FACE)}. If you
3084 would, for instance, like ticked articles to be italic and high-scored
3085 articles to be bold, you could set this variable to something like
3087 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
3088 ((> score default) . bold))
3090 As you may have guessed, if @var{FORM} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
3091 @var{FACE} will be applied to the line.
3095 @node Summary Maneuvering
3096 @section Summary Maneuvering
3097 @cindex summary movement
3099 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
3100 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
3102 None of these commands select articles.
3107 @kindex M-n (Summary)
3108 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
3109 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
3110 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
3111 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
3115 @kindex M-p (Summary)
3116 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
3117 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
3118 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
3119 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
3124 @kindex G j (Summary)
3125 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
3126 Ask for an article number and then go that article
3127 (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
3130 @kindex G g (Summary)
3131 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
3132 Ask for an article number and then go the summary line of that article
3133 (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
3136 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
3137 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
3138 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
3139 to the group buffer.
3141 Variables related to summary movement:
3145 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
3146 @item gnus-auto-select-next
3147 If you are at the end of the group and issue one of the movement
3148 commands, Gnus will offer to go to the next group. If this variable is
3149 @code{t} and the next group is empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and
3150 return to the group buffer. If this variable is neither @code{t} nor
3151 @code{nil}, Gnus will select the next group, no matter whether it has
3152 any unread articles or not. As a special case, if this variable is
3153 @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
3154 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same will
3155 happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
3156 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
3157 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
3158 @pxref{Group Levels}.
3160 @item gnus-auto-select-same
3161 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
3162 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
3163 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
3164 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
3165 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) This variable is not
3166 particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
3168 @item gnus-summary-check-current
3169 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
3170 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
3171 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
3172 Instead, they will choose the current article.
3174 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
3175 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
3176 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
3177 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
3178 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
3179 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
3180 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
3181 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
3187 @node Choosing Articles
3188 @section Choosing Articles
3189 @cindex selecting articles
3191 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
3192 and they all select and display an article.
3196 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3197 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3198 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
3199 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3204 @kindex G n (Summary)
3205 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
3206 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
3211 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
3212 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
3217 @kindex G N (Summary)
3218 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
3219 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
3224 @kindex G P (Summary)
3225 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
3226 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
3229 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
3230 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
3231 Go to the next article with the same subject
3232 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
3235 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
3236 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
3237 Go to the previous article with the same subject
3238 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
3242 @kindex G f (Summary)
3244 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
3245 Go to the first unread article
3246 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
3250 @kindex G b (Summary)
3252 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
3253 Go to the article with the highest score
3254 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
3259 @kindex G l (Summary)
3260 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
3261 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
3264 @kindex G p (Summary)
3265 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
3266 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
3267 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
3268 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
3269 history as you like.
3272 Some variables that are relevant for moving and selecting articles:
3275 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3276 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3277 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
3278 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
3279 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
3280 the server and display it in the article buffer.
3282 @item gnus-select-article-hook
3283 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
3284 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
3285 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
3287 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
3288 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
3289 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
3290 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
3291 @findex gnus-unread-mark
3292 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
3293 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
3294 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
3295 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
3296 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
3297 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
3298 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
3299 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
3300 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
3305 @node Paging the Article
3306 @section Scrolling the Article
3307 @cindex article scrolling
3312 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3313 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3314 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
3315 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
3316 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3319 @kindex DEL (Summary)
3320 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
3321 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
3324 @kindex RET (Summary)
3325 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
3326 Scroll the current article one line forward
3327 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
3331 @kindex A g (Summary)
3333 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
3334 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
3335 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
3336 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
3337 the way it came from the server.
3342 @kindex A < (Summary)
3343 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
3344 Scroll to the beginning of the article
3345 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
3350 @kindex A > (Summary)
3351 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
3352 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
3355 @kindex A s (Summary)
3356 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
3357 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
3358 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
3363 @node Reply Followup and Post
3364 @section Reply, Followup and Post
3367 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
3368 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
3372 @node Summary Mail Commands
3373 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
3375 @cindex composing mail
3377 Commands for composing a mail message:
3383 @kindex S r (Summary)
3385 @findex gnus-summary-reply
3386 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
3387 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
3392 @kindex S R (Summary)
3393 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
3394 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
3395 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
3396 command uses the process/prefix convention.
3399 @kindex S o m (Summary)
3400 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
3401 Forward the current article to some other person
3402 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}).
3405 @kindex S o p (Summary)
3406 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
3407 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
3408 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
3413 @kindex S m (Summary)
3414 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
3415 Send a mail to some other person
3416 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
3419 @kindex S D b (Summary)
3420 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
3421 @cindex bouncing mail
3422 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
3423 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
3424 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
3425 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
3426 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
3427 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
3428 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
3429 very well fail, though.
3432 @kindex S D r (Summary)
3433 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
3434 Not to be confused with the previous command,
3435 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
3436 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
3437 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
3438 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
3439 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
3440 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
3441 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
3443 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
3444 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
3445 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
3446 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
3447 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
3450 @kindex S O m (Summary)
3451 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
3452 Digest the current series and forward the result using mail
3453 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
3454 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3457 @kindex S O p (Summary)
3458 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
3459 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
3460 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}).
3463 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
3464 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
3465 @cindex crossposting
3466 @cindex excessive crossposting
3467 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
3468 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
3470 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
3471 This command is provided as a way to fight back agains the current
3472 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
3473 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
3474 command understands the process/prefix convention
3475 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
3480 @node Summary Post Commands
3481 @subsection Summary Post Commands
3483 @cindex composing news
3485 Commands for posting an article:
3491 @kindex S p (Summary)
3492 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
3493 Post an article to the current group
3494 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
3499 @kindex S f (Summary)
3500 @findex gnus-summary-followup
3501 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
3505 @kindex S F (Summary)
3507 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
3508 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
3509 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
3510 process/prefix convention.
3513 @kindex S u (Summary)
3514 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
3515 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
3516 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
3520 @node Canceling and Superseding
3521 @section Canceling Articles
3522 @cindex canceling articles
3523 @cindex superseding articles
3525 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
3526 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
3528 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
3530 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
3532 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
3533 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
3534 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
3535 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
3537 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
3538 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
3541 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
3542 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
3543 your original article.
3545 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
3547 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
3548 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
3549 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
3552 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
3553 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
3554 have posted almost the same article twice.
3556 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
3557 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
3558 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
3559 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*post-buf*}). There you will
3560 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
3561 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
3562 header by substituting one of those words for @code{Message-ID}. Then
3563 just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as you would do normally.
3564 The previous article will be canceled/superseded.
3566 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
3569 @node Marking Articles
3570 @section Marking Articles
3571 @cindex article marking
3572 @cindex article ticking
3575 There are several marks you can set on an article.
3577 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
3578 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
3579 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
3581 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
3584 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
3585 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
3586 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
3590 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
3594 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
3595 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
3599 @node Unread Articles
3600 @subsection Unread Articles
3602 The following marks mark articles as unread, in one form or other.
3604 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
3605 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
3608 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
3609 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
3610 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
3611 tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
3612 article forever, you'll have to save it. Ticked articles have a
3613 @samp{!} (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}) in the first column.
3616 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
3617 A @dfn{dormant} article is marked with a @samp{?}
3618 (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}), and will only appear in the summary buffer
3619 if there are followups to it.
3622 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
3623 An @dfn{unread} article is marked with a @samp{SPACE}
3624 (@code{gnus-unread-mark}). These are articles that haven't been read at
3630 @subsection Read Articles
3631 @cindex expirable mark
3633 All the following marks mark articles as read.
3638 @vindex gnus-del-mark
3639 Articles that are marked as read. They have a @samp{r}
3640 (@code{gnus-del-mark}) in the first column. These are articles that the
3641 user has marked as read more or less manually.
3644 @vindex gnus-read-mark
3645 Articles that are actually read are marked with @samp{R}
3646 (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
3649 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
3650 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions are now
3651 @dfn{old} and marked with @samp{O} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
3654 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
3655 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
3658 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
3659 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
3662 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
3663 Marked as read by having a too low score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
3666 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
3667 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
3670 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
3671 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
3674 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
3675 @sc{SOUP}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}
3678 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
3679 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
3683 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
3684 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
3685 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}
3689 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
3690 They are interpreted differently by the adaptive scoring scheme,
3693 One more special mark, though:
3697 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
3698 You can also mark articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as
3699 such automatically). That doesn't make much sense in normal groups,
3700 because a user does not control the expiring of news articles, but in
3701 mail groups, for instance, articles that are marked as @dfn{expirable}
3702 can be deleted by Gnus at any time. Expirable articles are marked with
3703 @samp{E} (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
3708 @subsection Other Marks
3709 @cindex process mark
3712 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
3718 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
3719 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
3720 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
3721 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
3722 encounters the article.
3725 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
3726 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
3727 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
3728 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
3731 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
3732 Articles that are stored in the article cache will be marked with an
3733 @samp{*} in the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}).
3736 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
3737 Articles that are ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
3738 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
3739 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}.
3742 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
3743 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
3744 It the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
3745 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
3746 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
3749 @vindex gnus-process-mark
3750 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}. A
3751 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
3752 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
3753 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
3754 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
3758 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
3759 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
3760 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
3762 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
3763 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
3764 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
3768 @subsection Setting Marks
3769 @cindex setting marks
3771 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
3777 @kindex M t (Summary)
3778 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
3779 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
3784 @kindex M ? (Summary)
3785 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
3786 Mark the current article as dormant
3787 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}).
3791 @kindex M d (Summary)
3793 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
3794 Mark the current article as read
3795 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
3799 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
3800 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
3801 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
3806 @kindex M k (Summary)
3807 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
3808 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
3809 and then select the next unread article
3810 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
3814 @kindex M K (Summary)
3815 @kindex C-k (Summary)
3816 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
3817 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
3818 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
3821 @kindex M C (Summary)
3822 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
3823 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
3826 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
3827 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
3828 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
3829 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
3832 @kindex M H (Summary)
3833 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
3834 Catchup the current group to point
3835 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
3838 @kindex C-w (Summary)
3839 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
3840 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
3841 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
3844 @kindex M V k (Summary)
3845 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
3846 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
3847 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
3851 @kindex M c (Summary)
3852 @kindex M-u (Summary)
3853 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
3854 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
3855 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}).
3859 @kindex M e (Summary)
3861 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
3862 Mark the current article as expirable
3863 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
3866 @kindex M b (Summary)
3867 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
3868 Set a bookmark in the current article
3869 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
3872 @kindex M B (Summary)
3873 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
3874 Remove the bookmark from the current article
3875 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
3878 @kindex M V c (Summary)
3879 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
3880 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
3881 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
3884 @kindex M V u (Summary)
3885 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
3886 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
3887 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
3890 @kindex M V m (Summary)
3891 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
3892 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
3893 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
3894 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
3897 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
3898 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
3899 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
3900 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
3901 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
3902 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
3903 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
3904 The default is @code{t}.
3907 @node Setting Process Marks
3908 @subsection Setting Process Marks
3909 @cindex setting process marks
3916 @kindex M P p (Summary)
3917 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
3918 Mark the current article with the process mark
3919 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
3920 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
3924 @kindex M P u (Summary)
3925 @kindex M-# (Summary)
3926 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
3927 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
3930 @kindex M P U (Summary)
3931 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
3932 Remove the process mark from all articles
3933 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
3936 @kindex M P i (Summary)
3937 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
3938 Invert the list of process marked articles
3939 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
3942 @kindex M P R (Summary)
3943 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
3944 Mark articles by a regular expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
3947 @kindex M P r (Summary)
3948 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
3949 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
3952 @kindex M P t (Summary)
3953 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
3954 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
3955 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
3958 @kindex M P T (Summary)
3959 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
3960 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
3961 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
3964 @kindex M P v (Summary)
3965 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
3966 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
3967 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
3970 @kindex M P s (Summary)
3971 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
3972 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
3975 @kindex M P S (Summary)
3976 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
3977 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
3978 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
3981 @kindex M P a (Summary)
3982 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
3983 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
3986 @kindex M P b (Summary)
3987 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
3988 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
3989 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
3992 @kindex M P k (Summary)
3993 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
3994 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
3995 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
3998 @kindex M P y (Summary)
3999 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
4000 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
4001 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
4004 @kindex M P w (Summary)
4005 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
4006 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
4007 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
4016 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
4017 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
4018 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
4025 @kindex / / (Summary)
4026 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
4027 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
4028 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
4031 @kindex / a (Summary)
4032 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
4033 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
4034 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
4038 @kindex / u (Summary)
4040 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
4041 Limit the summary buffer to articles that are not marked as read
4042 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
4043 buffer to articles that are strictly unread. This means that ticked and
4044 dormant articles will also be excluded.
4047 @kindex / m (Summary)
4048 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
4049 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have not been marked
4050 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
4053 @kindex / n (Summary)
4054 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
4055 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
4056 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
4057 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4060 @kindex / w (Summary)
4061 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
4062 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
4063 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
4067 @kindex / v (Summary)
4068 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
4069 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
4070 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
4074 @kindex M S (Summary)
4075 @kindex / E (Summary)
4076 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
4077 Display all expunged articles
4078 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
4081 @kindex / D (Summary)
4082 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
4083 Display all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
4086 @kindex / d (Summary)
4087 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
4088 Hide all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
4091 @kindex / c (Summary)
4092 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
4093 Hide all dormant articles that have no children
4094 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
4097 @kindex / C (Summary)
4098 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
4099 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
4100 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
4101 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
4109 @cindex article threading
4111 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put replies to
4112 articles directly after the articles they reply to---in a hierarchical
4116 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
4117 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
4121 @node Customizing Threading
4122 @subsection Customizing Threading
4123 @cindex customizing threading
4129 @item gnus-show-threads
4130 @vindex gnus-show-threads
4131 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
4132 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
4133 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
4134 slower and more awkward.
4136 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
4137 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
4138 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
4139 more old headers---headers to articles that are marked as read. If you
4140 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
4141 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
4142 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
4143 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
4144 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
4145 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
4146 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
4147 expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
4149 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
4150 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
4151 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
4152 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
4153 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
4154 articles that belong in the same thread together. This will leave
4155 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
4156 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
4157 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
4158 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
4159 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
4160 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
4161 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
4162 @code{nil} by default.
4164 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4165 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4166 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
4167 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
4168 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
4169 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
4170 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subjects lines. If
4171 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
4172 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
4173 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
4174 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
4176 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
4177 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
4178 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects.
4180 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4181 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4182 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
4183 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
4184 simplification is used.
4186 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4187 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4188 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
4189 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
4191 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
4193 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4199 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
4200 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
4201 "answer" "reference" "announce"
4202 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
4207 (mapconcat 'identity
4208 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
4210 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
4213 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
4216 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4217 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4218 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
4219 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
4220 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
4221 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
4222 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process. The
4223 default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
4225 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4226 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4227 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
4228 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
4229 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
4230 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
4231 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever includes unrelated
4232 articles, but it's also means that people who have posted with broken
4233 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
4237 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4238 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4239 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
4240 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
4242 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4243 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4244 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
4247 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
4251 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4252 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
4255 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
4256 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
4257 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
4258 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
4259 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
4260 read or killed the root in a previous session.
4262 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
4263 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
4264 There are four possible values:
4266 @cindex adopting articles
4271 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
4272 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
4273 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
4274 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
4277 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
4278 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
4279 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
4280 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
4281 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
4282 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
4283 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
4286 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
4287 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
4288 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
4292 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
4293 display them after one another.
4296 Don't gather loose threads.
4299 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4300 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4301 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
4304 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
4305 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
4306 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
4309 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4310 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4311 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
4312 this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
4313 is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
4316 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
4317 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
4318 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
4319 The default is @code{4}.
4323 @node Thread Commands
4324 @subsection Thread Commands
4325 @cindex thread commands
4331 @kindex T k (Summary)
4332 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
4333 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
4334 Mark all articles in the current sub-thread as read
4335 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
4336 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
4341 @kindex T l (Summary)
4342 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
4343 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
4344 Lower the score of the current thread
4345 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
4348 @kindex T i (Summary)
4349 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
4350 Increase the score of the current thread
4351 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
4354 @kindex T # (Summary)
4355 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4356 Set the process mark on the current thread
4357 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4360 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
4361 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4362 Remove the process mark from the current thread
4363 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4366 @kindex T T (Summary)
4367 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
4368 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
4371 @kindex T s (Summary)
4372 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
4373 Expose the thread hidden under the current article, if any
4374 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
4377 @kindex T h (Summary)
4378 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
4379 Hide the current (sub)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
4382 @kindex T S (Summary)
4383 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
4384 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
4387 @kindex T H (Summary)
4388 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
4389 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
4392 @kindex T t (Summary)
4393 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
4394 Re-thread the thread the current article is part of
4395 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
4396 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
4399 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
4400 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
4401 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
4402 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}.
4406 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
4407 understand the numeric prefix.
4412 @kindex T n (Summary)
4413 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
4414 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
4417 @kindex T p (Summary)
4418 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
4419 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
4422 @kindex T d (Summary)
4423 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
4424 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
4427 @kindex T u (Summary)
4428 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
4429 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
4432 @kindex T o (Summary)
4433 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
4434 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
4437 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
4438 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
4439 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
4440 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
4441 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
4442 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
4443 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If is
4444 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
4445 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
4446 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
4447 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
4448 that have subjects that are fuzzily equal will be included.
4454 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
4455 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
4456 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
4457 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
4458 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
4459 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
4460 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
4461 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
4462 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which is a list of functions.
4463 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
4464 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
4465 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
4466 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
4467 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
4469 Each function takes two threads and return non-@code{nil} if the first
4470 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
4471 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread. If you use
4472 more than one function, the primary sort key should be the last function
4473 in the list. You should probably always include
4474 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
4475 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
4476 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
4477 ascending article order.
4479 If you would like to sort by score, then by subject, and finally by
4480 number, you could do something like:
4483 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
4484 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
4485 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
4486 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
4489 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
4490 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
4491 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
4492 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
4493 which the articles arrived.
4495 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
4499 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
4501 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
4502 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
4505 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
4506 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
4507 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
4508 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
4511 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
4512 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
4513 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
4514 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
4515 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
4516 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
4517 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
4518 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
4519 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
4520 is uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
4521 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
4522 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
4523 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
4525 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
4529 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
4530 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
4531 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
4536 @node Asynchronous Fetching
4537 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
4538 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
4540 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
4541 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
4542 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
4543 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
4544 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
4546 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
4547 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
4549 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
4550 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
4551 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
4552 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
4553 connection is blocked.
4555 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
4556 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
4557 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
4558 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
4560 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
4561 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
4562 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
4563 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
4566 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
4569 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
4570 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
4571 happen automatically.
4573 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
4574 You can control how many articles that are to be pre-fetched by setting
4575 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
4576 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
4577 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
4578 pre-fetch all the articles that it can without bound. If it is
4579 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be made.
4581 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
4582 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
4583 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
4584 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
4588 Remove articles when they are read.
4591 Remove articles when exiting the group.
4594 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
4596 @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
4597 If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
4598 from the next group.
4601 @node Article Caching
4602 @section Article Caching
4603 @cindex article caching
4606 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
4607 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
4608 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
4609 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
4610 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
4612 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
4614 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
4615 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
4616 @vindex gnus-use-cache
4617 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
4618 all articles that are ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
4619 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
4620 cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
4621 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
4623 When re-select a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
4624 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
4625 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
4626 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
4627 as dormant, and don't worry.
4629 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
4631 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
4632 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
4633 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
4634 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
4635 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
4636 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
4637 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
4638 articles that are marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
4639 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
4640 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
4642 @findex gnus-jog-cache
4643 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
4644 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
4645 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, and store them in
4646 the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this command if 1)
4647 your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really, really slow
4648 and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk. Seriously.
4650 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
4651 It is likely that you do not want caching on some groups. For instance,
4652 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
4653 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
4654 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space. To limit the caching,
4655 you could set the @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to
4656 @samp{^nnml}, for instance. This variable is @code{nil} by
4659 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
4660 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
4661 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
4662 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
4663 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
4664 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
4665 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
4666 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
4667 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
4671 @node Persistent Articles
4672 @section Persistent Articles
4673 @cindex persistent articles
4675 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
4676 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
4677 useful in my opinion.
4679 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
4680 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
4681 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
4682 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
4683 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
4684 the expiry going on at the news server.
4686 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
4687 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
4688 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
4694 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
4695 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
4698 @kindex M-* (Summary)
4699 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
4700 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
4701 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
4705 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
4707 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
4708 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
4709 interested in persistent articles:
4712 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
4716 @node Article Backlog
4717 @section Article Backlog
4719 @cindex article backlog
4721 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
4722 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
4723 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
4724 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
4725 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
4726 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
4727 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
4728 increase memory usage some.
4730 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
4731 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
4732 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
4733 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
4734 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
4735 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
4736 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
4738 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
4741 @node Saving Articles
4742 @section Saving Articles
4743 @cindex saving articles
4745 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
4746 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
4747 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
4748 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
4749 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
4751 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
4752 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
4753 unwanted headers before saving the article.
4755 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
4756 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
4757 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
4758 deleted before saving.
4764 @kindex O o (Summary)
4766 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
4767 Save the current article using the default article saver
4768 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
4771 @kindex O m (Summary)
4772 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
4773 Save the current article in mail format
4774 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
4777 @kindex O r (Summary)
4778 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
4779 Save the current article in rmail format
4780 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
4783 @kindex O f (Summary)
4784 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
4785 Save the current article in plain file format
4786 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
4789 @kindex O b (Summary)
4790 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
4791 Save the current article body in plain file format
4792 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
4795 @kindex O h (Summary)
4796 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
4797 Save the current article in mh folder format
4798 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
4801 @kindex O v (Summary)
4802 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
4803 Save the current article in a VM folder
4804 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
4807 @kindex O p (Summary)
4808 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
4809 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
4810 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
4813 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
4814 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
4815 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
4816 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
4817 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
4818 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
4819 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
4820 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
4821 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
4822 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
4823 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
4824 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
4828 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
4829 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
4830 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the four ready-made
4831 functions below, or you can create your own.
4835 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
4836 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
4837 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
4838 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
4839 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
4840 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
4841 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
4843 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
4844 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
4845 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
4846 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
4847 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
4848 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
4850 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
4851 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
4852 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
4853 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
4854 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
4855 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
4856 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
4858 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
4859 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
4860 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
4861 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
4862 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
4864 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
4865 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
4866 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
4867 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
4868 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
4871 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
4872 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
4873 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
4874 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
4875 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}. The former creates capitalized names, and
4876 the latter does not.
4878 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
4879 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
4880 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
4881 reader to use this setting.
4884 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
4885 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
4886 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
4887 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
4890 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
4891 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
4892 available functions that generate names:
4896 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
4897 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
4898 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
4900 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
4901 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
4902 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
4904 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
4905 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
4906 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
4908 @item gnus-plain-save-name
4909 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
4910 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
4913 @vindex gnus-split-methods
4914 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
4915 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
4916 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
4917 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
4921 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
4922 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
4923 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
4924 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
4927 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
4928 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
4929 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
4930 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
4931 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
4932 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
4933 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
4934 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
4935 called returns a string or a list of strings.
4937 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
4938 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
4939 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
4940 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
4942 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
4943 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
4944 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
4947 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
4948 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
4949 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
4950 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
4951 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
4952 all the files in the toplevel directory
4953 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
4954 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
4955 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
4956 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
4958 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
4959 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
4960 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
4961 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
4962 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
4965 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
4969 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
4970 (setq gnus-default-article-save 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
4973 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
4974 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
4975 the toplevel directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
4976 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
4979 @node Decoding Articles
4980 @section Decoding Articles
4981 @cindex decoding articles
4983 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
4984 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
4987 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
4988 * Shared Articles:: Unshar articles.
4989 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
4990 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
4991 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
4994 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
4995 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
4996 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
4997 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
4998 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
5000 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
5001 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
5002 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
5004 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
5005 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
5006 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
5008 Subjects that are nonstandard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
5009 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
5010 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
5013 @node Uuencoded Articles
5014 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
5016 @cindex uuencoded articles
5021 @kindex X u (Summary)
5022 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
5023 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
5026 @kindex X U (Summary)
5027 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
5028 Uudecodes and saves the current series
5029 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5032 @kindex X v u (Summary)
5033 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
5034 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
5037 @kindex X v U (Summary)
5038 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
5039 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
5040 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
5043 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
5044 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
5045 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
5046 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
5047 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5049 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
5050 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
5051 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
5052 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
5055 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
5056 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
5057 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
5058 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
5059 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
5060 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
5064 @node Shared Articles
5065 @subsection Shared Articles
5067 @cindex shared articles
5072 @kindex X s (Summary)
5073 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
5074 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
5077 @kindex X S (Summary)
5078 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
5079 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
5082 @kindex X v s (Summary)
5083 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
5084 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
5087 @kindex X v S (Summary)
5088 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
5089 Unshars, views and saves the current series
5090 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
5094 @node PostScript Files
5095 @subsection PostScript Files
5101 @kindex X p (Summary)
5102 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
5103 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
5106 @kindex X P (Summary)
5107 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
5108 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
5109 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
5112 @kindex X v p (Summary)
5113 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
5114 View the current PostScript series
5115 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
5118 @kindex X v P (Summary)
5119 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
5120 View and save the current PostScript series
5121 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
5125 @node Decoding Variables
5126 @subsection Decoding Variables
5128 Adjective, not verb.
5131 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
5132 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
5133 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
5137 @node Rule Variables
5138 @subsubsection Rule Variables
5139 @cindex rule variables
5141 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
5142 variables are on the form
5145 (list '(regexp1 command2)
5152 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5153 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5155 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
5156 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
5159 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5160 (list '(\"\\\\.au$\" \"sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio\")))
5163 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
5164 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
5165 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
5166 user and default view rules.
5168 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
5169 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
5170 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
5175 @node Other Decode Variables
5176 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
5179 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
5181 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
5182 All functions in this list will be called right each file has been
5183 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
5184 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
5185 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
5189 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
5190 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
5193 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
5194 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
5195 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
5198 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
5199 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
5200 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
5202 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
5203 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
5204 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
5205 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
5206 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
5209 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
5210 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
5211 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
5213 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
5214 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
5215 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
5216 looking for files to display.
5218 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
5219 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
5220 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
5223 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
5224 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
5225 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
5228 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
5229 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
5230 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
5233 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
5234 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
5235 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
5238 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
5239 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
5240 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark articles that were
5241 unsuccessfully decoded as unread.
5243 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
5244 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
5245 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
5246 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
5248 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
5249 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
5251 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
5252 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
5253 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
5254 @code{metamail} for viewing.
5256 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5257 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5258 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
5259 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
5260 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
5261 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC1153---no easy way
5262 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
5263 simply dropped them.
5268 @node Uuencoding and Posting
5269 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
5273 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5274 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5275 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
5276 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
5277 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
5278 for you when you post the article.
5280 @item gnus-uu-post-length
5281 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
5282 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
5283 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
5285 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
5286 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
5287 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
5288 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen are able
5289 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
5290 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
5291 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
5293 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5294 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5295 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
5296 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
5297 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
5298 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
5299 Default is @code{t}.
5305 @subsection Viewing Files
5306 @cindex viewing files
5307 @cindex pseudo-articles
5309 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
5310 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
5311 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
5312 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
5313 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
5314 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
5315 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
5317 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
5318 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
5319 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
5320 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
5322 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
5323 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
5324 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
5326 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
5327 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
5328 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
5329 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
5330 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
5332 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
5333 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
5334 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
5335 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
5336 a list of parameters to that command.
5338 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
5339 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
5340 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
5342 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
5343 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
5344 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
5347 @node Article Treatment
5348 @section Article Treatment
5350 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
5351 object of newsreaders are to actually, like, read what people have
5352 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
5353 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
5354 these articles easier.
5357 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
5358 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
5359 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
5360 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
5361 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
5362 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
5366 @node Article Highlighting
5367 @subsection Article Highlighting
5370 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
5371 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
5376 @kindex W H a (Summary)
5377 @findex gnus-article-highlight
5378 Highlight the current article (@code{gnus-article-highlight}).
5381 @kindex W H h (Summary)
5382 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
5383 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
5384 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
5385 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
5386 variable, which is a list where each element has the form @var{(regexp
5387 name content)}. @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
5388 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name and
5389 @var{content} is the face for highlighting the header value. The first
5390 match made will be used. Note that @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^}
5391 prepended---Gnus will add one.
5394 @kindex W H c (Summary)
5395 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
5396 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
5398 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
5401 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
5403 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
5404 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
5405 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
5407 @item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
5408 @vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
5409 Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
5411 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
5412 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
5413 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
5415 @item gnus-cite-face-list
5416 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
5417 List of faces used for highlighting citations. When there are citations
5418 from multiple articles in the same message, Gnus will try to give each
5419 citation from each article its own face. This should make it easier to
5422 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
5423 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
5424 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
5426 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
5427 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
5428 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
5430 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
5431 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
5432 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
5433 that it's a citation.
5435 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
5436 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
5437 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
5439 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
5440 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
5441 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
5443 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
5444 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
5445 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
5446 cited text belonging to the attribution.
5452 @kindex W H s (Summary)
5453 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
5454 @vindex gnus-signature-face
5455 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
5456 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
5457 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
5458 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
5459 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
5465 @node Article Hiding
5466 @subsection Article Hiding
5467 @cindex article hiding
5469 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
5470 too much cruft in most articles.
5475 @kindex W W a (Summary)
5476 @findex gnus-article-hide
5477 Do maximum hiding on the summary buffer (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}).
5480 @kindex W W h (Summary)
5481 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
5482 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
5486 @kindex W W b (Summary)
5487 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
5488 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
5489 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
5492 @kindex W W s (Summary)
5493 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
5494 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
5498 @kindex W W p (Summary)
5499 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
5500 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}).
5503 @kindex W W P (Summary)
5504 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
5505 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) gruft
5506 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
5509 @kindex W W c (Summary)
5510 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
5511 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
5512 customizing the hiding:
5516 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
5517 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
5518 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
5519 50), hide the cited text.
5521 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
5522 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
5523 The cited text must be have at least this length (default 10) before it
5526 @item gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
5527 @vindex gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
5528 Gnus adds buttons show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
5529 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
5530 by this format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
5535 Start point of the hidden text.
5537 End point of the hidden text.
5539 Length of the hidden text.
5542 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
5543 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
5544 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave shown.
5549 @kindex W W C (Summary)
5550 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
5551 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
5552 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
5553 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
5554 in @code{gnus-article-display-hook} (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
5558 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
5559 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
5560 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
5562 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
5563 citation customization.
5566 @node Article Washing
5567 @subsection Article Washing
5569 @cindex article washing
5571 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
5572 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
5574 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
5575 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
5581 @kindex W l (Summary)
5582 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
5583 Remove page breaks from the current article
5584 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}).
5587 @kindex W r (Summary)
5588 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
5589 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
5590 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
5593 @kindex W t (Summary)
5594 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
5595 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
5596 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
5599 @kindex W v (Summary)
5600 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
5601 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
5602 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
5605 @kindex W m (Summary)
5606 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
5607 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
5608 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
5611 @kindex W o (Summary)
5612 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
5613 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
5616 @kindex W w (Summary)
5617 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
5618 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}). If you use this
5619 function in @code{gnus-article-display-hook}, it should be run fairly
5620 late and certainly after any highlighting.
5623 @kindex W c (Summary)
5624 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
5625 Remove CR (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
5628 @kindex W q (Summary)
5629 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
5630 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
5633 @kindex W f (Summary)
5635 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
5636 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
5637 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
5638 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
5639 Look for and display any X-Face headers
5640 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
5641 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
5642 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
5643 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
5644 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
5645 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
5646 The default action under Emacs is to fork off an @code{xv} to view the
5647 face; under XEmacs the default action is to display the face before the
5648 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
5649 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
5650 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
5651 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends.) If you
5652 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
5656 @kindex W b (Summary)
5657 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
5658 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
5661 @kindex W B (Summary)
5662 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
5663 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
5664 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
5667 @kindex W E l (Summary)
5668 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
5669 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
5670 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
5673 @kindex W E m (Summary)
5674 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
5675 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
5676 lines with a single empty line.
5677 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
5680 @kindex W E t (Summary)
5681 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
5682 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
5683 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
5686 @kindex W E a (Summary)
5687 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
5688 Do all the three commands above
5689 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
5694 @node Article Buttons
5695 @subsection Article Buttons
5698 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
5699 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
5700 with the minimum of fuzz.
5702 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
5703 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
5704 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
5709 @item gnus-button-alist
5710 @vindex gnus-button-alist
5711 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
5714 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
5720 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
5721 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that match embedded URLs:
5722 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
5725 Gnus has to know which parts of the match is to be highlighted. This is
5726 a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp that is to be
5727 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use @code{0} here.
5730 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
5731 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
5732 avoid false matches.
5735 This function will be called when you click on this button.
5738 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
5739 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
5743 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
5746 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
5749 @item gnus-header-button-alist
5750 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
5751 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
5752 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
5753 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
5756 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
5759 @var{header} is a regular expression.
5761 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
5762 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
5763 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
5764 default values of the variables above.
5766 @item gnus-article-button-face
5767 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
5768 Face used on buttons.
5770 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
5771 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
5772 Face is used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
5778 @subsection Article Date
5780 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
5781 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
5782 when the article was sent.
5787 @kindex W T u (Summary)
5788 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
5789 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
5790 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
5793 @kindex W T l (Summary)
5794 @findex gnus-article-date-local
5795 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
5798 @kindex W T e (Summary)
5799 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
5800 Say how much time has (e)lapsed between the article was posted and now
5801 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}).
5804 @kindex W T o (Summary)
5805 @findex gnus-article-date-original
5806 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
5807 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and is
5808 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
5809 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
5810 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
5815 @node Article Signature
5816 @subsection Article Signature
5818 @cindex article signature
5820 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
5821 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
5822 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
5823 that says what is to be considered a signature is
5824 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
5825 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
5826 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
5827 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
5828 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
5831 (setq gnus-signature-separator
5832 '("^-- $" ; The standard
5833 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
5834 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
5835 ; line of dashes. Shame!
5836 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
5837 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
5838 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
5841 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
5844 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
5845 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
5850 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
5853 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
5856 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
5857 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
5859 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
5860 in question is not a signature.
5863 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
5867 @node Summary Sorting
5868 @section Summary Sorting
5869 @cindex summary sorting
5871 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
5872 can't really see why you'd want that.
5877 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
5878 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
5879 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
5882 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
5883 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
5884 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
5887 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
5888 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
5889 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
5892 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
5893 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
5894 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
5897 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
5898 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
5899 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
5902 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
5903 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
5904 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
5905 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
5906 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
5910 @node Finding the Parent
5911 @section Finding the Parent
5912 @cindex parent articles
5913 @cindex referring articles
5915 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
5917 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
5918 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
5919 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
5920 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
5921 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
5922 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
5923 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
5924 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
5926 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
5927 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
5928 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
5929 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
5930 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
5933 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
5934 @kindex A R (Summary)
5935 You can have Gnus fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References}
5936 header of the article by pushing @kbd{A R}
5937 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
5939 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
5940 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
5941 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
5942 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
5943 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
5944 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
5945 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
5946 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
5948 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
5949 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
5950 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
5951 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
5952 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the same
5953 as the one that keeps the spool you are reading from updated, but that's
5954 not really necessary.
5956 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
5957 not do a particularly excellent job of it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
5958 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
5959 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
5960 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
5961 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
5964 @node Alternative Approaches
5965 @section Alternative Approaches
5967 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
5968 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
5971 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
5972 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
5977 @subsection Pick and Read
5978 @cindex pick and read
5980 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{nn}) use a two-phased
5981 reading interface. The user first marks the articles she wants to read
5982 from a summary buffer. Then she starts reading the articles with just
5983 an article buffer displayed.
5985 @findex gnus-pick-mode
5986 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
5987 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
5988 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
5989 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
5990 it makes one additional command for switching to the summary buffer
5993 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
5998 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5999 Pick the article on the current line
6000 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}). If given a numerical prefix,
6001 go to the article on that line and pick that article. (The line number
6002 is normally displayed on the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
6005 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
6006 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
6007 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
6008 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
6012 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6013 Unpick the article (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6017 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6018 Unpick all articles (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6022 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6023 Pick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6027 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6028 Unpick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6032 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6033 Pick the region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6037 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6038 Unpick the region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6042 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6043 Pick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6047 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6048 Unpick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6052 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6053 Pick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6057 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-buffer
6058 Unpick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-buffer}).
6062 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
6063 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
6064 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
6065 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
6066 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
6067 will still be visible when you are reading.
6071 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
6074 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
6077 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
6078 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
6080 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
6081 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
6082 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
6084 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
6085 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different than the
6086 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
6087 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
6088 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
6089 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
6090 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
6094 @subsection Binary Groups
6095 @cindex binary groups
6097 @findex gnus-binary-mode
6098 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
6099 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
6100 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
6101 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
6102 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
6103 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
6106 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
6107 In fact, the only way to see the actual articles if you have turned this
6108 mode on is the @kbd{g} command (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
6110 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
6111 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
6115 @section Tree Display
6118 @vindex gnus-use-trees
6119 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
6120 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
6121 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
6124 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
6127 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
6128 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
6129 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
6131 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
6132 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
6133 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers. The default
6134 is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}. For a list of legal specs, @pxref{Summary
6137 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
6138 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
6139 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
6140 default is @code{modeline}.
6142 @item gnus-tree-line-format
6143 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
6144 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
6145 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
6146 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
6147 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
6148 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
6154 The name of the poster.
6156 The @code{From} header.
6158 The number of the article.
6160 The opening bracket.
6162 The closing bracket.
6167 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6169 Variables related to the display are:
6172 @item gnus-tree-brackets
6173 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
6174 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
6175 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @var{((real-open . real-close)
6176 (sparse-open . sparse-close) (dummy-open . dummy-close))}, and the
6177 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}))}.
6179 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
6180 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
6181 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
6182 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
6186 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
6187 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
6188 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
6189 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
6190 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
6191 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}.
6193 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
6194 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
6195 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
6196 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
6197 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
6198 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
6199 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
6203 Here's and example from a horizontal tree buffer:
6206 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
6216 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
6220 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
6221 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
6223 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
6225 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
6231 @node Mail Group Commands
6232 @section Mail Group Commands
6233 @cindex mail group commands
6235 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
6236 illegal in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
6238 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
6239 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6244 @kindex B e (Summary)
6245 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
6246 Expire all expirable articles in the group
6247 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
6250 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
6251 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
6252 Expunge all the expirable articles in the group
6253 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
6254 articles that are eligible for expiry in the current group will
6255 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
6258 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
6259 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
6260 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
6261 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
6262 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
6265 @kindex B m (Summary)
6267 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
6268 Move the article from one mail group to another
6269 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
6272 @kindex B c (Summary)
6274 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
6275 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
6276 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}).
6279 @kindex B C (Summary)
6280 @cindex crosspost mail
6281 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
6282 Crosspost the current article to some other group
6283 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
6284 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
6285 be properly updated.
6288 @kindex B i (Summary)
6289 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
6290 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
6291 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
6292 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
6295 @kindex B r (Summary)
6296 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
6297 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
6301 @kindex B w (Summary)
6303 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
6304 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
6305 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
6306 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
6307 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}).
6310 @kindex B q (Summary)
6311 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
6312 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
6313 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
6314 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
6317 @kindex B p (Summary)
6318 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
6319 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
6320 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
6321 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
6322 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
6323 article from your news server (or rather, from
6324 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
6325 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
6326 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
6327 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
6328 just not have arrived yet.
6332 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
6333 @cindex moving articles
6334 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
6335 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
6336 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
6337 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
6338 suggestions you find reasonable.
6341 @node Various Summary Stuff
6342 @section Various Summary Stuff
6345 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
6346 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
6347 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
6348 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
6352 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
6353 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
6354 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
6356 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
6357 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
6358 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
6359 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
6360 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
6361 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
6364 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
6365 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
6366 Is is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
6367 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
6368 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
6373 @node Summary Group Information
6374 @subsection Summary Group Information
6379 @kindex H f (Summary)
6380 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
6381 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
6382 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
6383 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
6384 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
6385 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
6386 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
6387 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} probably will be used for
6391 @kindex H d (Summary)
6392 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
6393 Give a brief description of the current group
6394 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
6395 rereading the description from the server.
6398 @kindex H h (Summary)
6399 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
6400 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
6401 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
6404 @kindex H i (Summary)
6405 @findex gnus-info-find-node
6406 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
6410 @node Searching for Articles
6411 @subsection Searching for Articles
6416 @kindex M-s (Summary)
6417 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
6418 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
6419 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
6422 @kindex M-r (Summary)
6423 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
6424 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
6425 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
6429 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
6430 This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
6431 match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
6432 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}).
6435 @kindex M-& (Summary)
6436 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
6437 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
6438 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
6441 @node Summary Generation Commands
6442 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
6447 @kindex Y g (Summary)
6448 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
6449 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
6452 @kindex Y c (Summary)
6453 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
6454 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
6455 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
6460 @node Really Various Summary Commands
6461 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
6466 @kindex C-d (Summary)
6467 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
6468 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
6469 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
6470 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
6471 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
6472 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
6473 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages on
6474 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
6478 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
6479 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
6480 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
6481 several documents into one biiig group
6482 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
6483 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
6484 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
6485 command understands the process/prefix convention
6486 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6489 @kindex C-t (Summary)
6490 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
6491 Toggle truncation of summary lines
6492 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
6493 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
6494 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
6498 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
6499 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
6500 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
6505 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
6506 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
6507 @cindex summary exit
6508 @cindex exiting groups
6510 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
6511 group and return you to the group buffer.
6517 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
6519 @findex gnus-summary-exit
6520 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
6521 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
6522 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
6523 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
6524 called before doing much of the exiting, and calls
6525 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
6526 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exiting
6531 @kindex Z E (Summary)
6533 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
6534 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
6535 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
6539 @kindex Z c (Summary)
6541 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
6542 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
6543 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
6546 @kindex Z C (Summary)
6547 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
6548 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
6549 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
6552 @kindex Z n (Summary)
6553 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
6554 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
6555 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
6558 @kindex Z R (Summary)
6559 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
6560 Exit this group, and then enter it again
6561 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
6562 all articles, both read and unread.
6566 @kindex Z G (Summary)
6567 @kindex M-g (Summary)
6568 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
6569 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
6570 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
6571 articles, both read and unread.
6574 @kindex Z N (Summary)
6575 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
6576 Exit the group and go to the next group
6577 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
6580 @kindex Z P (Summary)
6581 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
6582 Exit the group and go to the previous group
6583 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
6586 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
6587 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current
6590 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
6591 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
6592 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
6593 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
6594 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
6595 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
6596 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
6597 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
6598 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
6599 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
6600 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
6601 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
6603 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
6605 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
6606 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
6607 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
6608 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
6609 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
6610 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
6611 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
6612 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
6613 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
6616 @node Crosspost Handling
6617 @section Crosspost Handling
6621 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
6622 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
6623 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
6624 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
6625 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
6626 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
6629 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
6630 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
6631 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
6632 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
6633 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
6635 @cindex cross-posting
6638 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
6639 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
6640 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
6641 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
6642 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
6643 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
6644 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
6645 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
6646 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
6647 the cross reference mechanism.
6649 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
6650 @cindex overview.fmt
6651 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
6652 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
6653 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
6654 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
6655 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
6656 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
6659 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
6660 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
6661 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
6666 For an alternative approach, @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
6669 @node Duplicate Suppression
6670 @section Duplicate Suppression
6672 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
6673 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
6674 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
6675 approach may not work satisfactorily for some users for various
6680 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
6681 is evil and not very common.
6684 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
6685 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
6688 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
6689 different @sc{nntp} servers.
6692 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
6695 I'm sure there are other situations that @code{Xref} handling fails as
6696 well, but these four are the most common situations.
6698 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
6699 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
6700 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
6701 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
6702 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
6703 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
6704 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
6707 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
6708 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
6709 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
6710 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
6711 article as read the the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
6715 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
6716 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
6717 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
6719 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
6720 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
6721 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
6722 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
6723 However, this means that only duplicate articles that is read in a
6724 single Gnus session are suppressed.
6726 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
6727 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
6728 This variables says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
6729 suppression list. The default is 10000.
6731 @item gnus-duplicate-file
6732 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
6733 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list. The
6734 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
6737 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
6738 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
6739 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
6740 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
6741 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
6742 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
6743 to you to figure out, I think.
6746 @node The Article Buffer
6747 @chapter The Article Buffer
6748 @cindex article buffer
6750 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
6751 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
6752 tell Gnus otherwise.
6755 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
6756 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
6757 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
6758 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer
6759 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
6763 @node Hiding Headers
6764 @section Hiding Headers
6765 @cindex hiding headers
6766 @cindex deleting headers
6768 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
6769 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
6771 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
6772 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
6773 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
6774 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
6775 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
6776 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
6777 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
6778 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
6779 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
6781 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
6785 @item gnus-visible-headers
6786 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
6787 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
6788 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
6789 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
6791 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
6792 the article and the subject, you'd say:
6795 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
6798 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers that are to
6801 @item gnus-ignored-headers
6802 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
6803 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
6804 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
6805 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
6806 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
6808 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
6809 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
6812 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
6815 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers that are to
6818 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
6819 variable will have no effect.
6823 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
6824 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
6825 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
6826 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
6827 the headers are to be displayed.
6829 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
6830 and then the subject, you might say something like:
6833 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
6836 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
6837 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers that
6838 are listed in this variable.
6840 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
6841 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
6842 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
6843 You can hide further boring headers by entering
6844 @code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers} into
6845 @code{gnus-article-display-hook}. What this function does depends on
6846 the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a list, but this
6847 list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is lists various
6848 @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove from sight.
6850 These conditions are:
6853 Remove all empty headers.
6855 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
6858 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
6859 @code{Newsgroups} header.
6861 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
6864 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
6868 To include the four first elements, you could say something like;
6871 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
6872 '(empty newsgroups followup-to reply-to))
6875 This is also the default value for this variable.
6879 @section Using @sc{mime}
6882 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
6883 while people stand around yawning.
6885 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
6886 while all newsreaders die of fear.
6888 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
6889 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
6890 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
6892 @vindex gnus-show-mime
6893 @vindex gnus-show-mime-method
6894 @vindex gnus-strict-mime
6895 @findex metamail-buffer
6896 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
6897 @code{gnus-show-mime-method}, which is @code{metamail-buffer} by
6898 default. Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
6899 @sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
6900 non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
6901 @sc{mime} headers in the article. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime}
6902 set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article
6903 buffer. These can't be avoided.
6905 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the summary
6906 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
6907 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
6908 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
6909 comes streaming out out your speakers, and you can't find the volume
6910 button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you,
6911 and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the
6912 program to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly
6913 decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
6915 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
6918 @node Customizing Articles
6919 @section Customizing Articles
6920 @cindex article customization
6922 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
6923 The @code{gnus-article-display-hook} is called after the article has
6924 been inserted into the article buffer. It is meant to handle all
6925 treatment of the article before it is displayed.
6927 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
6928 By default this hook just contains @code{gnus-article-hide-headers},
6929 @code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}, and
6930 @code{gnus-article-maybe-highlight}, but there are thousands, nay
6931 millions, of functions you can put in this hook. For an overview of
6932 functions @pxref{Article Highlighting}, @pxref{Article Hiding},
6933 @pxref{Article Washing}, @pxref{Article Buttons} and @pxref{Article
6936 You can, of course, write your own functions. The functions are called
6937 from the article buffer, and you can do anything you like, pretty much.
6938 There is no information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can
6939 change everything. However, you shouldn't delete any headers. Instead
6940 make them invisible if you want to make them go away.
6943 @node Article Keymap
6944 @section Article Keymap
6946 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
6947 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
6948 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
6949 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
6952 A few additional keystrokes are available:
6957 @kindex SPACE (Article)
6958 @findex gnus-article-next-page
6959 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
6962 @kindex DEL (Article)
6963 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
6964 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
6967 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
6968 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
6969 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
6970 @kbd{r}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
6971 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
6974 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
6975 @findex gnus-article-mail
6976 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
6977 given a prefix, include the mail.
6981 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
6982 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
6983 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
6987 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
6988 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
6989 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
6992 @kindex TAB (Article)
6993 @findex gnus-article-next-button
6994 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}. This
6995 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
6998 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
6999 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
7000 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}.
7006 @section Misc Article
7010 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
7011 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
7012 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
7013 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
7016 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
7017 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
7018 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
7019 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
7020 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
7021 the contents of the article buffer.
7023 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7024 @item gnus-article-display-hook
7025 This hook is called as the last thing when displaying an article, and is
7026 intended for modifying the contents of the buffer, doing highlights,
7027 hiding headers, and the like.
7029 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
7030 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
7031 Hook called in article mode buffers.
7033 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
7034 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
7035 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
7036 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. It accepts the same
7037 format specifications as that variable, with one extension:
7041 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
7042 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
7046 @vindex gnus-break-pages
7048 @item gnus-break-pages
7049 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
7050 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
7051 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
7052 paging will not be done.
7054 @item gnus-page-delimiter
7055 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
7056 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
7061 @node Composing Messages
7062 @chapter Composing Messages
7067 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
7068 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
7069 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the article
7070 by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The Message
7071 Manual}. If you are in a foreign news group, and you wish to post the
7072 article using the foreign server, you can give a prefix to @kbd{C-c C-c}
7073 to make Gnus try to post using the foreign server.
7076 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
7077 * Post:: Posting and following up.
7078 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
7079 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
7080 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
7081 @c * Posting Styles:: An easier way to configure some key elements.
7082 @c * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
7083 @c * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
7086 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
7087 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
7093 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
7096 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
7097 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
7098 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
7099 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
7107 Variables for composing news articles:
7110 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
7111 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
7112 Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
7113 sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
7114 user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
7115 dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to sent the
7116 same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
7117 history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
7118 this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want Gnus to keep a history
7121 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
7122 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
7123 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
7124 file. It is 1000 by default.
7129 @node Posting Server
7130 @section Posting Server
7132 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
7133 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
7135 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
7137 @vindex gnus-post-method
7139 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will use the same native
7140 server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
7141 reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
7142 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
7143 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
7146 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
7149 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
7150 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
7151 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
7152 the ``current'' server for posting.
7154 If you give a zero prefix (i. e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
7155 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
7157 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
7158 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
7163 @section Mail and Post
7165 Here's a list of variables that are relevant to both mailing and
7169 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
7170 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
7171 @cindex mailing lists
7173 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists that are
7174 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
7175 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
7176 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
7177 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
7178 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that match the groups that
7179 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
7180 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
7181 still a pain, though.
7185 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
7186 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
7187 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
7190 @findex ispell-message
7192 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
7196 @node Archived Messages
7197 @section Archived Messages
7198 @cindex archived messages
7199 @cindex sent messages
7201 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail you send.
7202 The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to store
7203 the mail. If you want to disable this completely, you should set
7204 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil}.
7206 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
7207 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
7208 use to store sent messages. The default is:
7212 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive/"))
7215 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
7216 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method
7217 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
7218 directory chosen, you could say something like:
7221 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
7222 '(nnfolder "archive"
7223 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
7224 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
7225 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
7228 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
7230 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
7231 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
7232 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
7234 This variable can be:
7238 Messages will be saved in that group.
7239 @item a list of strings
7240 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
7241 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
7242 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
7244 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
7249 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
7251 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
7254 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
7256 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
7259 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
7261 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7262 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
7263 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
7264 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
7269 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7270 '((if (message-news-p)
7275 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
7276 messages in one file per month:
7279 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7280 '((if (message-news-p)
7282 (concat "mail." (format-time-string
7283 "%Y-%m" (current-time))))))
7286 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
7287 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
7288 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
7289 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
7290 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
7291 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
7292 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
7293 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
7294 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
7295 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
7297 That's the default method of archiving sent mail. Gnus also a different
7298 way for the people who don't like the default method. In that case you
7299 should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil}; this will
7302 XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
7303 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.
7306 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
7307 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
7308 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
7309 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
7310 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
7313 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
7314 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
7315 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
7320 @c @node Posting Styles
7321 @c @section Posting Styles
7322 @c @cindex posting styles
7325 @c All them variables, they make my head swim.
7327 @c So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
7328 @c on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
7329 @c and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
7332 @c @vindex gnus-posting-styles
7333 @c One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
7334 @c variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
7335 @c came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
7336 @c a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
7341 @c (signature . "Peace and happiness")
7342 @c (organization . "What me?"))
7344 @c (signature . "Death to everybody"))
7345 @c ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
7346 @c (organization . "Emacs is it")))
7349 @c As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
7350 @c @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
7351 @c ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
7352 @c over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
7353 @c applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
7354 @c the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
7355 @c @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
7356 @c signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
7358 @c The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
7359 @c string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
7360 @c If it's a function symbol, that function will be called with no
7361 @c arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
7362 @c referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
7363 @c any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
7366 @c Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
7367 @c attribute consists of a @var{(name . value)} pair. The attribute name
7368 @c can be one of @code{signature}, @code{organization} or @code{from}. The
7369 @c attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
7370 @c a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
7373 @c The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function (the
7374 @c return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used) or a
7375 @c list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be used).
7377 @c So here's a new example:
7380 @c (setq gnus-posting-styles
7382 @c (signature . "~/.signature")
7383 @c (from . "user@@foo (user)")
7384 @c ("X-Home-Page" . (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
7385 @c (organization . "People's Front Against MWM"))
7387 @c (signature . my-funny-signature-randomizer))
7388 @c ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
7389 @c (signature . my-quote-randomizer))
7390 @c (posting-from-work-p
7391 @c (signature . "~/.work-signature")
7392 @c (from . "user@@bar.foo (user)")
7393 @c (organization . "Important Work, Inc"))
7395 @c (signature . "~/.mail-signature"))))
7402 @c If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
7403 @c you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
7404 @c craazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save the
7405 @c message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some other
7406 @c day, and send it when you feel its finished.
7408 @c Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
7409 @c some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
7410 @c automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
7411 @c If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
7412 @c article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
7416 @c @vindex gnus-draft-group-directory
7417 @c The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
7418 @c @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
7419 @c @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{gnus-draft-group-directory}
7420 @c controls both the name of the group and the location---the leaf element
7421 @c in the path will be used as the name of the group. What makes this
7422 @c group special is that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any
7423 @c articles as read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
7425 @c If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
7428 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
7429 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
7430 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
7431 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
7432 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
7433 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
7434 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
7435 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
7436 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
7437 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
7438 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
7439 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
7440 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
7441 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
7443 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
7444 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
7445 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
7447 @c @findex gnus-summary-send-draft
7448 @c @kindex S D c (Summary)
7449 @c When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
7450 @c draft group and push @kbd{S D c} (@code{gnus-summary-send-draft}) to do
7451 @c that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
7453 @c Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
7456 @c @findex gnus-summary-send-all-drafts
7457 @c If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
7458 @c doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{S D a} command
7459 @c (@code{gnus-summary-send-all-drafts}). This command understands the
7460 @c process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7463 @c @node Rejected Articles
7464 @c @section Rejected Articles
7465 @c @cindex rejected articles
7467 @c Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
7468 @c doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
7469 @c @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
7470 @c Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
7472 @c These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
7473 @c (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
7474 @c fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
7475 @c you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
7476 @c articles until some later time when the server feels better.
7478 @c The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
7479 @c (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
7480 @c typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
7483 @node Select Methods
7484 @chapter Select Methods
7485 @cindex foreign groups
7486 @cindex select methods
7488 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group that is not read by the usual (or
7489 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
7490 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
7491 personal mail group.
7493 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
7494 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
7495 list where the first element says what backend to use (eg. @code{nntp},
7496 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
7497 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
7498 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
7500 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
7501 we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
7503 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
7506 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
7507 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
7508 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
7509 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
7510 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
7512 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
7515 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
7516 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
7517 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
7518 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
7519 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
7523 @node The Server Buffer
7524 @section The Server Buffer
7526 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
7527 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
7528 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
7529 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
7530 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
7531 backend represents a virtual server.
7533 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
7534 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
7535 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
7536 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
7538 These select methods specifications can sometimes become quite
7539 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
7540 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number @code{13}, which
7541 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
7542 Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
7543 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
7544 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
7546 To enter the server buffer, user the @kbd{^}
7547 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
7550 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
7551 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
7552 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
7553 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
7554 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
7555 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
7558 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
7559 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
7562 @node Server Buffer Format
7563 @subsection Server Buffer Format
7564 @cindex server buffer format
7566 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
7567 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
7568 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
7569 variable, with some simple extensions:
7574 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
7577 The name of this server.
7580 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
7583 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
7586 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
7587 The mode line can also be customized by using the
7588 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable. The following specs are
7599 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
7602 @node Server Commands
7603 @subsection Server Commands
7604 @cindex server commands
7610 @findex gnus-server-add-server
7611 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
7615 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
7616 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
7619 @kindex SPACE (Server)
7620 @findex gnus-server-read-server
7621 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
7625 @findex gnus-server-exit
7626 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
7630 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
7631 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
7635 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
7636 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
7640 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
7641 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
7645 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
7646 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
7650 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
7651 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
7652 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
7658 @node Example Methods
7659 @subsection Example Methods
7661 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
7664 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
7667 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
7673 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
7674 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
7677 After these two elements, there may be a arbitrary number of
7678 @var{(variable form)} pairs.
7680 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
7681 port @code{15} from that machine. This is what the select method should
7685 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
7688 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
7689 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example.
7691 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
7692 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
7693 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
7697 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
7700 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
7703 Here's the method for a public spool:
7707 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
7708 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
7712 @node Creating a Virtual Server
7713 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
7715 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
7716 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
7718 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
7719 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
7720 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
7722 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
7724 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
7725 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
7726 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
7727 will contain the following:
7737 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
7738 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
7739 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
7742 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
7743 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
7744 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
7747 @node Servers and Methods
7748 @subsection Servers and Methods
7750 Wherever you would normally use a select method
7751 (eg. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
7752 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
7753 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
7757 @node Unavailable Servers
7758 @subsection Unavailable Servers
7760 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
7761 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
7762 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
7763 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
7764 actually the case or not.
7766 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
7767 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to the server
7768 @samp{nepholococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
7769 away from you, the machine is quite, so it takes 1 minute just to find
7770 out that it refuses connection from you today. If Gnus were to attempt
7771 to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't attempt to do
7772 that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'', it will
7773 regard that server as ``down''.
7775 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
7776 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
7778 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
7779 with the following commands:
7785 @findex gnus-server-open-server
7786 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
7787 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
7791 @findex gnus-server-close-server
7792 Close the connection (if any) to the server
7793 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
7797 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
7798 Mark the current server as unreachable
7799 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
7802 @kindex M-o (Server)
7803 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
7804 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
7805 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
7808 @kindex M-c (Server)
7809 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
7810 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
7811 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
7815 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
7816 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from all servers
7817 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
7823 @section Getting News
7824 @cindex reading news
7825 @cindex news backends
7827 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
7828 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
7829 or it can read from a local spool.
7832 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
7833 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
7838 @subsection @sc{nntp}
7841 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
7842 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
7843 server as the, uhm, address.
7845 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
7846 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
7847 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
7848 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
7850 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
7851 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
7852 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
7854 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
7859 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
7860 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
7861 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
7863 @cindex authentification
7864 @cindex nntp authentification
7865 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
7866 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
7867 @code{nntp-server-opened-hook} is run after a connection has been made.
7868 It can be used to send commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has
7869 been contacted. By default is sends the command @code{MODE READER} to
7870 the server with the @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function.
7872 @item nntp-authinfo-function
7873 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
7874 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
7875 server. Available functions include:
7878 @item nntp-send-authinfo
7879 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
7880 This function will used you current login name as the user name and will
7881 prompt you for the password. This is the default.
7883 @item nntp-send-nosy-authinfo
7884 @findex nntp-send-nosy-authinfo
7885 This function will prompt you for both user name and password.
7887 @item nntp-send-authinfo-from-file
7888 @findex nntp-send-authinfo-from-file
7889 This function will use your current login name as the user name and will
7890 read the @sc{nntp} password from @file{~/.nntp-authinfo}.
7893 @item nntp-server-action-alist
7894 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
7895 This is an list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
7896 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
7897 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
7900 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
7904 You probably don't want to do that, though.
7906 The default value is
7909 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
7910 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook nntp-send-mode-reader)))
7913 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
7914 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
7916 @item nntp-maximum-request
7917 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
7918 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
7919 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
7920 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
7921 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
7922 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
7923 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
7925 @item nntp-connection-timeout
7926 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
7927 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
7928 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
7929 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
7930 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
7931 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
7932 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
7933 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
7934 no timeouts are done.
7936 @item nntp-command-timeout
7937 @vindex nntp-command-timeout
7938 @cindex PPP connections
7939 @cindex dynamic IP addresses
7940 If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
7941 address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
7942 changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
7943 waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
7944 unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
7945 then, if it sits waiting longer than that number of seconds for a reply
7946 from the server, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
7947 the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
7948 likely number is 30 seconds.
7950 @item nntp-retry-on-break
7951 @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
7952 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
7953 hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
7956 @item nntp-server-hook
7957 @vindex nntp-server-hook
7958 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
7961 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
7962 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
7963 @item nntp-open-server-function
7964 @vindex nntp-open-server-function
7965 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Two pre-made
7966 functions are @code{nntp-open-network-stream}, which is the default, and
7967 simply connects to some port or other on the remote system. The other
7968 is @code{nntp-open-rlogin}, which does an rlogin on the remote system,
7969 and then does a telnet to the @sc{nntp} server available there.
7971 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
7972 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
7973 If you use @code{nntp-open-rlogin} as the
7974 @code{nntp-open-server-function}, this list will be used as the
7975 parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
7977 @item nntp-end-of-line
7978 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
7979 String to use as end-of-line markers when talking to the @sc{nntp}
7980 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
7981 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
7983 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
7984 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
7985 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
7989 @vindex nntp-address
7990 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
7992 @item nntp-port-number
7993 @vindex nntp-port-number
7994 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
7997 @item nntp-buggy-select
7998 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
7999 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
8001 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
8002 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
8003 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
8004 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks whether @sc{nov}
8005 can be used automatically.
8007 @item nntp-xover-commands
8008 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
8011 List of strings that are used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
8012 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
8016 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
8017 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
8018 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
8019 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
8020 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
8021 lines that you do not want, and will not use. This variable says how
8022 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
8023 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
8024 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
8025 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
8026 @code{nntp} will never split requests.
8028 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
8029 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
8030 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
8032 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
8033 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
8034 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
8035 server closes connection.
8041 @subsection News Spool
8045 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
8046 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
8047 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
8050 Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @samp{} (or
8051 anything else) as the address.
8053 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
8054 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
8055 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
8056 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
8060 @item nnspool-inews-program
8061 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
8062 Program used to post an article.
8064 @item nnspool-inews-switches
8065 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
8066 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
8068 @item nnspool-spool-directory
8069 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
8070 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
8071 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
8073 @item nnspool-nov-directory
8074 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
8075 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
8076 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
8078 @item nnspool-lib-dir
8079 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
8080 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
8082 @item nnspool-active-file
8083 @vindex nnspool-active-file
8084 The path of the active file.
8086 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
8087 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
8088 The path of the group descriptions file.
8090 @item nnspool-history-file
8091 @vindex nnspool-history-file
8092 The path of the news history file.
8094 @item nnspool-active-times-file
8095 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
8096 The path of the active date file.
8098 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
8099 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
8100 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
8103 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
8104 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
8106 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
8107 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
8108 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
8114 @section Getting Mail
8115 @cindex reading mail
8118 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
8122 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
8123 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
8124 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
8125 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
8126 * Mail and Procmail:: Reading mail groups that procmail create.
8127 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
8128 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
8129 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
8130 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
8131 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
8132 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
8136 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
8137 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
8139 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
8140 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
8141 and things will happen automatically.
8143 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a one file per
8144 mail backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
8147 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
8148 '((nnml "private")))
8151 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
8152 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
8153 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
8154 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
8155 like any other group.
8157 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
8160 (setq nnmail-split-methods
8161 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
8162 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
8166 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
8167 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
8168 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
8171 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
8172 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though,
8173 especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
8176 @node Splitting Mail
8177 @subsection Splitting Mail
8178 @cindex splitting mail
8179 @cindex mail splitting
8181 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
8182 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
8183 to be split into groups.
8186 (setq nnmail-split-methods
8187 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
8188 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
8192 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
8193 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
8194 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
8195 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
8196 determine if it belongs in this mail group.
8198 If the first element is the special symbol @code{junk}, then messages
8199 that match the regexp will disappear into the aether. Use with
8202 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
8203 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
8204 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
8205 mail belongs in that group.
8207 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
8208 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any
8209 mails that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps.
8211 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
8212 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
8213 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
8214 message. The function should return a list of groups names that it
8215 thinks should carry this mail message.
8217 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent
8218 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
8219 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
8220 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
8222 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
8223 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
8224 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
8225 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
8226 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
8228 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
8231 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
8232 the crossposted articles. However, not all files systems support hard
8233 links. If that's the case for you, set
8234 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
8235 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
8237 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
8238 @kindex nnmail-split-history
8239 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
8240 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command.
8242 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
8243 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
8244 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
8245 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
8246 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
8247 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
8248 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
8249 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
8253 @node Mail Backend Variables
8254 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
8256 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
8260 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
8261 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
8262 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
8263 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
8265 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
8266 @item nnmail-spool-file
8270 @vindex nnmail-pop-password
8271 @vindex nnmail-pop-password-required
8272 The backends will look for new mail in this file. If this variable is
8273 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
8274 themselves. If you are using a POP mail server and your name is
8275 @samp{larsi}, you should set this variable to @samp{po:larsi}. If
8276 your name is not @samp{larsi}, you should probably modify that
8277 slightly, but you may have guessed that already, you smart & handsome
8278 devil! You can also set this variable to @code{pop}, and Gnus will try
8279 to figure out the POP mail string by itself. In any case, Gnus will
8280 call @code{movemail} which will contact the POP server named in the
8281 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable. If the POP server needs a
8282 password, you can either set @code{nnmail-pop-password-required} to
8283 @code{t} and be prompted for the password, or set
8284 @code{nnmail-pop-password} to the password itself.
8286 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
8287 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
8288 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
8289 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
8290 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
8291 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
8293 @vindex nnmail-use-procmail
8294 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
8295 @item nnmail-use-procmail
8296 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will look in
8297 @code{nnmail-procmail-directory} for incoming mail. All the files in
8298 that directory that have names ending in @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix}
8299 will be considered incoming mailboxes, and will be searched for new
8302 @vindex nnmail-crash-box
8303 @item nnmail-crash-box
8304 When the mail backends read a spool file, it is first moved to this
8305 file, which is @file{~/.gnus-crash-box} by default. If this file
8306 already exists, it will always be read (and incorporated) before any
8309 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
8310 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
8311 This is run in a buffer that holds all the new incoming mail, and can be
8312 used for, well, anything, really.
8314 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
8315 @item nnmail-split-hook
8316 @findex article-decode-rfc1522
8317 @findex RFC1522 decoding
8318 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
8319 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
8320 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
8321 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
8322 in the buffer will show up in any files. @code{article-decode-rfc1522}
8323 is one likely function to add to this hook.
8325 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
8326 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
8327 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
8328 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
8329 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
8330 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
8331 starting to handle the new mail) and
8332 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
8333 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
8334 default file modes the new mail files get:
8337 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
8338 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
8340 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
8341 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
8344 @item nnmail-tmp-directory
8345 @vindex nnmail-tmp-directory
8346 This variable says where to move the incoming mail to while processing
8347 it. This is usually done in the same directory that the mail backend
8348 inhabits (i.e., @file{~/Mail/}), but if this variable is non-@code{nil},
8349 it will be used instead.
8351 @item nnmail-movemail-program
8352 @vindex nnmail-movemail-program
8353 This program is executed to move mail from the user's inbox to her home
8354 directory. The default is @samp{movemail}.
8356 This can also be a function. In that case, the function will be called
8357 with two parameters -- the name of the inbox, and the file to be moved
8360 @item nnmail-delete-incoming
8361 @vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
8362 @cindex incoming mail files
8363 @cindex deleting incoming files
8364 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will delete the temporary incoming
8365 file after splitting mail into the proper groups. This is @code{nil} by
8366 default for reasons of security.
8368 Since Red Gnus is an alpha release, it is to be expected to lose mail.
8369 (No Gnus release since (ding) Gnus 0.10 (or something like that) have
8370 lost mail, I think, but that's not the point.) By not deleting the
8371 Incoming* files, one can be sure to not lose mail -- if Gnus totally
8372 whacks out, one can always recover what was lost.
8374 Delete the @file{Incoming*} files at will.
8376 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
8377 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
8378 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
8379 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories like
8380 @file{mail.misc/}. If it is @code{nil}, the same group will end up in
8383 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
8384 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
8386 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
8391 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
8392 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
8393 @cindex mail splitting
8394 @cindex fancy mail splitting
8396 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
8397 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
8398 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
8399 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
8400 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
8401 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
8403 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
8406 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
8407 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
8408 ;; from real errors.
8409 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
8411 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
8412 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
8413 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
8414 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
8415 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
8416 ;; Other mailing lists...
8417 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
8418 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
8420 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen"))
8421 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
8425 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
8426 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
8427 the five possible split syntaxes:
8432 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name.
8435 @code{(FIELD VALUE SPLIT)}: If the split is a list, and the first
8436 element is a string, then that means that if header FIELD (a regexp)
8437 contains VALUE (also a regexp), then store the message as specified by
8441 @code{(| SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
8442 @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each SPLIT until one of them
8443 matches. A SPLIT is said to match if it will cause the mail message to
8444 be stored in one or more groups.
8447 @code{(& SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
8448 @code{&}, then process all SPLITs in the list.
8451 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
8452 this message anywhere.
8456 In these splits, FIELD must match a complete field name. VALUE must
8457 match a complete word according to the fundamental mode syntax table.
8458 You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial field names or
8461 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
8462 FIELD and VALUE can also be lisp symbols, in that case they are expanded
8463 as specified by the variable @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is
8464 an alist of cons cells, where the car of the cells contains the key, and
8465 the cdr contains a string.
8467 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
8468 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
8469 when all this splitting is performed.
8472 @node Mail and Procmail
8473 @subsection Mail and Procmail
8478 Many people use @code{procmail} (or some other mail filter program or
8479 external delivery agent---@code{slocal}, @code{elm}, etc) to split
8480 incoming mail into groups. If you do that, you should set
8481 @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{procmail} to ensure that the mail
8482 backends never ever try to fetch mail by themselves.
8484 This also means that you probably don't want to set
8485 @code{nnmail-split-methods} either, which has some, perhaps, unexpected
8488 When a mail backend is queried for what groups it carries, it replies
8489 with the contents of that variable, along with any groups it has figured
8490 out that it carries by other means. None of the backends (except
8491 @code{nnmh}) actually go out to the disk and check what groups actually
8492 exist. (It's not trivial to distinguish between what the user thinks is
8493 a basis for a newsgroup and what is just a plain old file or directory.)
8495 This means that you have to tell Gnus (and the backends) what groups
8498 Let's take the @code{nnmh} backend as an example.
8500 The folders are located in @code{nnmh-directory}, say, @file{~/Mail/}.
8501 There are three folders, @file{foo}, @file{bar} and @file{mail.baz}.
8503 Go to the group buffer and type @kbd{G m}. When prompted, answer
8504 @samp{foo} for the name and @samp{nnmh} for the method. Repeat
8505 twice for the two other groups, @samp{bar} and @samp{mail.baz}. Be sure
8506 to include all your mail groups.
8508 That's it. You are now set to read your mail. An active file for this
8509 method will be created automatically.
8511 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
8512 @vindex nnmail-procmail-directory
8513 If you use @code{nnfolder} or any other backend that store more than a
8514 single article in each file, you should never have procmail add mails to
8515 the file that Gnus sees. Instead, procmail should put all incoming mail
8516 in @code{nnmail-procmail-directory}. To arrive at the file name to put
8517 the incoming mail in, append @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix} to the group
8518 name. The mail backends will read the mail from these files.
8520 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
8521 When Gnus reads a file called @file{mail.misc.spool}, this mail will be
8522 put in the @code{mail.misc}, as one would expect. However, if you want
8523 Gnus to split the mail the normal way, you could set
8524 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to @code{t}.
8526 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
8527 If you use @code{procmail} to split things directory into an @code{nnmh}
8528 directory (which you shouldn't do), you should set
8529 @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} to non-@code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
8530 ever expiring the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is quite,
8534 @node Incorporating Old Mail
8535 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
8537 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
8538 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
8539 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
8542 Doing so can be quite easy.
8544 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
8545 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
8546 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
8547 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
8548 your @code{nnml} groups.
8554 Go to the group buffer.
8557 Type `G f' and give the path of the mbox file when prompted to create an
8558 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
8561 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
8564 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group (@pxref{Setting
8568 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
8569 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
8572 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
8573 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
8574 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
8575 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
8576 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
8578 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
8579 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
8580 using the new mail backend.
8584 @subsection Expiring Mail
8585 @cindex article expiry
8587 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
8588 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
8589 different approach to mail reading.
8591 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
8592 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
8593 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
8594 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
8595 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
8596 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
8599 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
8600 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
8601 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
8602 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
8603 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
8604 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
8605 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
8606 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
8608 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
8609 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
8610 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
8611 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
8612 articles that are marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
8613 column in the summary buffer.
8615 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
8616 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
8619 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
8620 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
8623 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
8624 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
8626 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
8627 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
8628 expirable article has to live. The default is seven days.
8630 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
8631 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
8632 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
8633 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
8636 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
8638 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
8640 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
8642 ((string= group "mail.junk")
8644 ((string= group "important")
8650 The group names that this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
8651 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
8653 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
8654 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can be either a number (not
8655 necessarily an integer) or the symbols @code{immediate} or
8658 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
8659 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8661 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
8662 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
8663 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
8664 easier for procmail users.
8666 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
8667 By the way, that line up there about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
8668 articles is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
8669 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
8670 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
8671 caution. Even more dangerous is the
8672 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
8673 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
8674 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
8675 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
8676 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
8677 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
8678 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
8683 @subsection Washing Mail
8684 @cindex mail washing
8685 @cindex list server brain damage
8686 @cindex incoming mail treatment
8688 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
8689 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC822 doesn't explicitly
8690 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
8691 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
8692 Yes, but RFC822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
8693 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
8695 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
8696 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
8697 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
8700 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
8701 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
8702 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
8703 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
8706 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
8707 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
8708 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
8709 grand, sweeping gestures. Functions to be used include:
8712 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
8713 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
8714 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
8715 Emacs running on MS machines.
8719 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
8720 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
8721 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
8722 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
8725 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
8726 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
8727 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
8728 headers too make them look nice. Aaah.
8730 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
8731 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
8732 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
8733 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
8734 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
8735 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
8736 also be a list of regexp.
8738 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
8739 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
8742 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
8743 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
8746 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
8747 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
8748 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
8752 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
8753 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
8754 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
8758 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
8759 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
8760 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
8767 @subsection Duplicates
8769 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
8770 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
8771 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
8772 @cindex duplicate mails
8773 If you are a member of a couple of mailing list, you will sometime
8774 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
8775 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
8776 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
8777 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
8778 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
8779 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
8780 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
8781 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
8782 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
8783 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
8784 will generate a brand new @code{Message-ID} for the mail and insert a
8785 warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks that this is a
8786 duplicate of a different message.
8788 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
8789 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
8790 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
8791 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
8793 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
8796 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
8797 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
8801 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
8802 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
8803 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
8804 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
8805 (any mail "mail.misc")
8812 (setq nnmail-split-methods
8813 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
8818 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
8819 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
8820 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
8821 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
8822 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
8825 @node Not Reading Mail
8826 @subsection Not Reading Mail
8828 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
8829 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
8830 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
8832 If you set @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{nil}, none of the backends
8833 will ever attempt to read incoming mail, which should help.
8835 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
8836 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
8837 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
8838 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
8839 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
8840 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
8841 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
8842 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
8843 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
8844 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
8845 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
8847 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
8848 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
8852 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
8853 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
8855 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
8856 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
8857 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
8860 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
8861 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
8862 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
8863 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
8864 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
8869 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
8871 @cindex unix mail box
8873 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
8874 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
8875 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
8876 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
8877 which group it belongs in.
8879 Virtual server settings:
8882 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
8883 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
8884 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
8886 @item nnmbox-active-file
8887 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
8888 The name of the active file for the mail box.
8890 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
8891 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
8892 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
8898 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
8902 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
8903 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
8904 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
8905 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail
8906 article to say which group it belongs in.
8908 Virtual server settings:
8911 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
8912 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
8913 The name of the rmail mbox file.
8915 @item nnbabyl-active-file
8916 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
8917 The name of the active file for the rmail box.
8919 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
8920 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
8921 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
8926 @subsubsection Mail Spool
8928 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
8930 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
8931 format. It should be used with some caution.
8933 @vindex nnml-directory
8934 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files;
8935 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the correct
8936 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
8937 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
8939 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
8942 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
8943 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
8944 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
8945 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
8946 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
8947 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
8948 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
8949 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
8951 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
8952 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
8953 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes is the fastest
8954 backend when it comes to reading mail.
8956 Virtual server settings:
8959 @item nnml-directory
8960 @vindex nnml-directory
8961 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
8963 @item nnml-active-file
8964 @vindex nnml-active-file
8965 The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
8967 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
8968 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
8969 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
8972 @item nnml-get-new-mail
8973 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
8974 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
8976 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
8977 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
8978 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
8980 @item nnml-nov-file-name
8981 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
8982 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
8984 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
8985 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
8986 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
8990 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
8991 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
8992 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
8993 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
8994 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
8995 might take a while to complete.
8999 @subsubsection MH Spool
9001 @cindex mh-e mail spool
9003 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
9004 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
9005 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
9006 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
9008 Virtual server settings:
9011 @item nnmh-directory
9012 @vindex nnmh-directory
9013 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
9015 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
9016 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
9017 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
9020 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
9021 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
9022 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
9023 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
9024 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
9025 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
9026 to set this variable to @code{t}.
9031 @subsubsection Mail Folders
9033 @cindex mbox folders
9034 @cindex mail folders
9036 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
9037 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
9038 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
9041 Virtual server settings:
9044 @item nnfolder-directory
9045 @vindex nnfolder-directory
9046 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
9048 @item nnfolder-active-file
9049 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
9050 The name of the active file.
9052 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
9053 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
9054 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
9056 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
9057 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
9058 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
9061 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
9062 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
9063 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
9064 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
9065 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
9066 @code{nnfolder-directory}.
9070 @section Other Sources
9072 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
9073 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
9077 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
9078 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
9079 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
9080 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{SOUP} packets ``offline''.
9081 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
9082 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
9086 @node Directory Groups
9087 @subsection Directory Groups
9089 @cindex directory groups
9091 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
9092 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
9095 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp}, that most
9096 wonderful of all wonderful Emacs packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I
9097 didn't think much about it---a backend to read directories. Big deal.
9099 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
9100 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
9101 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the the directory name,
9102 @code{ange-ftp} will actually allow you to read this directory over at
9103 @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
9105 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
9107 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
9108 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
9109 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
9110 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
9113 @node Anything Groups
9114 @subsection Anything Groups
9117 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
9118 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
9119 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
9122 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
9123 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
9124 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
9125 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're
9126 forgetting. @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it
9127 snoops each file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e.,
9128 the first few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head.
9129 If this is just some arbitrary file without a head (eg. a C source
9130 file), @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It
9131 will use file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
9134 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
9135 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
9136 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
9137 in the article buffer, just as usual.
9139 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
9140 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
9141 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
9142 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
9144 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
9145 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
9146 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
9147 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
9148 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
9149 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
9150 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
9151 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
9156 @item nneething-map-file-directory
9157 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
9158 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
9159 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
9161 @item nneething-exclude-files
9162 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
9163 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
9164 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
9166 @item nneething-map-file
9167 @vindex nneething-map-file
9168 Name of the map files.
9172 @node Document Groups
9173 @subsection Document Groups
9175 @cindex documentation group
9178 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
9179 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
9186 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
9191 The standard Unix mbox file.
9193 @cindex MMDF mail box
9195 The MMDF mail box format.
9198 Several news articles appended into a file.
9201 @cindex rnews batch files
9202 The rnews batch transport format.
9203 @cindex forwarded messages
9212 @cindex RFC 1153 digest
9213 @cindex RFC 341 digest
9214 MIME (RFC 1341) digest format.
9216 @item standard-digest
9217 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
9220 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
9223 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
9224 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
9225 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
9228 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
9229 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
9230 group. And that's it.
9232 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
9233 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
9234 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
9235 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
9236 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
9237 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
9238 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
9239 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
9240 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
9241 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
9243 Virtual server variables:
9246 @item nndoc-article-type
9247 @vindex nndoc-article-type
9248 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
9249 @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{news}, @code{rnews},
9250 @code{mime-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, or @code{guess}.
9252 @item nndoc-post-type
9253 @vindex nndoc-post-type
9254 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
9255 a mail group. There are two legal values: @code{mail} (the default)
9260 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
9264 @node Document Server Internals
9265 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
9267 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
9268 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
9269 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
9270 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
9272 First, here's an example document type definition:
9276 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
9277 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
9280 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
9281 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
9282 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
9283 types can be defined with very few settings:
9287 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
9288 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
9292 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
9293 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
9295 @item head-begin-function
9296 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
9299 @item nndoc-head-begin
9300 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
9303 @item nndoc-head-end
9304 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
9305 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
9307 @item body-begin-function
9308 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
9312 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
9315 @item body-end-function
9316 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
9320 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
9322 @item nndoc-file-end
9323 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
9324 regexp will be totally ignored.
9328 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
9329 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
9330 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
9331 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
9332 something that's palatable for Gnus:
9335 @item prepare-body-function
9336 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
9337 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
9338 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
9340 @item article-transform-function
9341 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
9342 meant to be used how more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
9343 body of the article.
9345 @item generate-head-function
9346 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
9347 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
9348 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
9349 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
9353 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
9358 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
9359 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
9360 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
9361 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
9363 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
9364 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
9365 (subtype digest guess))
9368 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
9369 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
9370 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
9371 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
9372 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
9374 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
9375 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
9376 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
9377 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
9378 traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for each
9379 type. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
9380 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
9381 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
9382 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
9383 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
9384 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest legal number.
9392 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
9393 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
9394 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
9396 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
9397 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
9398 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
9401 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something a that's a bit
9402 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
9403 that interested in doing things properly.
9405 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
9406 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
9412 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
9413 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie, or you can use Gnus to create the
9414 packet with the @kbd{O s} command.
9417 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
9420 You put the packet in your home directory.
9423 You fire up Gnus using the @code{nnsoup} backend as the native server.
9426 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
9430 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
9434 You transfer this packet to the server.
9437 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
9440 You then repeat until you die.
9444 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
9445 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
9448 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
9449 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
9450 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
9455 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
9459 @kindex G s b (Group)
9460 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
9461 Pack all unread articles in the current group
9462 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
9463 process/prefix convention.
9466 @kindex G s w (Group)
9467 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
9468 Save all data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
9471 @kindex G s s (Group)
9472 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
9473 Send all replies from the replies packet
9474 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
9477 @kindex G s p (Group)
9478 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
9479 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
9482 @kindex G s r (Group)
9483 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
9484 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
9487 @kindex O s (Summary)
9488 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
9489 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
9490 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
9496 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
9501 @item gnus-soup-directory
9502 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
9503 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
9504 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
9506 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
9507 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
9508 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
9509 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
9511 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
9512 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
9513 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
9516 @item gnus-soup-packer
9517 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
9518 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
9519 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
9521 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
9522 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
9523 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
9524 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
9526 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
9527 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
9528 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
9530 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
9531 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
9532 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
9533 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
9539 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
9542 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
9543 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
9544 you can read them at leisure.
9546 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
9550 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
9551 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
9552 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
9553 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
9555 @item nnsoup-directory
9556 @vindex nnsoup-directory
9557 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
9558 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
9560 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
9561 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
9562 All replies will stored in this directory before being packed into a
9563 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
9565 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
9566 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
9567 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
9568 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
9569 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
9571 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
9572 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
9573 The index type of the replies packet. The is @samp{?n}, which means
9574 ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
9576 @item nnsoup-active-file
9577 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
9578 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
9579 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
9580 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
9581 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
9584 @vindex nnsoup-packer
9585 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
9586 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
9588 @item nnsoup-unpacker
9589 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
9590 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
9591 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
9593 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
9594 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
9595 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
9598 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
9599 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
9600 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
9607 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
9609 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
9610 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
9611 more for that to happen.
9613 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
9614 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
9615 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
9618 In specific, this is what it does:
9621 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
9622 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
9625 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
9626 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
9627 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
9631 @subsection Web Searches
9636 @cindex Usenet searches
9637 @cindex searching the Usenet
9639 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
9640 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
9641 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
9642 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
9643 searches without having to use a browser.
9645 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
9646 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
9647 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
9648 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
9649 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
9651 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
9652 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
9653 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
9654 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
9655 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@code{Duplicate
9656 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
9657 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
9658 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
9659 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
9660 header---mark all articles that were posted before the last date you
9661 read the group as read.
9663 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
9664 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
9665 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
9666 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
9667 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
9668 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
9670 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
9671 to use @code{nnweb}.
9673 Virtual server variables:
9678 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
9679 are @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
9682 @vindex nnweb-search
9683 The search string to feed to the search engine.
9685 @item nnweb-max-hits
9686 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
9687 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
9690 @item nnweb-type-definition
9691 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
9692 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
9693 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
9698 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
9702 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
9705 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
9708 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
9712 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
9719 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
9720 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
9721 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
9724 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
9725 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
9726 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
9728 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
9734 @item nngateway-address
9735 @vindex nngateway-address
9736 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
9738 @item nngateway-header-transformation
9739 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
9740 News headers have often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
9741 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
9742 transformation should be called, and defaults to
9743 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
9744 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
9747 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
9748 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address---an article with this
9749 @code{Newsgroups} header:
9752 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
9755 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
9758 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
9763 So, to use this, simply say something like:
9766 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
9770 @node Combined Groups
9771 @section Combined Groups
9773 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
9777 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
9778 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
9782 @node Virtual Groups
9783 @subsection Virtual Groups
9785 @cindex virtual groups
9787 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
9790 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small group, you can
9791 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
9792 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
9794 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
9795 regexp to match component groups.
9797 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
9798 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
9799 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
9800 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
9803 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
9804 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
9807 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
9810 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
9811 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
9813 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
9814 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
9815 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
9816 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
9819 "^nntp+some.server.jp:soc.motss$\\|^nntp+some.server.no:soc.motss$"
9822 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
9823 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
9824 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
9825 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
9826 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}.
9828 One limitation, however---all groups that are included in a virtual
9829 group has to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
9830 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
9832 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
9833 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
9834 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
9835 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
9836 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
9837 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
9838 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
9839 effect if you have two virtual groups that contain the same component
9840 group. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
9841 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
9842 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
9845 @node Kibozed Groups
9846 @subsection Kibozed Groups
9850 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
9851 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
9852 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
9853 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
9856 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
9859 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
9860 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
9861 @code{nnkiboze} group. There most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
9862 and @code{nnvirtual} ends.
9864 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
9865 must have a score file to say what articles that are to be included in
9866 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
9868 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
9869 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
9870 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
9871 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
9872 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
9873 all the articles in all the components groups and run them through the
9874 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
9875 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
9877 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
9878 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
9879 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
9880 Stranger things have happened.
9882 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
9883 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
9885 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
9886 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
9887 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
9888 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
9889 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
9890 on what groups that have been searched through to find component
9893 Articles that are marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have their
9894 @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
9901 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
9902 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
9903 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
9906 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
9907 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
9908 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
9909 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
9910 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
9912 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
9913 before generating the summary buffer.
9915 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
9916 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
9917 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
9919 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
9920 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
9921 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
9922 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
9925 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
9926 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
9927 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
9928 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
9929 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
9930 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus @emph{knows} what you read.
9931 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
9932 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
9933 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
9934 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
9935 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
9936 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
9937 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
9938 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
9939 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
9943 @node Summary Score Commands
9944 @section Summary Score Commands
9945 @cindex score commands
9947 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
9948 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
9949 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
9950 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
9951 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
9953 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
9954 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
9955 some other score file (eg. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
9956 score file the current one.
9958 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
9963 @kindex V s (Summary)
9964 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
9965 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
9968 @kindex V S (Summary)
9969 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
9970 Display the score of the current article
9971 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
9974 @kindex V t (Summary)
9975 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
9976 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
9977 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
9980 @kindex V R (Summary)
9981 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
9982 Run the current summary through the scoring process
9983 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
9984 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
9985 effect you're having.
9988 @kindex V a (Summary)
9989 @findex gnus-summary-score-entry
9990 Add a new score entry, and allow specifying all elements
9991 (@code{gnus-summary-score-entry}).
9994 @kindex V c (Summary)
9995 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
9996 Make a different score file the current
9997 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
10000 @kindex V e (Summary)
10001 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
10002 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
10003 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
10007 @kindex V f (Summary)
10008 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
10009 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
10010 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
10013 @kindex V F (Summary)
10014 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
10015 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
10016 after editing score files.
10019 @kindex V C (Summary)
10020 @findex gnus-score-customize
10021 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
10022 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
10025 @kindex I C-i (Summary)
10026 @findex gnus-summary-raise-score
10027 Increase the score of the current article
10028 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-score}).
10031 @kindex L C-l (Summary)
10032 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
10033 Lower the score of the current article
10034 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-score}).
10037 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
10042 @kindex V m (Summary)
10043 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
10044 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
10045 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
10048 @kindex V x (Summary)
10049 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
10050 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
10051 expunge all articles below this score
10052 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
10055 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
10056 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
10061 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
10062 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
10064 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
10065 keys are available:
10069 Score on the author name.
10072 Score on the subject line.
10075 Score on the Xref line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
10078 Score on thread---the References line.
10084 Score on the number of lines.
10087 Score on the Message-ID.
10090 Score on followups.
10100 The third key is the match type. Which match types are legal depends on
10101 what headers you are scoring on.
10113 Substring matching.
10145 Greater than number.
10150 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
10151 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
10152 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
10156 Temporary score entry.
10159 Permanent score entry.
10162 Immediately scoring.
10167 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
10168 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
10169 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
10170 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
10172 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
10173 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
10174 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
10175 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
10176 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
10178 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
10179 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
10180 pretend they are keymaps or not.
10183 @node Group Score Commands
10184 @section Group Score Commands
10185 @cindex group score commands
10187 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
10192 @kindex W f (Group)
10193 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
10194 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
10195 all the time. This command will flush the cache
10196 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
10201 @node Score Variables
10202 @section Score Variables
10203 @cindex score variables
10207 @item gnus-use-scoring
10208 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
10209 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
10210 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
10212 @item gnus-kill-killed
10213 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
10214 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
10215 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
10216 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
10217 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
10218 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
10219 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
10221 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
10222 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
10223 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
10224 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
10225 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
10227 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
10228 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
10229 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
10230 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
10232 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
10233 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
10234 @cindex score cache
10235 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
10236 score files. However, if this might make you Emacs grow big and
10237 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files that are
10238 unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
10239 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
10240 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
10241 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
10244 @item gnus-save-score
10245 @vindex gnus-save-score
10246 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
10247 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
10248 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
10250 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
10251 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
10252 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
10253 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
10254 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
10255 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
10256 manually entered data.
10258 @item gnus-summary-default-score
10259 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
10260 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
10262 @item gnus-score-over-mark
10263 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
10264 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
10265 default. Default is @samp{+}.
10267 @item gnus-score-below-mark
10268 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
10269 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
10270 default. Default is @samp{-}.
10272 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
10273 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
10274 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
10275 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
10277 Predefined functions available are:
10280 @item gnus-score-find-single
10281 @findex gnus-score-find-single
10282 Only apply the group's own score file.
10284 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
10285 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
10286 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
10287 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
10288 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
10289 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
10290 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
10291 then a regexp match is done.
10293 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
10294 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
10296 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
10297 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
10298 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
10299 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
10301 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
10302 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
10303 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
10304 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
10305 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE}.
10308 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
10309 functions will be called, and all the returned lists of score files will
10310 be applied. These functions can also return lists of score alists
10311 directly. In that case, the functions that return these non-file score
10312 alists should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file
10313 functions, to ensure that the last score file returned is the local
10316 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
10317 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
10318 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
10319 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
10320 are expired. It's 7 by default.
10322 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
10323 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
10324 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
10325 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
10326 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
10327 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
10328 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
10331 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
10332 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
10333 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
10338 @node Score File Format
10339 @section Score File Format
10340 @cindex score file format
10342 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
10343 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
10344 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
10346 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
10350 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
10352 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
10354 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
10356 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
10361 (mark-and-expunge -10)
10365 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
10366 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
10367 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
10368 (gnus-summary-make-false-root 'empty))
10372 This example demonstrates absolutely everything about a score file.
10374 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
10375 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
10376 has to be legal syntactically, if not semantically.
10378 Six keys are supported by this alist:
10383 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
10384 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
10385 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
10386 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
10387 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
10388 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
10389 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
10390 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
10391 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
10392 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
10393 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
10394 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
10395 to articles that matches these score entries.
10397 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
10398 score entry has one to four elements.
10402 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
10403 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
10407 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
10408 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
10409 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
10410 is successful. If this element is not present, the
10411 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
10412 instead. This is 1000 by default.
10415 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
10416 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
10417 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
10418 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
10419 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 ce.
10422 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
10423 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
10424 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
10425 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
10428 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
10429 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
10430 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
10431 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
10432 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
10433 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
10434 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
10435 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
10436 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
10437 instead, if you feel like.
10440 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
10441 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
10444 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
10445 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
10446 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
10447 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
10448 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
10449 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
10450 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
10454 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
10455 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
10456 ISO8601 compact format first---@samp{YYYYMMDDTHHMMSS}. If you want to
10457 match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in every year, you
10458 could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string, for instance.
10459 (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so this will
10460 match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where the article
10461 was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the whole
10464 @item Head, Body, All
10465 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
10469 This match key will add a score entry on all articles that followup to
10470 some author. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header uses.
10473 This match key will add a score entry on all articles that are part of
10474 a thread. Uses the same match types as the @code{References} header
10480 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
10481 lower than this number will be marked as read.
10484 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
10485 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
10487 @item mark-and-expunge
10488 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
10489 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
10492 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
10493 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
10494 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
10495 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
10496 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
10499 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
10500 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
10503 @item exclude-files
10504 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. This files will
10505 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
10509 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
10510 ignored when handling global score files.
10513 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
10514 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}).
10517 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
10518 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
10519 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
10520 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
10522 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
10526 (mark-and-expunge -100)
10529 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
10530 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
10531 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
10532 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
10533 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
10535 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
10536 exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
10537 ordinary scoring rules.
10540 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
10541 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
10542 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
10543 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
10544 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
10545 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
10546 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
10547 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
10548 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
10549 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
10550 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
10554 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
10555 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
10556 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
10557 file for a number of groups.
10560 @cindex local variables
10561 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
10562 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
10563 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
10564 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
10569 @node Score File Editing
10570 @section Score File Editing
10572 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
10573 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
10574 with a mode for that.
10576 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
10577 additional commands:
10582 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
10583 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
10584 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
10585 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
10588 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
10589 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
10590 Insert the current date in numerical format
10591 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
10592 you were wondering.
10595 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
10596 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
10597 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
10598 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
10599 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
10604 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
10606 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
10607 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
10609 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
10610 e} to begin editing score files.
10613 @node Adaptive Scoring
10614 @section Adaptive Scoring
10615 @cindex adaptive scoring
10617 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
10618 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
10619 stupidity, to be precise.
10621 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
10622 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
10623 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
10624 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
10625 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
10626 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
10627 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
10628 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
10629 variable to @code{(word line)}.
10631 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
10632 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
10633 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
10634 might look something like this:
10637 (defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
10638 '((gnus-unread-mark)
10639 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
10640 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
10641 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
10642 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
10643 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
10644 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
10645 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
10646 (gnus-ancient-mark)
10647 (gnus-low-score-mark)
10648 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
10651 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
10652 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
10653 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
10654 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
10655 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
10656 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
10659 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
10660 will be applied to each article.
10662 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
10663 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
10664 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
10665 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
10667 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
10668 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
10669 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
10670 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
10672 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
10673 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
10674 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
10675 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
10676 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
10677 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
10679 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
10680 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
10681 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
10682 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
10683 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
10684 aspirins afterwards.)
10686 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
10687 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
10688 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
10690 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
10691 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
10692 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
10694 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
10695 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
10696 let you use different rules in different groups.
10698 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
10699 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
10700 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
10703 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
10704 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
10705 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
10706 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
10707 the length of the match is less than
10708 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
10709 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
10712 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
10713 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
10714 headers. If you adapt on words, the
10715 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
10716 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
10719 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
10720 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
10721 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
10722 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
10723 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
10726 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
10727 word that appears in subjects of articles that are marked with
10728 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
10729 score with 30 points.
10731 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
10732 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
10733 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
10734 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
10735 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
10737 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
10738 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
10739 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
10740 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
10742 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
10743 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
10744 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
10747 @node Home Score File
10748 @section Home Score File
10750 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
10751 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
10752 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
10753 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
10755 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
10756 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
10757 could perhaps use the same home score file.
10759 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
10760 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
10765 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
10769 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
10770 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
10774 A list. The elements in this list can be:
10778 @var{(regexp file-name)}. If the @var{regexp} matches the group name,
10779 the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
10782 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
10783 the home score file.
10786 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
10789 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
10794 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
10797 (setq gnus-home-score-file
10798 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
10801 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
10802 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
10805 (setq gnus-home-score-file
10806 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
10809 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
10811 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
10812 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
10813 their own home score files:
10816 (setq gnus-home-score-file
10817 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
10818 '("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
10819 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
10820 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE"))
10823 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
10824 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
10825 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
10826 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
10827 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
10829 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
10830 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
10831 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
10832 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
10833 precedence over this variable.
10836 @node Followups To Yourself
10837 @section Followups To Yourself
10839 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
10840 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
10841 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
10842 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
10843 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
10844 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
10848 @item gnus-score-followup-article
10849 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
10850 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
10853 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
10854 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
10855 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
10859 @vindex message-sent-hook
10860 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
10861 @code{message-sent-hook}.
10863 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
10864 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
10868 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
10869 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
10872 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
10873 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
10878 "<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf@@.*eyesore.no>" 1000 nil r)
10881 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
10882 is system-dependent.
10886 @section Scoring Tips
10887 @cindex scoring tips
10893 @cindex scoring crossposts
10894 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
10895 the @code{Xref} header.
10897 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
10900 @item Multiple crossposts
10901 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
10902 more than, say, 3 groups:
10904 ("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
10907 @item Matching on the body
10908 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
10909 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
10910 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
10911 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
10912 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
10913 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
10914 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
10917 @item Marking as read
10918 You will probably want to mark articles that has a score below a certain
10919 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
10920 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
10924 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
10926 @item Negated character classes
10927 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
10928 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
10929 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
10933 @node Reverse Scoring
10934 @section Reverse Scoring
10935 @cindex reverse scoring
10937 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
10938 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
10939 like this in your score file:
10943 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
10948 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
10949 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
10952 @node Global Score Files
10953 @section Global Score Files
10954 @cindex global score files
10956 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
10957 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
10958 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
10960 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
10961 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
10962 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
10964 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
10965 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
10966 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
10967 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
10968 files are applicable to which group.
10970 Say you want to use the score file
10971 @file{/ftp@@ftp.ifi.uio.no:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
10972 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
10975 (setq gnus-global-score-files
10976 '("/ftp@@ftp.ifi.uio.no:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
10977 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
10980 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
10981 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
10982 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
10983 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
10984 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
10986 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
10987 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
10989 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
10990 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
10991 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
10992 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
10993 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
10994 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
10996 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
11002 Articles that are heavily crossposted are probably junk.
11004 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
11006 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
11008 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
11009 lowered out of existence.
11011 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
11012 articles completely.
11015 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
11016 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
11017 old articles for a long time.
11020 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
11021 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
11022 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
11023 holding our breath yet?
11027 @section Kill Files
11030 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
11031 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
11032 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
11034 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
11035 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
11036 files into score files.
11038 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
11039 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
11040 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
11041 that isn't a very good idea.
11043 XCNormal kill files look like this:
11046 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11047 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
11051 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove them from
11052 the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
11054 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
11055 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
11058 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
11063 @kindex M-k (Summary)
11064 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
11065 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
11068 @kindex M-K (Summary)
11069 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
11070 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
11073 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
11078 @kindex M-k (Group)
11079 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
11080 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
11083 @kindex M-K (Group)
11084 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
11085 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
11088 Kill file variables:
11091 @item gnus-kill-file-name
11092 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
11093 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
11094 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
11095 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
11096 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
11097 course) is called just @file{KILL}.
11099 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
11100 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
11101 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
11102 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
11105 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
11106 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
11107 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
11108 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
11109 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
11110 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
11111 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
11112 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
11113 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
11115 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
11116 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
11117 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
11126 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
11127 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
11128 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
11130 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
11131 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
11132 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
11133 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
11134 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
11135 Once it has found for you some people you agree with it tells you, in
11136 the form of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use
11137 this prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
11141 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
11142 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
11143 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
11144 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
11148 @node Using GroupLens
11149 @subsection Using GroupLens
11151 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
11153 @samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
11154 better bit in town is at the moment.
11156 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
11160 @item gnus-use-grouplens
11161 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
11162 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
11163 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
11165 @item grouplens-pseudonym
11166 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
11167 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
11168 with the Better Bit Bureau.
11170 @item grouplens-newsgroups
11171 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
11172 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
11176 Thats the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
11177 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
11178 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
11179 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
11180 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
11181 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
11184 @node Rating Articles
11185 @subsection Rating Articles
11187 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
11188 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
11189 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
11190 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
11193 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
11198 @kindex r (GroupLens)
11199 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
11200 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
11203 @kindex k (GroupLens)
11204 @findex grouplens-score-thread
11205 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
11206 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
11207 threads in rec.humor.
11211 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
11212 the score of the article you're reading.
11217 @kindex n (GroupLens)
11218 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
11219 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
11222 @kindex , (GroupLens)
11223 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
11224 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
11228 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
11229 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
11232 @node Displaying Predictions
11233 @subsection Displaying Predictions
11235 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
11236 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
11237 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
11238 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
11239 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
11241 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
11242 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
11243 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
11244 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
11245 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
11246 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
11247 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
11248 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
11249 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
11250 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
11251 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
11252 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
11253 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
11255 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
11256 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
11257 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
11258 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
11260 The following are legal values for that variable.
11263 @item prediction-spot
11264 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
11267 @item confidence-interval
11268 A numeric confidence interval.
11270 @item prediction-bar
11271 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
11273 @item confidence-bar
11274 Numerical confidence.
11276 @item confidence-spot
11277 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
11279 @item prediction-num
11280 Plain-old numeric value.
11282 @item confidence-plus-minus
11283 Prediction +/i confidence.
11288 @node GroupLens Variables
11289 @subsection GroupLens Variables
11293 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
11294 The summary line format used in summary buffers that are GroupLens
11295 enhanced. It accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format
11296 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). The default is
11297 @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
11299 @item grouplens-bbb-host
11300 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
11303 @item grouplens-bbb-port
11304 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
11306 @item grouplens-score-offset
11307 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
11308 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
11311 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
11312 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
11313 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
11318 @node Advanced Scoring
11319 @section Advanced Scoring
11321 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
11322 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
11323 about a particular subject? Or what about if you really don't want to
11324 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
11325 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
11327 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
11331 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
11332 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
11333 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
11337 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
11338 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
11340 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
11341 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
11342 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
11343 non-@code{nil} value.
11345 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
11346 operator, and various match operators.
11353 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
11354 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
11355 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
11360 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
11361 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
11362 then this operator will return @code{false}.
11367 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
11368 inverse of the value of its argument.
11372 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
11373 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
11374 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
11375 current article. @code{2-} will make score fules apply to the
11376 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
11377 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) say how far back into
11378 the ancestry you want to go.
11380 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
11381 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
11382 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
11383 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
11384 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
11387 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
11388 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
11390 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
11391 when he's talking about Gnus:
11395 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11396 ("subject" "Gnus"))
11402 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
11406 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11413 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
11414 really don't want to read what he's written:
11418 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11419 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
11423 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
11424 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
11425 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
11432 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
11433 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
11434 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
11435 ("body" "white.*socks"))
11439 The possibilities are endless.
11442 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
11443 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
11445 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
11446 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
11447 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
11448 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
11449 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
11450 (@samp{body}, @code{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
11451 @samp{subject}) first.
11453 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
11454 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
11465 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
11466 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
11472 ("subject" "Gnus")))
11479 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
11480 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
11485 @section Score Decays
11486 @cindex score decays
11489 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
11490 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
11491 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
11492 use them in any sensible way.
11494 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
11495 @findex gnus-decay-score
11496 @vindex gnus-score-decay-function
11497 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
11498 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
11499 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
11500 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
11501 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-score-decay-function}
11502 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
11503 definition of that function:
11506 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
11509 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
11511 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
11513 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
11516 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
11517 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
11518 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
11519 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
11523 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
11526 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
11529 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
11533 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
11534 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
11535 the new score, which should be an integer.
11537 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
11538 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
11545 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
11546 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
11547 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
11548 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
11549 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
11550 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
11551 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
11552 * Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
11553 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
11554 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
11555 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
11556 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
11557 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
11558 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
11562 @node Process/Prefix
11563 @section Process/Prefix
11564 @cindex process/prefix convention
11566 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
11567 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
11569 This is a method for figuring out what articles that the user wants the
11570 command to be performed on.
11574 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
11575 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
11576 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
11577 with the current one.
11579 @vindex transient-mark-mode
11580 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
11581 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
11583 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
11584 process mark, perform the operation on the articles that are marked with
11587 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
11588 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
11590 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
11593 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
11594 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
11595 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
11596 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
11598 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
11599 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
11600 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
11601 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
11602 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
11603 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
11604 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
11605 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
11609 @section Interactive
11610 @cindex interaction
11614 @item gnus-novice-user
11615 @vindex gnus-novice-user
11616 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
11617 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
11618 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
11619 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
11622 @item gnus-expert-user
11623 @vindex gnus-expert-user
11624 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will never ever be asked any
11625 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
11626 matter how strange.
11628 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
11629 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
11630 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
11631 is @code{t} by default.
11633 @item gnus-interactive-exit
11634 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
11635 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
11640 @node Formatting Variables
11641 @section Formatting Variables
11642 @cindex formatting variables
11644 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables that
11645 are called things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
11646 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
11647 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
11648 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
11651 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
11652 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
11653 lots of percentages everywhere.
11656 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
11657 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
11658 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
11659 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
11662 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
11663 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
11664 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
11665 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
11666 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
11667 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
11668 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
11669 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
11671 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
11672 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
11674 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
11675 @findex gnus-update-format
11676 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
11677 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
11678 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
11679 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
11683 @node Formatting Basics
11684 @subsection Formatting Basics
11686 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
11687 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
11688 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
11690 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
11691 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
11692 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
11693 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
11694 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
11697 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
11698 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
11699 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
11700 less than 4 characters wide.
11703 @node Advanced Formatting
11704 @subsection Advanced Formatting
11706 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
11707 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
11708 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
11709 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
11711 These are the legal modifiers:
11716 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
11720 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
11725 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
11728 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
11733 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
11736 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
11739 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
11742 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
11746 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
11747 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
11748 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
11749 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
11750 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
11751 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
11752 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
11754 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
11755 last operation, padding.
11757 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
11758 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
11759 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
11760 @xref{Compilation}.
11763 @node User-Defined Specs
11764 @subsection User-Defined Specs
11766 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
11767 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
11768 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
11769 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
11770 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
11771 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
11772 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
11773 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
11774 should protect against that.
11776 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
11777 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
11778 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
11779 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
11783 @node Formatting Fonts
11784 @subsection Formatting Fonts
11786 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
11787 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
11788 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
11789 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
11792 Text inside the @samp{%[} and @samp{%]} specifiers will have their
11793 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
11794 default. If you say @samp{%1[} instead, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1}
11795 instead, and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes
11796 for the @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
11797 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
11799 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
11802 ;; Create three face types.
11803 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
11804 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
11806 ;; We want the article count to be in
11807 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
11808 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
11809 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
11811 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
11812 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
11814 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
11815 (setq gnus-group-line-format
11816 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
11819 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
11820 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
11822 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
11823 mode-line variables.
11826 @node Windows Configuration
11827 @section Windows Configuration
11828 @cindex windows configuration
11830 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
11832 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
11833 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
11834 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
11835 @code{t} by default.
11837 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
11838 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
11839 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
11842 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
11843 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
11844 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
11848 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
11849 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
11850 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
11851 possible names is listed below.
11853 The @dfn{value} (i. e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
11854 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
11857 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
11861 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
11862 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
11863 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
11864 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
11865 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
11866 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
11867 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
11868 size spec per split.
11870 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
11873 Here's a more complicated example:
11876 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
11877 (summary 0.25 point)
11878 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
11882 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
11883 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
11884 occupy, not a percentage.
11886 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
11887 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
11888 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
11889 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
11890 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
11893 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
11896 (article (horizontal 1.0
11901 (summary 0.25 point)
11906 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
11907 @code{horizontal} thingie?
11909 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
11910 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
11911 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
11912 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
11913 the screen is to be given to this strip.
11915 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
11916 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
11917 lines from the splits.
11919 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a legal split
11923 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
11924 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
11925 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
11926 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
11927 buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] ")"
11928 size = number | frame-params
11929 buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
11932 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
11933 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
11934 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
11935 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
11937 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
11938 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
11939 @cindex window height
11940 @cindex window width
11941 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
11942 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
11943 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
11944 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
11945 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
11946 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
11948 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
11949 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
11950 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
11951 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
11953 @findex gnus-configure-frame
11954 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
11955 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
11956 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
11957 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
11958 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
11959 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
11960 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
11961 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
11962 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
11963 configuration list.
11966 (gnus-configure-frame
11970 (article 0.3 point))
11978 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
11979 @code{frame} split:
11982 (gnus-configure-frame
11985 (summary 0.25 point)
11987 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
11988 (user-position . t)
11989 (left . -1) (top . 1))
11994 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
11995 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
11996 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
11997 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
11998 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
11999 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
12002 Here's a list of all possible keys for
12003 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration}:
12005 @code{group}, @code{summary}, @code{article}, @code{server},
12006 @code{browse}, @code{message}, @code{pick}, @code{info},
12007 @code{summary-faq}, @code{edit-group}, @code{edit-server},
12008 @code{edit-score}, @code{post}, @code{reply}, @code{forward},
12009 @code{reply-yank}, @code{mail-bounce}, @code{draft},
12010 @code{pipe}, @code{bug}, @code{compose-bounce}.
12012 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
12013 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
12014 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
12018 (message (horizontal 1.0
12019 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
12021 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
12026 @findex gnus-add-configuration
12027 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
12028 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
12029 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
12030 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
12033 (gnus-add-configuration
12034 '(article (vertical 1.0
12036 (summary .25 point)
12040 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
12041 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
12042 Gnus has been loaded.
12044 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
12045 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
12046 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
12047 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
12048 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
12052 @section Compilation
12053 @cindex compilation
12054 @cindex byte-compilation
12056 @findex gnus-compile
12058 Remember all those line format specification variables?
12059 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
12060 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
12061 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
12062 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
12063 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
12066 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
12067 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
12068 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
12069 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
12070 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
12071 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
12072 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
12076 @section Mode Lines
12079 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
12080 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
12081 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
12082 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
12083 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
12084 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
12085 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
12088 @cindex display-time
12090 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
12091 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
12092 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
12093 to display (eg. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
12094 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
12095 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
12096 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
12097 additional elements on the mode line (eg. a clock), you should modify
12100 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
12102 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
12103 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
12105 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
12106 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
12107 (length display-time-string)))))
12110 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
12111 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either.
12114 @node Highlighting and Menus
12115 @section Highlighting and Menus
12117 @cindex highlighting
12120 @vindex gnus-visual
12121 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the prettifying Gnus
12122 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
12123 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
12126 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
12127 following elements are legal, and are all included by default:
12130 @item group-highlight
12131 Do highlights in the group buffer.
12132 @item summary-highlight
12133 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
12134 @item article-highlight
12135 Do highlights in the article buffer.
12137 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
12139 Create menus in the group buffer.
12141 Create menus in the summary buffers.
12143 Create menus in the article buffer.
12145 Create menus in the browse buffer.
12147 Create menus in the server buffer.
12149 Create menus in the score buffers.
12151 Create menus in all buffers.
12154 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
12155 buffers, you could say something like:
12158 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
12161 If you want only highlighting and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
12164 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
12167 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
12168 in all Gnus buffers.
12170 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
12173 @item gnus-mouse-face
12174 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
12175 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
12176 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
12178 @item gnus-display-type
12179 @vindex gnus-display-type
12180 This variable is symbol indicating the display type Emacs is running
12181 under. The symbol should be one of @code{color}, @code{grayscale} or
12182 @code{mono}. If Gnus guesses this display attribute wrongly, either set
12183 this variable in your @file{~/.emacs} or set the resource
12184 @code{Emacs.displayType} in your @file{~/.Xdefaults}.
12186 @item gnus-background-mode
12187 @vindex gnus-background-mode
12188 This is a symbol indicating the Emacs background brightness. The symbol
12189 should be one of @code{light} or @code{dark}. If Gnus guesses this
12190 frame attribute wrongly, either set this variable in your @file{~/.emacs} or
12191 set the resource @code{Emacs.backgroundMode} in your @file{~/.Xdefaults}.
12192 `gnus-display-type'.
12195 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
12199 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
12200 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
12201 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
12203 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
12204 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
12205 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
12207 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
12208 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
12209 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
12211 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
12212 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
12213 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
12215 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
12216 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
12217 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
12219 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
12220 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
12221 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
12232 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
12233 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
12234 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
12235 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
12236 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
12240 @vindex gnus-carpal
12241 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
12242 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
12243 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
12248 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
12249 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
12250 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
12252 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
12253 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
12254 Face used on buttons.
12256 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
12257 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
12258 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
12260 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
12261 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
12262 Buttons in the group buffer.
12264 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
12265 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
12266 Buttons in the summary buffer.
12268 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
12269 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
12270 Buttons in the server buffer.
12272 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
12273 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
12274 Buttons in the browse buffer.
12277 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
12278 is either a cons cell where the car contains a text to be displayed and
12279 the cdr contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
12287 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
12288 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
12289 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
12290 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
12291 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
12293 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
12294 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
12295 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
12297 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
12298 been idle for thirty minutes:
12301 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
12304 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
12308 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
12311 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter works together
12312 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
12313 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
12315 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
12316 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
12317 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
12318 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
12320 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
12321 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
12322 @var{idle} minutes.
12324 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
12325 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
12328 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
12329 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
12330 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
12332 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
12333 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
12334 seconds. This is @code{60} by default. If you change that variable,
12335 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
12337 @vindex gnus-use-demon
12338 To set the whole thing in motion, though, you have to set
12339 @code{gnus-use-demon} to @code{t}.
12341 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
12342 your @file{.gnus} file:
12344 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
12346 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
12349 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
12350 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
12351 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
12352 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
12353 Some ready-made functions to do this has been created:
12354 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
12355 @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just
12356 put those functions in your @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
12358 @findex gnus-demon-init
12359 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
12360 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
12361 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
12362 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
12363 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
12365 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you overdo it. Adding
12366 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
12367 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
12376 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
12377 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
12379 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
12380 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
12381 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
12382 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
12385 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
12386 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
12387 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
12388 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
12390 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
12391 this will make spam disappear.
12393 There are some variables to customize, of course:
12396 @item gnus-use-nocem
12397 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
12398 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
12401 @item gnus-nocem-groups
12402 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
12403 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
12404 default is @code{("alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
12406 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
12407 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
12408 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
12409 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
12410 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;" "jem@@xpat.com;" "red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us
12411 (Richard E. Depew)")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
12413 Known despammers that you can put in this list include:
12416 @item clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;
12417 @cindex Chris Lewis
12418 Chris Lewis---Major Canadian despammer who has probably canceled more
12419 usenet abuse than anybody else.
12422 @cindex CancelMoose[tm]
12423 The CancelMoose[tm] on autopilot. The CancelMoose[tm] is reputed to be
12424 Norwegian, and was the person(s) who invented NoCeM.
12426 @item jem@@xpat.com;
12428 Jem---Korean despammer who is getting very busy these days.
12430 @item red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us (Richard E. Depew)
12431 Richard E. Depew---lone American despammer. He mostly cancels binary
12432 postings to non-binary groups and removes spews (regurgitated articles).
12435 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
12436 ones you want to listen to.
12438 @item gnus-nocem-directory
12439 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
12440 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
12441 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
12443 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
12444 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
12445 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
12446 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
12447 might then see old spam.
12455 So... You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
12456 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
12457 over your shoulder as you read news.
12460 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
12461 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
12462 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
12463 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
12464 * Picon Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
12469 @subsection Picon Basics
12471 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
12474 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
12475 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
12476 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
12477 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
12478 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
12479 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
12480 @code{GIF} formats.
12483 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases, point
12484 your Web browser at
12485 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
12487 @vindex gnus-picons-database
12488 Gnus expects picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
12489 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
12492 @node Picon Requirements
12493 @subsection Picon Requirements
12495 To use have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
12496 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
12499 Additionally, you must have @code{xpm} support compiled into XEmacs.
12501 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
12502 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you must have
12503 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
12504 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
12508 @subsection Easy Picons
12510 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
12511 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
12514 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
12515 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
12516 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-prepare-hook 'gnus-group-display-picons t)
12517 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-picons-article-display-x-face)
12522 @subsection Hard Picons
12524 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
12525 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
12526 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
12527 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
12528 feature, you need to first decide where to display them.
12532 @item gnus-picons-display-where
12533 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
12534 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
12535 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
12536 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
12537 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
12538 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
12539 routines---@xref{Windows Configuration}.
12543 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
12544 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
12546 Now that you've made that decision, you need to add the following
12547 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get
12548 displayed at the right time.
12550 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
12551 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
12553 @item gnus-article-display-picons
12554 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
12555 Looks up and display the picons for the author and the author's domain
12556 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer. Should be added to
12557 the @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
12559 @item gnus-group-display-picons
12560 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
12561 Displays picons representing the current group. This function should
12562 be added to the @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook} or to the
12563 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} if @code{gnus-picons-display-where}
12564 is set to @code{article}.
12566 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
12567 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
12568 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present. This function
12569 should be added to @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
12573 Note: You must append them to the hook, so make sure to specify 't'
12574 to the append flag of @code{add-hook}:
12577 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
12581 @node Picon Configuration
12582 @subsection Picon Configuration
12584 The following variables offer further control over how things are
12585 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
12586 don't need to worry about.
12589 @item gnus-picons-database
12590 @vindex gnus-picons-database
12591 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
12592 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
12593 subdirectories. Defaults to @file{/usr/local/faces}.
12595 @item gnus-picons-news-directory
12596 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directory
12597 Sub-directory of the faces database containing the icons for
12600 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
12601 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
12602 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
12603 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc/MISC")} is the default.
12605 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
12606 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
12607 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
12608 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
12609 want to add @samp{unknown} to this list.
12611 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
12612 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
12613 The command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
12614 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
12615 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
12616 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
12618 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
12619 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
12620 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
12621 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
12623 @item gnus-picons-buffer
12624 @vindex gnus-picons-buffer
12625 The name of the buffer that @code{picons} points to. Defaults to
12626 @samp{*Icon Buffer*}.
12632 @section Moderation
12635 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
12636 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
12637 @samp{larsi@@ifi.uio.no} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
12640 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
12644 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
12647 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
12649 If you are the moderation of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
12654 You split your incoming mail by matching on
12655 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
12656 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
12659 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
12660 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
12663 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
12664 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
12668 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
12671 (setq gnus-moderated-list
12672 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
12676 @node XEmacs Enhancements
12677 @section XEmacs Enhancements
12680 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
12681 advantage of that. Relevant variables include:
12684 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
12685 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
12686 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
12687 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
12688 unusual directory structure.
12690 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
12691 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
12692 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
12693 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
12695 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
12696 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
12697 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
12698 Legal values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
12699 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
12700 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
12702 @item gnus-use-toolbar
12703 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
12704 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
12705 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
12706 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
12708 @item gnus-group-toolbar
12709 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
12710 The toolbar in the group buffer.
12712 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
12713 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
12714 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
12716 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
12717 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
12718 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
12720 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
12721 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
12722 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
12728 @node Various Various
12729 @section Various Various
12735 @item gnus-directory
12736 @vindex gnus-directory
12737 All Gnus directories will be initialized from this variable, which
12738 defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or @file{~/News/}
12739 if that variable isn't set.
12741 @item gnus-default-directory
12742 @vindex gnus-default-directory
12743 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
12744 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
12745 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
12746 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
12747 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
12748 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
12751 @vindex gnus-verbose
12752 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
12753 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
12754 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
12755 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
12756 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
12758 @item gnus-verbose-backends
12759 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
12760 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
12761 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
12763 @item nnheader-max-head-length
12764 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
12765 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
12766 as little as possible. This variable (default @code{4096}) specifies
12767 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
12768 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
12769 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
12770 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
12771 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
12774 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
12775 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
12776 This variable says how big a piece of each article to read when doing
12777 the operation described above.
12779 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
12780 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
12782 @cindex illegal characters in file names
12783 @cindex characters in file names
12784 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
12785 For instance, if @samp{:} is illegal as a file character in file names
12786 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
12789 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
12793 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
12794 Windows (phooey) systems.
12796 @item gnus-hidden-properties
12797 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
12798 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
12799 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
12800 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
12802 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
12803 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
12804 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
12805 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
12806 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
12808 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
12809 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
12810 String used to separate to shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
12819 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
12820 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
12822 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
12824 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
12829 Not because of victories @*
12832 but for the common sunshine,@*
12834 the largess of the spring.
12837 but for the day's work done@*
12838 as well as I was able;@*
12839 not for a seat upon the dais@*
12840 but at the common table.@*
12845 @chapter Appendices
12848 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
12849 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
12850 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
12851 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
12852 * A Programmers Guide to Gnus:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
12853 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
12854 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
12862 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
12863 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
12865 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage, you
12866 can point your (feh!) web browser to
12867 @file{http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
12868 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is known
12869 as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
12871 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
12872 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)}, is, of course, short for
12873 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
12874 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
12875 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
12876 appropriate name, don't you think?)
12878 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
12879 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
12880 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
12881 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
12883 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
12884 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution.
12886 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'') was
12887 released under the name ``Gnus 5.2''.
12889 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun.
12892 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
12893 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
12894 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
12895 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
12896 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
12897 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
12898 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
12905 What's the point of Gnus?
12907 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
12908 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
12909 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
12910 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
12911 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
12912 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
12913 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
12914 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
12915 keep track of millions of people who post?
12917 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
12918 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
12919 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
12920 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
12921 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
12922 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
12923 everywhere I could imagine useful. By doing so, I'm inviting every one
12924 of you to explore and invent.
12926 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x hail-emacs}.
12929 @node Compatibility
12930 @subsection Compatibility
12932 @cindex compatibility
12933 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
12934 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
12935 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
12940 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
12944 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
12947 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @pxref{Decoding
12950 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
12951 buffers. All variables that are relevant while reading a group are
12952 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
12953 important variables have their values copied into their global
12954 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
12955 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
12957 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
12958 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
12959 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
12960 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
12961 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
12965 @cindex highlighting
12966 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
12967 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
12968 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
12969 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
12970 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
12971 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
12974 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
12975 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
12976 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
12977 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
12979 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
12980 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
12981 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
12982 to stop doing it the old way.
12984 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
12986 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
12988 @cindex reporting bugs
12990 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
12991 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
12992 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
12996 @subsection Conformity
12998 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
12999 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
13006 There are no known breaches of this standard.
13010 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
13012 @item Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval
13013 @cindex Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval
13014 Gnus has been through the Seal process and failed. I think it'll pass
13015 the next inspection.
13017 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
13018 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
13019 We do have some breaches to this one.
13024 Gnus does no MIME handling, and this standard-to-be seems to think that
13025 MIME is the bees' knees, so we have major breakage here.
13028 This is considered to be a ``vanity header'', while I consider it to be
13029 consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted articles
13030 coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use either of
13031 those for posting articles. I would not have known that if it wasn't
13032 for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
13035 Gnus does line breaking on this header. I infer from RFC1036 that being
13036 conservative in what you output is not creating 5000-character lines, so
13037 it seems like a good idea to me. However, this standard-to-be says that
13038 whitespace in the @code{References} header is to be preserved, so... It
13039 doesn't matter one way or the other to Gnus, so if somebody tells me
13040 what The Way is, I'll change it. Or not.
13045 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliantly with regards to the texts
13046 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
13051 @subsection Emacsen
13057 Gnus should work on :
13062 Emacs 19.30 and up.
13065 XEmacs 19.13 and up.
13068 Mule versions based on Emacs 19.30 and up.
13072 Gnus will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than that. Not
13073 reliably, at least.
13075 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various platforms:
13080 The mouse-face on Gnus lines under Emacs and Mule is delimited to
13081 certain parts of the lines while they cover the entire line under
13085 The same with current-article marking---XEmacs puts an underline under
13086 the entire summary line while Emacs and Mule are nicer and kinder.
13089 XEmacs features more graphics---a logo and a toolbar.
13092 Citation highlighting us better under Emacs and Mule than under XEmacs.
13095 Emacs 19.26-19.28 have tangible hidden headers, which can be a bit
13102 @subsection Contributors
13103 @cindex contributors
13105 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
13106 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
13107 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
13108 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
13109 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
13110 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
13111 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
13112 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
13113 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
13114 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
13116 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
13121 @item Masanobu @sc{Umeda}
13122 The writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
13124 @item Per Abrahamsen
13125 Custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as well as numerous
13128 @item Luis Fernandes
13129 Design and graphics.
13132 @file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on @dfn{picons}
13136 @file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section (@pxref{GroupLens}).
13138 @item Sudish Joseph
13139 Innumerable bug fixes.
13142 @file{gnus-topic.el}.
13144 @item Steven L. Baur
13145 Lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
13147 @item Vladimir Alexiev
13148 The refcard and reference booklets.
13150 @item Felix Lee & JWZ
13151 I stole some pieces from the XGnus distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
13154 @file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
13156 @item Peter Mutsaers
13157 Orphan article scoring code.
13162 @item Hallvard B Furuseth
13163 Various bits and pieces, especially dealing with .newsrc files.
13165 @item Brian Edmonds
13166 @file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
13168 @item Ricardo Nassif and Mark Borges
13171 @item Kevin Davidson
13172 Came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
13176 Peter Arius, Stainless Steel Rat, Ulrik Dickow, Jack Vinson, Daniel
13177 Quinlan, Frank D. Cringle, Geoffrey T. Dairiki, Fabrice Popineau and
13178 Andrew Eskilsson have all contributed code and suggestions.
13182 @subsection New Features
13183 @cindex new features
13188 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
13189 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
13192 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
13193 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
13196 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
13199 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
13200 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
13201 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
13204 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
13205 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
13206 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
13207 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
13210 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
13211 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
13214 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
13215 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
13216 (@pxref{The Active File}).
13219 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
13220 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
13223 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
13224 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
13225 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
13228 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
13229 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
13230 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
13233 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
13234 the @file{.emacs} file.
13237 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
13238 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
13241 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
13242 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
13245 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
13246 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
13249 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
13250 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
13253 Gnus can fetch articles asynchronously on a second connection to the
13254 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
13257 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
13260 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
13261 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
13264 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
13265 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
13268 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
13269 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
13272 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
13275 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
13276 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
13279 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
13283 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
13287 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
13288 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
13291 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
13295 Gnus can use NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
13299 This is, of course, just a @emph{short} overview of the @emph{most}
13300 important new features. No, really. There are tons more. Yes, we have
13301 feeping creaturism in full effect, but nothing too gratuitous, I would
13305 @node Newest Features
13306 @subsection Newest Features
13309 Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
13312 Be afraid. Be very afraid.
13316 Native @sc{mime} support is something that should be done.
13318 A better and simpler method for specifying mail composing methods.
13320 Allow posting through mail-to-news gateways.
13322 Really do unbinhexing.
13325 And much, much, much more. There is more to come than has already been
13326 implemented. (But that's always true, isn't it?)
13328 @code{<URL:http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/sgnus/todo>} is where the actual
13329 up-to-the-second todo list is located, so if you're really curious, you
13330 could point your Web browser over that-a-way.
13334 @section Terminology
13336 @cindex terminology
13341 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
13342 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
13343 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
13344 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
13345 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
13349 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
13350 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
13351 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
13352 not posting, and replying is not following up.
13356 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
13360 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
13365 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
13366 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
13367 is all done by the backends.
13371 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
13372 default, way of getting news.
13376 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
13377 These are groups that use different backends for getting news.
13381 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
13382 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
13386 A message that has been posted as news.
13389 @cindex mail message
13390 A message that has been mailed.
13394 A mail message or news article
13398 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
13403 The rest of an article. Everything that is not in the head is in the
13408 A line from the head of an article.
13412 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
13413 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
13417 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
13418 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
13419 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
13420 normal @sc{head} format.
13424 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
13425 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
13426 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
13427 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
13428 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
13429 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
13431 @item killed groups
13432 @cindex killed groups
13433 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
13434 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
13436 @item zombie groups
13437 @cindex zombie groups
13438 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
13441 @cindex active file
13442 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
13443 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
13444 is rather large, as you might surmise.
13447 @cindex bogus groups
13448 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
13449 server (i. e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
13450 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
13454 A machine than one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
13456 @item select method
13457 @cindex select method
13458 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
13461 @item virtual server
13462 @cindex virtual server
13463 A named select method. Since a select methods defines all there is to
13464 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the who things as a
13465 whole is a virtual server.
13469 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
13470 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
13476 @node Customization
13477 @section Customization
13478 @cindex general customization
13480 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
13481 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
13482 for some quite common situations.
13485 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
13486 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
13487 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
13488 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
13492 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
13493 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
13495 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
13496 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
13497 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
13501 @item gnus-read-active-file
13502 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
13503 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
13504 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-news} and
13505 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
13506 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
13508 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
13509 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
13510 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
13511 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
13515 @node Slow Terminal Connection
13516 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
13518 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that
13519 runs Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce the
13520 amount of data that is sent over the wires as much as possible.
13524 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
13525 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
13526 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
13527 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
13528 horizontal and vertical recentering.
13530 @item gnus-visible-headers
13531 Cut down on the headers that are included in the articles to the
13532 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
13533 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
13534 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
13536 @item gnus-article-display-hook
13537 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
13539 (setq gnus-article-display-hook
13540 '(gnus-article-hide-headers gnus-article-hide-signature
13541 gnus-article-hide-citation))
13544 @item gnus-use-full-window
13545 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
13546 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
13547 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
13548 want to read them anyway.
13550 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
13551 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
13554 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
13555 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
13556 lines, which might save some time.
13560 @node Little Disk Space
13561 @subsection Little Disk Space
13564 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
13565 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
13569 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
13570 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
13571 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
13572 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
13575 @item gnus-save-killed-list
13576 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
13577 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
13578 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
13579 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
13585 @subsection Slow Machine
13586 @cindex slow machine
13588 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
13589 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
13591 Set@code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
13592 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
13594 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
13595 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
13596 summary buffer faster.
13598 Set @code{gnus-article-display-hook} to @code{nil} to make article
13599 processing a bit faster.
13602 @node Troubleshooting
13603 @section Troubleshooting
13604 @cindex troubleshooting
13606 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
13614 Make sure your computer is switched on.
13617 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
13618 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
13622 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
13623 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
13624 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
13625 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
13628 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
13632 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
13633 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
13634 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
13635 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
13636 something like that.
13639 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
13642 @cindex reporting bugs
13644 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
13646 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
13647 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
13648 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
13649 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
13651 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
13652 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
13653 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
13654 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
13657 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
13658 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you send back
13659 just ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
13660 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
13661 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
13662 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
13664 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
13665 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
13666 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
13669 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
13670 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
13672 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
13673 @cindex ding mailing list
13674 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@ifi.uio.no}.
13675 Write to @samp{ding-request@@ifi.uio.no} to subscribe.
13678 @node A Programmers Guide to Gnus
13679 @section A Programmer@'s Guide to Gnus
13681 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
13682 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
13683 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
13684 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
13687 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
13688 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
13689 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
13690 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
13691 and general method of operations.
13694 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
13695 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
13696 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
13697 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
13698 * Group Info:: The group info format.
13699 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
13700 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
13704 @node Backend Interface
13705 @subsection Backend Interface
13707 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
13708 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
13709 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
13710 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
13711 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
13712 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
13714 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
13715 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
13716 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
13717 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
13718 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
13719 been opened, the function should fail.
13721 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
13722 name. Take this example:
13726 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
13727 (nntp-port-number 4324))
13730 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
13731 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
13733 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
13734 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
13735 server environments that it pulls down/pushes up when needed.
13737 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
13738 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
13739 always check whether are present before attempting to call.
13741 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
13742 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
13743 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
13744 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
13745 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
13746 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
13749 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
13750 some might be said to not be. The latter are backends that generally
13751 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
13752 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
13755 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
13758 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
13761 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
13762 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
13763 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
13764 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
13765 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
13769 @node Required Backend Functions
13770 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
13774 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
13776 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
13777 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
13778 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
13779 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
13781 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
13782 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
13783 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
13784 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
13786 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try to fetch "extra
13787 headers, in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
13788 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
13789 article number in @code{articles}, and fill in the gaps as well. The
13790 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
13791 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
13792 number, do maximum fetches.
13794 Here's an example HEAD:
13797 221 1056 Article retrieved.
13798 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
13799 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
13800 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
13801 Subject: Re: Something very droll
13802 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
13803 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
13805 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
13806 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
13807 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
13811 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
13812 these in the data buffer.
13814 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
13818 head = error / valid-head
13819 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
13820 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
13821 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
13822 header = <text> eol
13825 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
13826 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
13830 nov-buffer = *nov-line
13831 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
13832 field = <text except TAB>
13835 For a closer explanation what should be in those fields,
13839 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
13841 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
13842 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that defines this virtual server.
13844 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
13845 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
13846 server. In fact, it should do so.
13848 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
13849 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
13852 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
13854 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
13855 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
13858 There should be no data returned.
13861 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
13863 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
13864 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
13865 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
13866 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
13868 There should be no data returned.
13871 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
13873 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
13874 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
13875 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
13876 attempt to reconnect to a server that is has lost connection to.
13878 There should be no data returned.
13881 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
13883 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
13885 There should be no data returned.
13888 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
13890 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
13891 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
13892 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
13893 it would be nice if that were possible.
13895 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
13896 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
13897 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
13898 another, and Gnus mainly request articles to be inserted directly into
13899 its article buffer.
13901 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
13902 the car is the group name the article was fetched from, and the cdr is
13903 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
13904 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
13905 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
13906 on successful article retrievement.
13909 @item (nnchoke-open-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
13911 Make @var{group} the current group.
13913 There should be no data returned by this function.
13916 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
13918 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
13919 making @var{group} the current group.
13921 If @var{FAST}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
13924 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
13927 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
13930 The first number is the status, which should be @code{211}. Next is the
13931 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
13932 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
13933 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
13934 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
13935 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
13936 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
13937 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
13940 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
13941 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
13942 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
13946 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
13948 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
13949 a no-op on most backends.
13951 There should be no data returned.
13954 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
13956 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
13959 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
13962 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
13963 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
13966 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
13967 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
13970 active-file = *active-line
13971 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
13973 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
13976 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
13977 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
13978 (@samp{=other-group} or none of the above (@samp{y}).
13981 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
13983 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
13984 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
13985 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
13986 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
13987 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
13988 clear if the posting could not be completed.
13990 There should be no result data from this function.
13995 @node Optional Backend Functions
13996 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
14000 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
14002 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
14003 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
14004 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
14006 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
14007 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
14008 former is in the same format as the data from
14009 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
14010 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
14013 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
14017 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
14019 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
14020 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
14021 information (as is the case with virtual an imap groups). This function
14022 may alter the info in any manner it sees fit, and should return the
14023 (altered) group info. This function may alter the group info
14024 destructively, so no copying is needed before boogeying.
14026 There should be no result data from this function.
14029 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
14031 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
14032 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
14033 user is following up is news or mail. This function should return
14034 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
14035 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
14036 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
14037 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
14038 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
14040 There should be no result data from this function.
14043 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
14045 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
14046 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
14047 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
14048 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
14049 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
14051 The only use for this that I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
14052 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
14053 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
14056 There should be no result data from this function.
14059 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
14061 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
14062 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
14063 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
14064 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
14065 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
14066 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
14067 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
14069 There should be no result data from this function.
14072 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
14074 The result data from this function should be a description of
14078 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
14080 description = <text>
14083 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
14085 The result data from this function should be the description of all
14086 groups available on the server.
14089 description-buffer = *description-line
14093 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
14095 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
14096 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
14097 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
14100 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
14102 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
14104 There should be no return data.
14107 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
14109 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
14110 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
14111 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
14112 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
14113 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
14116 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
14119 There should be no result data returned.
14122 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
14125 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
14126 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
14128 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
14129 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
14130 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
14131 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
14132 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
14133 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
14135 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
14136 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
14139 The function should return a cons where the car is the group name and
14140 the cdr is the article number that the article was entered as.
14142 There should be no data returned.
14145 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
14147 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
14148 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
14149 this function in short order.
14151 The function should return a cons where the car is the group name and
14152 the cdr is the article number that the article was entered as.
14154 There should be no data returned.
14157 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
14159 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
14160 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
14162 There should be no data returned.
14165 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
14167 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
14168 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
14169 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
14171 There should be no data returned.
14174 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
14176 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
14177 articles that are in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
14179 There should be no data returned.
14184 @node Error Messaging
14185 @subsubsection Error Messaging
14187 @findex nnheader-report
14188 @findex nnheader-get-report
14189 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
14190 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
14191 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
14192 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
14193 there are many of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
14194 This function always returns @code{nil}.
14197 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
14199 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
14202 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
14203 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
14204 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
14205 takes one argument---the server symbol.
14207 Internally, these function access @var{backend}@code{-status-string}, so
14208 the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
14209 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
14212 @node Writing New Backends
14213 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
14215 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
14216 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
14217 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
14218 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
14219 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
14222 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
14223 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
14224 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
14226 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
14227 package called @code{nnoo}.
14229 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
14230 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
14237 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
14238 parameters. For instance:
14241 (nnoo-declare nndir
14245 @code{nndir} has here declared that it intends to inherit functions from
14246 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
14249 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
14250 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
14251 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
14253 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
14254 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
14255 a function in those backends.
14258 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
14259 "Where nndir will look for groups."
14260 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
14263 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
14264 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
14265 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
14267 @item nnoo-define-basics
14268 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
14272 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
14276 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
14277 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
14278 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
14280 @item nnoo-map-functions
14281 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
14282 functions from the parent backends.
14285 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
14286 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
14287 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
14290 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
14291 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
14292 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
14293 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
14296 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
14297 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
14298 haven't already been defined.
14304 nnmh-request-newgroups)
14308 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
14309 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
14310 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
14315 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
14318 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
14319 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
14323 (require 'nnheader)
14327 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
14329 (nnoo-declare nndir
14332 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
14333 "Where nndir will look for groups."
14334 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
14336 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
14337 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
14340 (defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
14341 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
14342 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
14344 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
14345 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
14347 ;;; Interface functions.
14349 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
14351 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
14352 (setq nndir-directory
14353 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
14355 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
14356 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
14357 (push `(nndir-current-group
14358 ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
14360 (push `(nndir-top-directory
14361 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
14363 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
14365 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
14366 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
14367 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
14368 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
14369 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
14373 nnmh-status-message
14375 nnmh-request-newgroups))
14381 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
14382 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
14384 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
14385 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
14386 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
14387 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
14389 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
14390 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
14395 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
14398 The abilities can be:
14402 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
14404 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
14406 This backend supports both mail and news.
14408 This is neither a post or mail backend---it's something completely
14411 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
14412 articles and groups.
14414 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
14415 true for almost all backends.
14416 @item prompt-address
14417 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
14418 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
14419 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
14424 @node Score File Syntax
14425 @subsection Score File Syntax
14427 Score files are meant to be easily parsable, but yet extremely
14428 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
14429 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
14431 Here's a typical score file:
14435 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
14442 BNF definition of a score file:
14445 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
14446 element = rule / atom
14447 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
14448 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
14449 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
14450 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
14452 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
14453 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
14454 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
14455 date-header = "date"
14456 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
14457 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
14458 score = "nil" / <integer>
14459 date = "nil" / <natural number>
14460 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
14461 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
14462 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
14463 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
14464 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
14465 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
14466 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
14467 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
14468 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
14469 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
14470 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
14471 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
14472 exclude-files / read-only / touched
14473 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
14474 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
14475 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
14476 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
14477 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
14478 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
14479 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
14480 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
14481 adapt = "adapt" [ space "nil" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
14482 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
14483 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
14484 eval = "eval" space <form>
14485 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
14488 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
14491 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
14492 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
14493 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
14494 one looong line, then that's ok.
14496 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
14501 @subsection Headers
14503 Gnus uses internally a format for storing article headers that
14504 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
14505 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
14506 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
14508 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
14509 RFC1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (eg.,
14510 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
14511 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
14512 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
14513 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
14514 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
14516 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
14517 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
14518 @code{xref}. There are macros for accessing and setting these
14519 slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
14520 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
14522 The @code{xref} slot is really a @code{misc} slot. Any extra info will
14529 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
14530 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
14532 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
14533 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
14534 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
14535 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
14537 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
14541 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
14544 is transformed into
14547 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
14550 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
14551 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
14554 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
14557 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
14558 is slightly tricky:
14561 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
14567 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
14570 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
14576 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
14583 and is equal to the previous range.
14585 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
14586 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
14587 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
14591 range = simple-range / normal-range
14592 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
14593 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
14594 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
14595 number *[ " " contents ]
14598 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
14599 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
14600 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
14601 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
14602 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
14607 @subsection Group Info
14609 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
14610 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
14611 describes the group.
14613 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
14614 second is a more complex one:
14617 ("no.group" 5 (1 . 54324))
14619 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
14620 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
14622 (auto-expire (to-address "ding@@ifi.uio.no")))
14625 The first element is the group name as Gnus knows the group; the second
14626 is the group level; the third is the read articles in range format; the
14627 fourth is a list of article marks lists; the fifth is the select method;
14628 and the sixth contains the group parameters.
14630 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
14633 info = "(" group space level space read
14634 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
14635 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
14636 group = quote <string> quote
14637 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
14639 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
14640 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
14641 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
14642 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
14645 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
14646 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
14650 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
14651 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
14655 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
14656 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
14657 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
14659 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
14660 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
14661 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
14662 Gnus, that's very useful.
14664 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
14665 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
14666 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
14667 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
14668 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
14669 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
14670 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
14671 following function:
14674 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
14678 (,function ,@@args))
14682 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
14683 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
14684 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
14687 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
14688 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
14689 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
14692 @node Various File Formats
14693 @subsection Various File Formats
14696 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
14697 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
14701 @node Active File Format
14702 @subsubsection Active File Format
14704 The active file lists all groups that are available on the server in
14705 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
14708 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
14711 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
14712 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
14713 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
14714 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
14715 no.general 1000 900 y
14718 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
14721 active = *group-line
14722 group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
14723 group = <non-white-space string>
14725 high-number = <non-negative integer>
14726 low-number = <positive integer>
14727 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
14731 @node Newsgroups File Format
14732 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
14734 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
14735 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
14736 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
14739 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
14740 Here's the definition:
14744 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
14745 group = <non-white-space string>
14747 description = <string>
14751 @node Emacs for Heathens
14752 @section Emacs for Heathens
14754 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
14755 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
14756 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
14757 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
14758 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
14759 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
14760 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
14764 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
14765 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
14770 @subsection Keystrokes
14774 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
14777 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
14780 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
14781 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
14782 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
14783 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
14784 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
14785 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
14787 The shift key is normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
14788 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
14789 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
14790 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
14791 keyboards. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
14792 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
14793 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
14795 Now, us Emacs people doesn't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
14796 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
14797 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
14798 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
14799 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
14800 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
14801 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
14803 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
14804 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
14805 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
14806 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
14807 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
14813 @subsection Emacs Lisp
14815 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
14816 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
14817 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
14818 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
14820 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
14821 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
14822 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
14823 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
14824 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
14825 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
14826 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
14829 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
14830 write the following:
14833 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
14836 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
14837 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
14838 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
14841 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
14842 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
14843 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
14844 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
14845 previous ``form'', which here is a simple @code{setq} statement.
14847 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
14848 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
14849 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
14853 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
14857 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
14860 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
14861 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
14864 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
14867 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
14868 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
14871 @include gnus-faq.texi