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325 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
335 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
337 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
345 @top The Gnus Newsreader
349 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
350 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
351 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
354 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
355 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.11.
370 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
371 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
373 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
374 being accused of plagiarism:
376 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
377 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
378 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
379 can even read news with it!
381 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
382 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
383 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
384 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
385 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
388 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
389 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.11.
391 @heading Other related manuals
393 @item Message manual: Composing messages
394 @item Emacs-MIME: Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
395 @item Sieve: Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
396 @item PGG: @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
397 @item SASL: @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
403 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
404 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
405 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
406 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
407 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
408 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
409 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
410 * Various:: General purpose settings.
411 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
412 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
413 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation.
414 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
415 * Key Index:: Key Index.
417 Other related manuals
419 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
420 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
421 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
422 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
423 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
426 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
430 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
431 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
432 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
433 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
434 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
435 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
436 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
437 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
438 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
439 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
440 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
444 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
445 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
446 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
450 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
451 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
452 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
453 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
454 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
455 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
456 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
457 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
458 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
459 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
460 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
461 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
462 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
463 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
464 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
465 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
466 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
467 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
471 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
472 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
473 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
477 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
478 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
479 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
480 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
481 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
485 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
486 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
487 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
488 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
489 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
493 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
494 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
495 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
496 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
497 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
498 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
499 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
500 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
501 * Threading:: How threads are made.
502 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
503 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
504 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
505 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
506 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
507 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
508 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
509 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
510 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
511 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
512 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
513 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
514 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
515 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
516 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
517 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
518 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
519 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
520 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
521 or reselecting the current group.
522 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
523 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
524 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
525 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
527 Summary Buffer Format
529 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
530 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
531 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
532 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
536 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
537 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
539 Reply, Followup and Post
541 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
542 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
543 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
544 * Canceling and Superseding::
548 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
549 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
550 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
551 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
552 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
553 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
557 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
558 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
560 Customizing Threading
562 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
563 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
564 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
565 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
569 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
570 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
571 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
572 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
573 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
574 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
578 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
579 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
580 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
584 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
585 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
586 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
587 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
588 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
589 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
590 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
591 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
592 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
593 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
594 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
596 Alternative Approaches
598 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
599 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
601 Various Summary Stuff
603 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
604 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
605 * Summary Generation Commands::
606 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
610 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
611 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
612 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
613 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
614 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
618 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
619 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
620 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
621 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
622 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
623 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
624 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
625 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
626 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
630 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
631 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
632 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
633 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
634 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
635 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files.
636 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
637 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
638 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
642 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
643 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
644 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
645 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
646 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
647 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
648 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
652 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
653 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
657 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
658 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
659 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
660 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
664 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
665 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
666 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
667 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
668 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
669 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
670 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
671 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
672 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
673 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
674 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
675 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
676 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
680 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
681 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
682 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
684 Choosing a Mail Back End
686 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
687 * Babyl:: Babyl was used by older versions of Rmail.
688 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
689 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
690 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
691 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
692 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
697 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
698 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
699 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
703 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
704 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
705 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
706 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
707 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
708 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
712 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
713 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
714 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
715 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
719 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
723 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
727 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
728 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
729 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
733 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
734 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
735 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
737 The Gnus Diary Library
739 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
740 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
741 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
742 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
746 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
747 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
748 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
749 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
750 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
751 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
752 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
753 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
754 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
755 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
756 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
757 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
758 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
759 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
763 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
764 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
765 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
769 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
770 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
771 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
775 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
776 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
777 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
778 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
779 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
780 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
781 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
782 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
783 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
784 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
785 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
786 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
787 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
788 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
789 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
790 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
794 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
795 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
796 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
800 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
801 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
802 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
803 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
804 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
805 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
806 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
807 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
808 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
809 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
810 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
811 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
812 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
813 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
814 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
815 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
816 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
817 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
818 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
819 * The Gnus Registry:: A package for tracking messages by Message-ID.
820 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
821 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
825 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
826 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
827 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
828 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
829 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
830 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
831 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
832 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
836 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
837 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
838 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were
840 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
841 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
845 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
846 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
847 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
848 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
852 * Spam Package Introduction::
853 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
854 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
855 * Spam and Ham Processors::
856 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
858 * Extending the Spam package::
859 * Spam Statistics Package::
861 Spam Statistics Package
863 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
864 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
865 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
869 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
870 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
871 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
872 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
873 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
874 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
875 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
876 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
877 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
881 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
882 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
883 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
884 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
885 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
886 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
887 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
888 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
889 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
893 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
894 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
895 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
896 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
897 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
898 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
899 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
903 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
904 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
905 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
906 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
910 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
911 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
912 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
913 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
914 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
915 * Group Info:: The group info format.
916 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
917 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
918 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
922 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
923 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
924 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
925 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
926 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
927 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
931 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
932 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
936 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
937 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
943 @chapter Starting Gnus
946 If you haven't used Emacs much before using Gnus, read @ref{Emacs for
951 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
952 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
953 your Emacs. If not, you should customize the variable
954 @code{gnus-select-method} as described in @ref{Finding the News}. For a
955 minimal setup for posting should also customize the variables
956 @code{user-full-name} and @code{user-mail-address}.
958 @findex gnus-other-frame
959 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
960 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
961 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
963 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
964 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
965 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
967 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
968 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
971 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
972 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
973 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
974 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
975 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
976 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
977 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
978 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
979 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
980 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
984 @node Finding the News
985 @section Finding the News
988 First of all, you should know that there is a special buffer called
989 @code{*Server*} that lists all the servers Gnus knows about. You can
990 press @kbd{^} from the Group buffer to see it. In the Server buffer,
991 you can press @kbd{RET} on a defined server to see all the groups it
992 serves (subscribed or not!). You can also add or delete servers, edit
993 a foreign server's definition, agentize or de-agentize a server, and
994 do many other neat things. @xref{Server Buffer}.
995 @xref{Foreign Groups}. @xref{Agent Basics}.
997 @vindex gnus-select-method
999 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
1000 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
1001 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
1002 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
1005 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
1006 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1009 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1012 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1015 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1018 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1019 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1020 server is running Leafnode (which is a simple, standalone private news
1021 server); in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1023 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1025 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1026 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1027 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1028 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1029 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1030 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1031 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1033 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1034 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1035 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1036 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1038 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1039 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1040 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1041 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1042 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1043 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1044 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1045 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1046 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1049 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1051 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1052 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1053 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1054 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1055 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1056 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1058 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1060 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1061 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1062 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1063 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1064 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1065 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1068 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1069 you would typically set this variable to
1072 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1075 Note: the @acronym{NNTP} back end stores marks in marks files
1076 (@pxref{NNTP marks}). This feature makes it easy to share marks between
1077 several Gnus installations, but may slow down things a bit when fetching
1078 new articles. @xref{NNTP marks}, for more information.
1081 @node The First Time
1082 @section The First Time
1083 @cindex first time usage
1085 If no startup files exist (@pxref{Startup Files}), Gnus will try to
1086 determine what groups should be subscribed by default.
1088 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1089 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1090 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1091 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1094 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1095 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1096 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1098 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1099 help you with most common problems.
1101 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1102 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1106 @node The Server is Down
1107 @section The Server is Down
1108 @cindex server errors
1110 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1111 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1112 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1114 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1115 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1116 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1117 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1118 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1119 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1120 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1122 @findex gnus-no-server
1123 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1125 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1126 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1127 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1128 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1129 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1130 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1131 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1135 @section Slave Gnusae
1138 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1139 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1140 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1141 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1143 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1144 @file{.newsrc} file.
1146 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1147 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1148 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1149 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1150 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1151 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1152 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1155 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1156 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1157 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1158 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1159 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1160 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1161 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1162 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1164 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1165 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1167 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1168 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1169 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1170 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1171 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1178 @cindex subscription
1180 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1181 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1182 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1183 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1184 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1185 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1186 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1187 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1188 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1191 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1192 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1193 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1197 @node Checking New Groups
1198 @subsection Checking New Groups
1200 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1201 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1202 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1203 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1204 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1205 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1206 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1207 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1208 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1209 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1211 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1212 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1213 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1214 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1215 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1216 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1217 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1218 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1219 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1220 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1221 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1223 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1224 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1225 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1226 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1227 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1228 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1231 @node Subscription Methods
1232 @subsection Subscription Methods
1234 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1235 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1236 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1238 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1239 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1241 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1245 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1246 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1247 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1248 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1249 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1251 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1252 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1253 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1254 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1256 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1257 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1258 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1260 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1261 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1262 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1263 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1264 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1265 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1266 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1267 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1268 up. Or something like that.
1270 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1271 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1272 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1273 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1274 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1276 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1277 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1278 Kill all new groups.
1280 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1281 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1282 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1283 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1284 topic parameter that looks like
1290 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1293 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1298 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1299 A closely related variable is
1300 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1301 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1302 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1303 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1306 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1307 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1308 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1309 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1312 @node Filtering New Groups
1313 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1315 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1316 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1317 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1320 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1323 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1324 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1325 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1326 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1327 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1328 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1329 subscribing these groups.
1330 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1331 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1333 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1334 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1335 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1336 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1337 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1338 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1339 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1340 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1342 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1343 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1344 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1345 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1346 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1347 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1348 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1349 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1350 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1351 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1354 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1355 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1358 @node Changing Servers
1359 @section Changing Servers
1360 @cindex changing servers
1362 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1363 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1364 very flaky and you want to use another.
1366 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1367 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1371 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1372 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1373 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1374 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1377 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1378 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1379 You can use the @kbd{M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups}
1380 command to clear out all data that you have on your native groups.
1383 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1384 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1385 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1386 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1388 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1389 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1390 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1391 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1392 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1393 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1394 cache for all groups).
1398 @section Startup Files
1399 @cindex startup files
1404 Most common Unix news readers use a shared startup file called
1405 @file{.newsrc}. This file contains all the information about what
1406 groups are subscribed, and which articles in these groups have been
1409 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1410 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1411 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1412 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1413 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1414 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1415 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1417 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1418 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1419 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1420 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1421 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1422 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1424 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1425 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1426 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1427 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1428 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1429 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1430 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1431 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1432 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which can be
1433 convenient if you use a different news reader occasionally, and you
1434 want to read a different subset of the available groups with that
1437 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1438 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1439 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1440 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1441 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1442 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1443 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1444 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1445 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1446 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1447 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1448 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1450 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1451 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1452 @vindex version-control
1453 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1454 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1455 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1456 If you want version control for this file, set
1457 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1458 @code{version-control} variable.
1460 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1461 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1462 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1463 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1464 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1465 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1466 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1467 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1468 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1469 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1472 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1473 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1475 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1476 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1479 @vindex gnus-init-file
1480 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1481 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1482 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus-init} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1483 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1484 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1485 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1486 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1487 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1488 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1489 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). If Emacs was invoked with
1490 the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial
1491 Options, ,Initial Options, emacs, The Emacs Manual}), Gnus doesn't read
1492 @code{gnus-init-file}.
1497 @cindex dribble file
1500 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1501 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1502 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1503 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1504 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1507 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1508 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1511 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1512 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1513 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1515 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1516 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1517 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1518 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1519 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1520 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1522 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1523 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1524 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1527 @node The Active File
1528 @section The Active File
1530 @cindex ignored groups
1532 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1533 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1534 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1536 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1537 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1538 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1539 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1540 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1541 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1542 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1545 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1546 @c if you set it to anything else.
1548 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1550 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1551 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1552 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1554 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1555 you actually subscribe to.
1557 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1558 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1559 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1560 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1562 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1563 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1564 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1565 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1566 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1567 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1569 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1570 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1571 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1574 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1575 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1576 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1577 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1578 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1579 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1581 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1582 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1584 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1585 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1587 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1588 secondary select methods.
1591 @node Startup Variables
1592 @section Startup Variables
1596 @item gnus-load-hook
1597 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1598 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1599 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1600 times you start Gnus.
1602 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1603 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1604 A hook called as the first thing when Gnus is started.
1606 @item gnus-startup-hook
1607 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1608 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1610 @item gnus-started-hook
1611 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1612 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1615 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1616 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1617 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1618 generating the group buffer.
1620 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1621 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1622 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1623 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1624 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1625 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1626 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1627 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1629 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1630 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1631 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1632 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1633 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1634 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1636 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1637 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1638 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1640 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1641 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1642 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1644 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1645 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1646 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1647 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1649 @item gnus-use-backend-marks
1650 @vindex gnus-use-backend-marks
1651 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will store article marks both in the
1652 @file{.newsrc.eld} file and in the backends. This will slow down
1653 group operation some.
1659 @chapter Group Buffer
1660 @cindex group buffer
1662 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1664 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1665 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1666 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1667 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1668 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1669 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1670 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1671 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1672 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1673 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1674 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1675 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1676 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1677 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1678 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1679 @c human rights at 9...
1682 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1683 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1684 long as Gnus is active.
1688 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1689 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1690 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1691 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1692 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1693 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1694 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1695 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1701 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1702 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1703 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1704 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1705 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1706 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1707 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1708 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1709 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1710 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1711 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1712 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1713 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1714 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1715 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1716 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1717 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
1718 * Searching:: Mail search engines.
1719 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1723 @node Group Buffer Format
1724 @section Group Buffer Format
1727 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1728 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1729 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1732 You can customize the Group Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
1733 customize-apropos RET gnus-group-tool-bar}. This feature is only
1736 The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly depending on the
1737 cursor position. Therefore, moving around in the Group Buffer is
1738 slower. You can disable this via the variable
1739 @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}. Its default value depends on your
1742 @node Group Line Specification
1743 @subsection Group Line Specification
1744 @cindex group buffer format
1746 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1747 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1749 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1752 25: news.announce.newusers
1753 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1758 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1759 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1760 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1761 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1763 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1764 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1765 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1766 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1767 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1768 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1770 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1772 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1773 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1774 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1775 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1776 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1778 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1779 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1780 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1782 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1787 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1790 Whether the group is subscribed.
1793 Level of subscribedness.
1796 Number of unread articles.
1799 Number of dormant articles.
1802 Number of ticked articles.
1805 Number of read articles.
1808 Number of unseen articles.
1811 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1812 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1814 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1815 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1816 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1817 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1818 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1819 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1820 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job.
1822 The nnml backend (@pxref{Mail Spool}) has a feature called ``group
1823 compaction'' which circumvents this deficiency: the idea is to
1824 renumber all articles from 1, removing all gaps between numbers, hence
1825 getting a correct total count. Other backends may support this in the
1826 future. In order to keep your total article count relatively up to
1827 date, you might want to compact your groups (or even directly your
1828 server) from time to time. @xref{Misc Group Stuff}, @xref{Server Commands}.
1831 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1834 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1843 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1844 comment element in the group parameters.
1847 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1848 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1849 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1853 @samp{m} if moderated.
1856 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1862 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1868 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1872 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1875 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1876 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1877 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1878 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1879 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1882 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1884 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1888 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1891 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1895 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1896 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1897 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1898 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1901 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1902 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1903 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1904 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1905 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1906 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1911 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1912 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1913 group, or a bogus native group.
1916 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1917 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1918 @cindex group mode line
1920 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1921 The mode line can be changed by setting
1922 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1923 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1927 The native news server.
1929 The native select method.
1933 @node Group Highlighting
1934 @subsection Group Highlighting
1935 @cindex highlighting
1936 @cindex group highlighting
1938 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1939 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1940 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1941 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1942 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1944 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1948 (cond (window-system
1949 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1950 (defface my-group-face-1
1951 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1952 (defface my-group-face-2
1953 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1954 "Second group face")
1955 (defface my-group-face-3
1956 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1957 (defface my-group-face-4
1958 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1959 (defface my-group-face-5
1960 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1962 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1963 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1964 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1965 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1966 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1967 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1970 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1972 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1979 The number of unread articles in the group.
1983 Whether the group is a mail group.
1985 The level of the group.
1987 The score of the group.
1989 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1991 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1992 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1994 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1995 topic being inserted.
1998 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1999 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
2000 functions for snarfing info on the group.
2002 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
2003 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
2004 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
2005 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
2008 @node Group Maneuvering
2009 @section Group Maneuvering
2010 @cindex group movement
2012 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2013 expected, hopefully.
2019 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2020 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2021 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2027 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2028 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2029 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2033 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2034 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2038 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2039 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2043 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2044 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2045 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2049 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2050 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2051 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2054 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2060 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2061 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2062 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2067 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2068 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2069 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2073 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2074 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2075 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2078 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2079 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2080 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2081 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2084 @vindex gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit
2085 If @code{gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit} is @code{t}, when a summary is
2086 exited, the point in the group buffer is moved to the next unread group.
2087 Otherwise, the point is set to the group just exited. The default is
2090 @node Selecting a Group
2091 @section Selecting a Group
2092 @cindex group selection
2097 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2098 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2099 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2100 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2101 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2102 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2103 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2104 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2105 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2106 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2108 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2109 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2110 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2112 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2113 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2118 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2119 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2120 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2121 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2122 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2126 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2127 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2128 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2129 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2130 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2131 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2132 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2133 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2134 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2135 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2138 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2139 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2140 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2141 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2142 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2145 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2146 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2147 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2148 doing any processing of its contents
2149 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2150 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2151 manner will have no permanent effects.
2155 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2156 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2157 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2158 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2159 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2160 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2161 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2162 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2163 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2164 most recently will be fetched.
2166 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2167 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2168 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2171 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles
2172 In groups in some news servers, there might be a big gap between a few
2173 very old articles that will never be expired and the recent ones. In
2174 such a case, the server will return the data like @code{(1 . 30000000)}
2175 for the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, for example. Even if there
2176 are actually only the articles 1-10 and 29999900-30000000, Gnus doesn't
2177 know it at first and prepares for getting 30000000 articles. However,
2178 it will consume hundreds megabytes of memories and might make Emacs get
2179 stuck as the case may be. If you use such news servers, set the
2180 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} to a positive number.
2181 The value means that Gnus ignores articles other than this number of the
2182 latest ones in every group. For instance, the value 10000 makes Gnus
2183 get only the articles 29990001-30000000 (if the latest article number is
2184 30000000 in a group). Note that setting this variable to a number might
2185 prevent you from reading very old articles. The default value of the
2186 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} is @code{nil}, which
2187 means Gnus never ignores old articles.
2189 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2190 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2191 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2192 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2193 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2194 Which article this is controlled by the
2195 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2201 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2204 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2207 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2209 @item unseen-or-unread
2210 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2211 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2215 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2219 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2220 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2222 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2223 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2224 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2225 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2229 @node Subscription Commands
2230 @section Subscription Commands
2231 @cindex subscription
2239 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2240 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2241 Toggle subscription to the current group
2242 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2248 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2249 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2250 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2251 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2257 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2258 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2259 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2265 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2266 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2269 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2270 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2271 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2272 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2273 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2279 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2280 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2284 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2285 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2288 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2289 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2290 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2291 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2292 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2293 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2294 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2295 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2296 @file{.newsrc} file.
2300 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2310 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2311 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2312 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2313 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2314 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2315 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2320 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2321 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2322 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2326 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2327 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2328 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2330 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2331 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2332 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2333 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2334 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2335 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2342 @section Group Levels
2346 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2347 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2348 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2349 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2350 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2352 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2358 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2359 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2360 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2361 prompted for a level.
2364 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2365 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2366 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2367 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2368 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2369 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2370 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2371 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2372 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2373 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2374 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2375 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2376 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2377 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2378 reasons of efficiency.
2380 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2381 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2383 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2384 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2385 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2386 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2387 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2388 groups are hidden, in a way.
2390 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2391 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2392 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2393 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2394 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2395 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2397 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2398 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2399 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2400 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2401 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2402 list of killed groups.)
2404 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2405 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2406 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2408 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2409 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2410 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2411 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2412 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2413 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2414 relevant valid ranges.
2416 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2417 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2418 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2419 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2420 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2421 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2424 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2425 one with the best level.
2427 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2428 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2429 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2432 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2433 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2434 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2435 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2438 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2439 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2440 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2441 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2443 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2444 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2445 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2446 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2447 to 5. The default is 6.
2451 @section Group Score
2456 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2457 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2458 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2461 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2462 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2463 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2464 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2465 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2466 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2467 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2468 least significant part.))
2470 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2471 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2472 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2473 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2474 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2475 action after each summary exit, you can add
2476 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2477 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2478 slow things down somewhat.
2481 @node Marking Groups
2482 @section Marking Groups
2483 @cindex marking groups
2485 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2486 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2487 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2488 bidding on those groups.
2490 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2491 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2492 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2500 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2501 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2507 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2508 Remove the mark from the current group
2509 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2513 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2514 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2518 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2519 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2523 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2524 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2528 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2529 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2530 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2533 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2535 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2536 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2537 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2538 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2539 the command to be executed.
2542 @node Foreign Groups
2543 @section Foreign Groups
2544 @cindex foreign groups
2546 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2547 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2548 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2549 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2552 Changes from the group editing commands are stored in
2553 @file{~/.newsrc.eld} (@code{gnus-startup-file}). An alternative is the
2554 variable @code{gnus-parameters}, @xref{Group Parameters}.
2560 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2561 @cindex making groups
2562 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2563 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2564 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2568 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2569 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2570 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2574 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2575 @cindex renaming groups
2576 Rename the current group to something else
2577 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2578 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2584 @findex gnus-group-customize
2585 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2589 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2590 @cindex renaming groups
2591 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2592 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2596 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2597 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2598 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2602 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2603 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2604 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2608 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2610 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2611 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2616 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2617 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2621 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2623 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2624 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2625 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2629 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2630 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2632 Make a group based on some file or other
2633 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2634 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2635 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2636 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2637 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2638 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2639 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2640 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2641 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2645 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2646 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2647 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2648 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2652 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2656 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2657 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2658 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2659 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2660 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2661 @xref{Web Searches}.
2663 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2664 to a particular group by using a match string like
2665 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2669 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2670 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2671 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2675 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2676 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2677 This function will delete the current group
2678 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2679 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2680 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2681 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2682 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2686 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2687 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2688 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2692 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2693 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2694 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2697 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2700 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2701 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2702 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2703 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2704 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2705 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2709 The following commands create ephemeral groups. They can be called not
2710 only from the Group buffer, but in any Gnus buffer.
2713 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group
2714 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group
2715 @vindex gnus-gmane-group-download-format
2716 Read an ephemeral group on Gmane.org. The articles are downloaded via
2717 HTTP using the URL specified by @code{gnus-gmane-group-download-format}.
2718 Gnus will prompt you for a group name, the start article number and an
2721 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group-url
2722 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group-url
2723 This command is similar to @code{gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group}, but
2724 the group name and the article number and range are constructed from a
2725 given @acronym{URL}. Supported @acronym{URL} formats include e.g.
2726 @url{http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12300/focus=12399},
2727 @url{http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/},
2728 @url{http://article.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/},
2729 @url{http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/}, and
2730 @url{http://news.gmane.org/group/gmane.foo.bar/thread=12345}.
2732 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group
2733 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group
2734 Read an Emacs bug report in an ephemeral group. Gnus will prompt for a
2735 bug number. The default is the number at point. The @acronym{URL} is
2736 specified in @code{gnus-bug-group-download-format-alist}.
2738 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-debian-bug-group
2739 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-debian-bug-group
2740 Read a Debian bug report in an ephemeral group. Analog to
2741 @code{gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group}.
2744 Some of these command are also useful for article buttons, @xref{Article
2752 '("#\\([0-9]+\\)\\>" 1
2753 (string-match "\\<emacs\\>" (or gnus-newsgroup-name ""))
2754 gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group 1))
2758 @node Group Parameters
2759 @section Group Parameters
2760 @cindex group parameters
2762 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2764 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2765 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2766 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2767 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2768 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2769 Additionally, you can set group parameters via the
2770 @code{gnus-parameters} variable, see below.
2772 Here's an example group parameter list:
2775 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2779 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2780 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2781 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2782 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2784 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2785 is an alist of regexps and values.
2787 The following group parameters can be used:
2792 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2795 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2798 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2799 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2800 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2801 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2802 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2804 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2805 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2806 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2807 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2808 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2809 list address instead.
2811 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2815 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2818 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2821 It is totally ignored
2822 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2823 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2825 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2826 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2827 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2828 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2829 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2831 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2832 @cindex mail list groups
2833 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2834 entering summary buffer.
2836 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2841 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2842 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2843 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2844 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2845 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2846 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2847 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2848 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2851 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2852 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2855 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2856 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2860 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2861 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2862 of whether it has any unread articles.
2864 This parameter cannot be set via @code{gnus-parameters}. See
2865 @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.
2867 @item broken-reply-to
2868 @cindex broken-reply-to
2869 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2870 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2871 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2872 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2873 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2874 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2878 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2879 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2883 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2884 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2885 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2890 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2891 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2892 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2893 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2894 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2895 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2896 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2898 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2899 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2900 doesn't accept articles.
2904 @cindex expiring mail
2905 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2906 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2907 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2909 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2912 @cindex total-expire
2913 @cindex expiring mail
2914 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2915 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2916 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2917 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2920 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2924 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2925 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2926 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2927 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2928 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2929 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2930 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2933 @cindex expiry-target
2934 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2935 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2938 @cindex score file group parameter
2939 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2940 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2941 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2944 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2945 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2946 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2947 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2950 @cindex admin-address
2951 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2952 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2953 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2954 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2958 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2959 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2963 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2966 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2967 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2970 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2974 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2976 Here are some examples:
2980 Display only unread articles.
2983 Display everything except expirable articles.
2985 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2986 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2990 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2991 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2992 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2993 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2994 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2998 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2999 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
3000 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
3004 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
3005 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
3006 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
3010 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
3011 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
3012 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
3014 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
3016 @item ignored-charsets
3017 @cindex ignored-charset
3018 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
3019 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
3020 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
3022 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
3025 @cindex posting-style
3026 You can store additional posting style information for this group
3027 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
3028 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
3029 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
3030 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
3032 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
3033 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
3034 like this in the group parameters:
3039 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
3040 (signature "Funky Signature"))
3043 If you're using topics to organize your group buffer
3044 (@pxref{Group Topics}), note that posting styles can also be set in
3045 the topics parameters. Posting styles in topic parameters apply to all
3046 groups in this topic. More precisely, the posting-style settings for a
3047 group result from the hierarchical merging of all posting-style
3048 entries in the parameters of this group and all the topics it belongs
3054 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
3055 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
3059 If it is set, and the setting of @code{mail-sources} includes a
3060 @code{group} mail source (@pxref{Mail Sources}), the value is a
3061 mail source for this group.
3065 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
3066 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
3067 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
3068 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
3069 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
3073 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
3074 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
3075 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
3076 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
3078 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
3079 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
3080 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
3081 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
3084 if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
3085 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3089 To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
3090 like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
3091 When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
3092 like the following is generated:
3095 if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
3096 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3100 See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
3101 interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
3103 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3104 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3106 @item (agent parameters)
3107 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
3108 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3109 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3110 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3111 minimize the configuration effort.
3113 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3114 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3115 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3116 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3117 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3118 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3119 @code{eval}ed there.
3121 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer
3122 if and only if @var{variable} has been bound as a variable. Otherwise,
3123 only evaluating the form will take place. So, you may want to bind the
3124 variable in advance using @code{defvar} or other if the result of the
3125 form needs to be set to it.
3127 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3128 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3129 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3130 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3131 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3132 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3133 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3136 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3139 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3140 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3141 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3144 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3147 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3148 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3149 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3150 into the group parameters for the group.
3152 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3153 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3154 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group. If
3155 @code{dummy-variable} has been bound (see above), it will be set to the
3156 (meaningless) result of the @code{(ding)} form.
3158 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3159 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3160 following is added to a group parameter
3163 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3164 '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3167 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3172 @vindex gnus-parameters
3173 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3174 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect (For this
3175 case see @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.).
3179 (setq gnus-parameters
3181 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3182 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3183 (gnus-summary-line-format
3184 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3188 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3192 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3196 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3199 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3200 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3202 @vindex gnus-parameters-case-fold-search
3203 By default, whether comparing the group name and one of those regexps
3204 specified in @code{gnus-parameters} is done in a case-sensitive manner
3205 or a case-insensitive manner depends on the value of
3206 @code{case-fold-search} at the time when the comparison is done. The
3207 value of @code{case-fold-search} is typically @code{t}; it means, for
3208 example, the element @code{("INBOX\\.FOO" (total-expire . t))} might be
3209 applied to both the @samp{INBOX.FOO} group and the @samp{INBOX.foo}
3210 group. If you want to make those regexps always case-sensitive, set the
3211 value of the @code{gnus-parameters-case-fold-search} variable to
3212 @code{nil}. Otherwise, set it to @code{t} if you want to compare them
3213 always in a case-insensitive manner.
3215 You can define different sorting to different groups via
3216 @code{gnus-parameters}. Here is an example to sort an @acronym{NNTP}
3217 group by reverse date to see the latest news at the top and an
3218 @acronym{RSS} group by subject. In this example, the first group is the
3219 Debian daily news group @code{gmane.linux.debian.user.news} from
3220 news.gmane.org. The @acronym{RSS} group corresponds to the Debian
3221 weekly news RSS feed
3222 @url{http://packages.debian.org/unstable/newpkg_main.en.rdf},
3228 '(("nntp.*gmane\\.debian\\.user\\.news"
3229 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3230 (gnus-article-sort-functions '((not gnus-article-sort-by-date)))
3231 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3232 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
3234 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3235 (gnus-article-sort-functions 'gnus-article-sort-by-subject)
3236 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3237 (gnus-use-scoring t)
3238 (gnus-score-find-score-files-function 'gnus-score-find-single)
3239 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%d %I%(%[ %s %]%)\n"))))
3243 @node Listing Groups
3244 @section Listing Groups
3245 @cindex group listing
3247 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3255 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3256 List all groups that have unread articles
3257 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3258 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3259 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3260 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3267 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3268 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3269 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3270 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3271 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3272 unsubscribed groups).
3276 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3277 List all unread groups on a specific level
3278 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3279 with no unread articles.
3283 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3284 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3285 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3286 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3291 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3292 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3296 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3297 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3298 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3302 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3303 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3307 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3308 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3309 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3310 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3311 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3312 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3313 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3314 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3318 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3319 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3320 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3324 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3325 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3326 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3330 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3331 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3335 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3336 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3340 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3341 List groups limited within the current selection
3342 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3346 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3347 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3351 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3352 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3356 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3357 @cindex visible group parameter
3358 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3359 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3360 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3361 get the same effect.
3363 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3364 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3365 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3366 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3367 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3370 @node Sorting Groups
3371 @section Sorting Groups
3372 @cindex sorting groups
3374 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3375 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3376 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3377 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3378 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3379 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3384 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3385 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3386 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3388 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3389 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3390 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3392 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3393 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3394 Sort by group level.
3396 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3397 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3398 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3400 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3401 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3402 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3403 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3405 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3406 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3407 Sort by number of unread articles.
3409 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3410 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3411 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3413 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3414 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3415 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3420 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3421 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3425 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3426 some sorting criteria:
3430 @kindex G S a (Group)
3431 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3432 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3433 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3436 @kindex G S u (Group)
3437 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3438 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3439 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3442 @kindex G S l (Group)
3443 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3444 Sort the group buffer by group level
3445 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3448 @kindex G S v (Group)
3449 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3450 Sort the group buffer by group score
3451 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3454 @kindex G S r (Group)
3455 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3456 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3457 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3460 @kindex G S m (Group)
3461 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3462 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3463 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3466 @kindex G S n (Group)
3467 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3468 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3469 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3473 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3474 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3476 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3477 commands will sort in reverse order.
3479 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3483 @kindex G P a (Group)
3484 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3485 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3486 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3489 @kindex G P u (Group)
3490 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3491 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3492 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3495 @kindex G P l (Group)
3496 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3497 Sort the groups by group level
3498 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3501 @kindex G P v (Group)
3502 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3503 Sort the groups by group score
3504 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3507 @kindex G P r (Group)
3508 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3509 Sort the groups by group rank
3510 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3513 @kindex G P m (Group)
3514 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3515 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3516 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3519 @kindex G P n (Group)
3520 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3521 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3522 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3525 @kindex G P s (Group)
3526 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3527 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3531 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3535 @node Group Maintenance
3536 @section Group Maintenance
3537 @cindex bogus groups
3542 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3543 Find bogus groups and delete them
3544 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3548 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3549 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3550 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3551 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3552 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3556 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3557 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3558 @cindex expiring mail
3559 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3560 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3561 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3562 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3565 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3566 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3567 @cindex expiring mail
3568 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3569 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3574 @node Browse Foreign Server
3575 @section Browse Foreign Server
3576 @cindex foreign servers
3577 @cindex browsing servers
3582 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3583 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3584 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3585 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3588 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3589 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3590 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3591 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3593 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3598 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3599 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3603 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3604 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3607 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3608 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3609 Enter the current group and display the first article
3610 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3613 @kindex RET (Browse)
3614 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3615 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3619 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3620 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3621 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3627 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3628 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3632 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3633 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3637 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3638 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3639 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3644 @section Exiting Gnus
3645 @cindex exiting Gnus
3647 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3652 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3653 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3654 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3655 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3659 @findex gnus-group-exit
3660 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3661 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3665 @findex gnus-group-quit
3666 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3667 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3670 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3671 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3672 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3673 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3674 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3675 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3681 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3682 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3683 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3689 @section Group Topics
3692 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3693 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3694 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3695 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3696 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3697 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3701 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3702 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3713 2: alt.religion.emacs
3716 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3718 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3719 13: comp.sources.unix
3722 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3724 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3725 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3726 is a toggling command.)
3728 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3729 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3730 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3731 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3734 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3735 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3736 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3739 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3743 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3744 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3745 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3746 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3747 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3751 @node Topic Commands
3752 @subsection Topic Commands
3753 @cindex topic commands
3755 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3756 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3757 definitions slightly.
3759 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3760 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3761 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3762 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3763 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3764 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3766 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3773 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3774 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3775 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3779 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3781 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3782 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3783 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3784 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3787 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3788 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3789 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3790 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3794 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3795 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3796 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3797 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3803 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3804 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3805 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3809 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3810 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3811 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3814 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3815 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3816 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3817 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3818 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3820 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3821 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3825 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3826 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3833 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3835 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3836 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3837 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3838 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3839 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3840 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3844 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3850 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3851 Move the current group to some other topic
3852 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3853 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3857 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3858 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3862 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3863 Copy the current group to some other topic
3864 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3865 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3869 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3870 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3871 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3875 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3876 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3877 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3881 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3882 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3883 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3884 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3885 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3886 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3887 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3890 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3891 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3895 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3896 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3897 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3901 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3902 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3903 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3907 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3908 Toggle hiding empty topics
3909 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3913 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3914 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3915 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3916 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3919 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3920 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3921 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3922 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3923 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3926 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3927 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3928 @cindex expiring mail
3929 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3930 expiry process (if any)
3931 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3935 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3936 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3939 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3940 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3941 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3945 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3946 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3947 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3950 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3951 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3952 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3955 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3956 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3957 Go to the previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3961 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3962 @cindex group parameters
3963 @cindex topic parameters
3965 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3966 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3971 @node Topic Variables
3972 @subsection Topic Variables
3973 @cindex topic variables
3975 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3976 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3978 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3979 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3980 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3993 Number of groups in the topic.
3995 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3997 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
4000 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
4001 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
4002 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
4005 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
4006 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
4008 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
4009 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
4010 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
4014 @subsection Topic Sorting
4015 @cindex topic sorting
4017 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
4023 @kindex T S a (Topic)
4024 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
4025 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
4026 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
4029 @kindex T S u (Topic)
4030 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
4031 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
4032 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
4035 @kindex T S l (Topic)
4036 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
4037 Sort the current topic by group level
4038 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
4041 @kindex T S v (Topic)
4042 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
4043 Sort the current topic by group score
4044 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
4047 @kindex T S r (Topic)
4048 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
4049 Sort the current topic by group rank
4050 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
4053 @kindex T S m (Topic)
4054 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
4055 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
4056 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
4059 @kindex T S e (Topic)
4060 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
4061 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
4062 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
4065 @kindex T S s (Topic)
4066 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
4067 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
4068 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
4069 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
4073 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
4074 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
4078 @node Topic Topology
4079 @subsection Topic Topology
4080 @cindex topic topology
4083 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
4090 2: alt.religion.emacs
4093 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4095 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4096 13: comp.sources.unix
4100 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
4101 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
4102 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
4107 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
4108 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
4112 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
4113 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
4114 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
4115 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
4116 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
4117 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
4119 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
4120 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
4121 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
4124 @node Topic Parameters
4125 @subsection Topic Parameters
4126 @cindex topic parameters
4128 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
4129 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
4130 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
4131 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
4132 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
4134 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
4139 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
4140 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
4141 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
4144 @item subscribe-level
4145 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4146 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4147 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4151 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4152 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4153 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4154 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4161 2: alt.religion.emacs
4165 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4167 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4168 13: comp.sources.unix
4173 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4174 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4175 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4176 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4177 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4178 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4180 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4181 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4182 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4183 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4184 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4186 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4187 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4188 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4189 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4190 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4191 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4192 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4193 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4196 @node Non-ASCII Group Names
4197 @section Accessing groups of non-English names
4198 @cindex non-ascii group names
4200 There are some news servers that provide groups of which the names are
4201 expressed with their native languages in the world. For instance, in a
4202 certain news server there are some newsgroups of which the names are
4203 spelled in Chinese, where people are talking in Chinese. You can, of
4204 course, subscribe to such news groups using Gnus. Currently Gnus
4205 supports non-@acronym{ASCII} group names not only with the @code{nntp}
4206 back end but also with the @code{nnml} back end and the @code{nnrss}
4209 Every such group name is encoded by a certain charset in the server
4210 side (in an @acronym{NNTP} server its administrator determines the
4211 charset, but for groups in the other back ends it is determined by you).
4212 Gnus has to display the decoded ones for you in the group buffer and the
4213 article buffer, and needs to use the encoded ones when communicating
4214 with servers. However, Gnus doesn't know what charset is used for each
4215 non-@acronym{ASCII} group name. The following two variables are just
4216 the ones for telling Gnus what charset should be used for each group:
4219 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4220 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4221 An alist of select methods and charsets. The default value is
4222 @code{nil}. The names of groups in the server specified by that select
4223 method are all supposed to use the corresponding charset. For example:
4226 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4227 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4230 Charsets specified for groups with this variable are preferred to the
4231 ones specified for the same groups with the
4232 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} variable (see below).
4234 A select method can be very long, like:
4238 (nntp-address "news.gmane.org")
4239 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
4240 (nntp-open-connection-function
4241 nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
4242 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
4243 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
4244 ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
4245 (nntp-via-address @dots{}))
4248 In that case, you can truncate it into @code{(nntp "gmane")} in this
4249 variable. That is, it is enough to contain only the back end name and
4252 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4253 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4254 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4255 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
4256 @code{((".*" . utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported,
4257 otherwise the default is @code{nil}. For example:
4260 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4261 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)
4265 Note that this variable is ignored if the match is made with
4266 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist}.
4269 Those two variables are used also to determine the charset for encoding
4270 and decoding non-@acronym{ASCII} group names that are in the back ends
4271 other than @code{nntp}. It means that it is you who determine it. If
4272 you do nothing, the charset used for group names in those back ends will
4273 all be @code{utf-8} because of the last element of
4274 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4276 There is one more important variable for non-@acronym{ASCII} group
4280 @item nnmail-pathname-coding-system
4281 @vindex nnmail-pathname-coding-system
4282 The value of this variable should be a coding system or @code{nil}. The
4283 default is @code{nil} in Emacs, or is the aliasee of the coding system
4284 named @code{file-name} (a certain coding system of which an alias is
4285 @code{file-name}) in XEmacs.
4287 The @code{nnml} back end, the @code{nnrss} back end, the @acronym{NNTP}
4288 marks feature (@pxref{NNTP marks}), the agent, and the cache use
4289 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names in those files and directories. This
4290 variable overrides the value of @code{file-name-coding-system} which
4291 specifies the coding system used when encoding and decoding those file
4292 names and directory names.
4294 In XEmacs (with the @code{mule} feature), @code{file-name-coding-system}
4295 is the only means to specify the coding system used to encode and decode
4296 file names. On the other hand, Emacs uses the value of
4297 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} if @code{file-name-coding-system}
4298 is @code{nil} or it is bound to the value of
4299 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} which is @code{nil}.
4301 Normally the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system} in Emacs or
4302 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} in XEmacs is initialized according
4303 to the locale, so you will need to do nothing if the value is suitable
4304 to encode and decode non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4306 The value of this variable (or @code{default-file-name-coding-system})
4307 does not necessarily need to be the same value that is determined by
4308 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} and
4309 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4311 If @code{default-file-name-coding-system} or this variable is
4312 initialized by default to @code{iso-latin-1} for example, although you
4313 want to subscribe to the groups spelled in Chinese, that is the most
4314 typical case where you have to customize
4315 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}. The @code{utf-8} coding system is
4316 a good candidate for it. Otherwise, you may change the locale in your
4317 system so that @code{default-file-name-coding-system} or this variable
4318 may be initialized to an appropriate value.
4321 Note that when you copy or move articles from a non-@acronym{ASCII}
4322 group to another group, the charset used to encode and decode group
4323 names should be the same in both groups. Otherwise the Newsgroups
4324 header will be displayed incorrectly in the article buffer.
4331 * nnir:: Searching on IMAP, with swish, namazu, etc.
4332 * nnmairix:: Searching maildir, MH or mbox with Mairix.
4337 FIXME: This node is a stub.
4339 FIXME: Add a brief overview of Gnus search capabilities. A brief
4340 comparison of nnir, nnmairix, contrib/gnus-namazu would be nice
4343 FIXME: Explain difference to @ref{Searching for Articles}, add reference
4349 FIXME: As a first step, convert the commentary of @file{nnir} to texi.
4353 @subsection nnmairix
4357 This paragraph describes how to set up mairix and the back end
4358 @code{nnmairix} for indexing and searching your mail from within
4359 Gnus. Additionally, you can create permanent ``smart'' groups which are
4360 bound to mairix searches and are automatically updated.
4363 * About mairix:: About the mairix mail search engine
4364 * nnmairix requirements:: What you will need for using nnmairix
4365 * What nnmairix does:: What does nnmairix actually do?
4366 * Setting up mairix:: Set up your mairix installation
4367 * Configuring nnmairix:: Set up the nnmairix back end
4368 * nnmairix keyboard shortcuts:: List of available keyboard shortcuts
4369 * Propagating marks:: How to propagate marks from nnmairix groups
4370 * nnmairix tips and tricks:: Some tips, tricks and examples
4371 * nnmairix caveats:: Some more stuff you might want to know
4374 @c FIXME: The markup in this section might need improvement.
4375 @c E.g. adding @samp, @var, @file, @command, etc.
4376 @c Cf. (info "(texinfo)Indicating")
4379 @subsubsection About mairix
4381 Mairix is a tool for indexing and searching words in locally stored
4382 mail. It was written by Richard Curnow and is licensed under the
4383 GPL. Mairix comes with most popular GNU/Linux distributions, but it also
4384 runs under Windows (with cygwin), Mac OS X and Solaris. The homepage can
4386 @uref{http://www.rpcurnow.force9.co.uk/mairix/index.html}
4388 Though mairix might not be as flexible as other search tools like
4389 swish++ or namazu, which you can use via the @code{nnir} back end, it
4390 has the prime advantage of being incredibly fast. On current systems, it
4391 can easily search through headers and message bodies of thousands and
4392 thousands of mails in well under a second. Building the database
4393 necessary for searching might take a minute or two, but only has to be
4394 done once fully. Afterwards, the updates are done incrementally and
4395 therefore are really fast, too. Additionally, mairix is very easy to set
4398 For maximum speed though, mairix should be used with mails stored in
4399 @code{Maildir} or @code{MH} format (this includes the @code{nnml} back
4400 end), although it also works with mbox. Mairix presents the search
4401 results by populating a @emph{virtual} maildir/MH folder with symlinks
4402 which point to the ``real'' message files (if mbox is used, copies are
4403 made). Since mairix already presents search results in such a virtual
4404 mail folder, it is very well suited for using it as an external program
4405 for creating @emph{smart} mail folders, which represent certain mail
4408 @node nnmairix requirements
4409 @subsubsection nnmairix requirements
4411 Mairix searches local mail---that means, mairix absolutely must have
4412 direct access to your mail folders. If your mail resides on another
4413 server (e.g. an @acronym{IMAP} server) and you happen to have shell
4414 access, @code{nnmairix} supports running mairix remotely, e.g. via ssh.
4416 Additionally, @code{nnmairix} only supports the following Gnus back
4417 ends: @code{nnml}, @code{nnmaildir}, and @code{nnimap}. You must use
4418 one of these back ends for using @code{nnmairix}. Other back ends, like
4419 @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnfolder} or @code{nnmh}, won't work.
4421 If you absolutely must use mbox and still want to use @code{nnmairix},
4422 you can set up a local @acronym{IMAP} server, which you then access via
4423 @code{nnimap}. This is a rather massive setup for accessing some mbox
4424 files, so just change to MH or Maildir already... However, if you're
4425 really, really passionate about using mbox, you might want to look into
4426 the package @file{mairix.el}, which comes with Emacs 23.
4428 @node What nnmairix does
4429 @subsubsection What nnmairix does
4431 The back end @code{nnmairix} enables you to call mairix from within Gnus,
4432 either to query mairix with a search term or to update the
4433 database. While visiting a message in the summary buffer, you can use
4434 several pre-defined shortcuts for calling mairix, e.g. to quickly
4435 search for all mails from the sender of the current message or to
4436 display the whole thread associated with the message, even if the
4437 mails are in different folders.
4439 Additionally, you can create permanent @code{nnmairix} groups which are bound
4440 to certain mairix searches. This way, you can easily create a group
4441 containing mails from a certain sender, with a certain subject line or
4442 even for one specific thread based on the Message-ID. If you check for
4443 new mail in these folders (e.g. by pressing @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g}), they
4444 automatically update themselves by calling mairix.
4446 You might ask why you need @code{nnmairix} at all, since mairix already
4447 creates the group, populates it with links to the mails so that you can
4448 then access it with Gnus, right? Well, this @emph{might} work, but often
4449 does not---at least not without problems. Most probably you will get
4450 strange article counts, and sometimes you might see mails which Gnus
4451 claims have already been canceled and are inaccessible. This is due to
4452 the fact that Gnus isn't really amused when things are happening behind
4453 its back. Another problem can be the mail back end itself, e.g. if you
4454 use mairix with an @acronym{IMAP} server (I had Dovecot complaining
4455 about corrupt index files when mairix changed the contents of the search
4456 group). Using @code{nnmairix} should circumvent these problems.
4458 @code{nnmairix} is not really a mail back end---it's actually more like
4459 a wrapper, sitting between a ``real'' mail back end where mairix stores
4460 the searches and the Gnus front end. You can choose between three
4461 different mail back ends for the mairix folders: @code{nnml},
4462 @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnimap}. @code{nnmairix} will call the mairix
4463 binary so that the search results are stored in folders named
4464 @code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>} on this mail back end, but it will
4465 present these folders in the Gnus front end only with @code{<NAME>}.
4466 You can use an existing mail back end where you already store your mail,
4467 but if you're uncomfortable with @code{nnmairix} creating new mail
4468 groups alongside your other mail, you can also create e.g. a new
4469 @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml} server exclusively for mairix, but then
4470 make sure those servers do not accidentally receive your new mail
4471 (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). A special case exists if you want to use
4472 mairix remotely on an IMAP server with @code{nnimap}---here the mairix
4473 folders and your other mail must be on the same @code{nnimap} back end.
4475 @node Setting up mairix
4476 @subsubsection Setting up mairix
4478 First: create a backup of your mail folders (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}).
4480 Setting up mairix is easy: simply create a @file{.mairixrc} file with
4481 (at least) the following entries:
4484 # Your Maildir/MH base folder
4488 This is the base folder for your mails. All the following directories
4489 are relative to this base folder. If you want to use @code{nnmairix}
4490 with @code{nnimap}, this base directory has to point to the mail
4491 directory where the @acronym{IMAP} server stores the mail folders!
4494 maildir= ... your maildir folders which should be indexed ...
4495 mh= ... your nnml/mh folders which should be indexed ...
4496 mbox = ... your mbox files which should be indexed ...
4499 This specifies all your mail folders and mbox files (relative to the
4500 base directory!) you want to index with mairix. Note that the
4501 @code{nnml} back end saves mails in MH format, so you have to put those
4502 directories in the @code{mh} line. See the example at the end of this
4503 section and mairixrc's man-page for further details.
4509 @vindex nnmairix-group-prefix
4510 This should make sure that you don't accidentally index the mairix
4511 search results. You can change the prefix of these folders with the
4512 variable @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
4515 mformat= ... 'maildir' or 'mh' ...
4516 database= ... location of database file ...
4519 The @code{format} setting specifies the output format for the mairix
4520 search folder. Set this to @code{mh} if you want to access search results
4521 with @code{nnml}. Otherwise choose @code{maildir}.
4523 To summarize, here is my shortened @file{.mairixrc} file as an example:
4527 maildir=.personal:.work:.logcheck:.sent
4528 mh=../Mail/nnml/*...
4529 mbox=../mboxmail/mailarchive_year*
4532 database=~/.mairixdatabase
4535 In this case, the base directory is @file{~/Maildir}, where all my Maildir
4536 folders are stored. As you can see, the folders are separated by
4537 colons. If you wonder why every folder begins with a dot: this is
4538 because I use Dovecot as @acronym{IMAP} server, which again uses
4539 @code{Maildir++} folders. For testing nnmairix, I also have some
4540 @code{nnml} mail, which is saved in @file{~/Mail/nnml}. Since this has
4541 to be specified relative to the @code{base} directory, the @code{../Mail}
4542 notation is needed. Note that the line ends in @code{*...}, which means
4543 to recursively scan all files under this directory. Without the three
4544 dots, the wildcard @code{*} will not work recursively. I also have some
4545 old mbox files with archived mail lying around in @file{~/mboxmail}.
4546 The other lines should be obvious.
4548 See the man page for @code{mairixrc} for details and further options,
4549 especially regarding wildcard usage, which may be a little different
4550 than you are used to.
4552 Now simply call @code{mairix} to create the index for the first time.
4553 Note that this may take a few minutes, but every following index will do
4554 the updates incrementally and hence is very fast.
4556 @node Configuring nnmairix
4557 @subsubsection Configuring nnmairix
4559 In group mode, type @kbd{G b c}
4560 (@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). This will ask you for all
4561 necessary information and create a @code{nnmairix} server as a foreign
4562 server. You will have to specify the following:
4567 The @strong{name} of the @code{nnmairix} server---choose whatever you
4571 The name of the @strong{back end server} where mairix should store its
4572 searches. This must be a full server name, like @code{nnml:mymail}.
4573 Just hit @kbd{TAB} to see the available servers. Currently, servers
4574 which are accessed through @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnimap} and
4575 @code{nnml} are supported. As explained above, for locally stored
4576 mails, this can be an existing server where you store your mails.
4577 However, you can also create e.g. a new @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml}
4578 server exclusively for @code{nnmairix} in your secondary select methods
4579 (@pxref{Finding the News}). If you use a secondary @code{nnml} server
4580 just for mairix, make sure that you explicitly set the server variable
4581 @code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}, or you might loose mail
4582 (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). If you want to use mairix remotely on an
4583 @acronym{IMAP} server, you have to choose the corresponding
4584 @code{nnimap} server here.
4587 @vindex nnmairix-mairix-search-options
4588 The @strong{command} to call the mairix binary. This will usually just
4589 be @code{mairix}, but you can also choose something like @code{ssh
4590 SERVER mairix} if you want to call mairix remotely, e.g. on your
4591 @acronym{IMAP} server. If you want to add some default options to
4592 mairix, you could do this here, but better use the variable
4593 @code{nnmairix-mairix-search-options} instead.
4596 The name of the @strong{default search group}. This will be the group
4597 where all temporary mairix searches are stored, i.e. all searches which
4598 are not bound to permanent @code{nnmairix} groups. Choose whatever you
4602 If the mail back end is @code{nnimap} or @code{nnmaildir}, you will be
4603 asked if you work with @strong{Maildir++}, i.e. with hidden maildir
4604 folders (=beginning with a dot). For example, you have to answer
4605 @samp{yes} here if you work with the Dovecot @acronym{IMAP}
4606 server. Otherwise, you should answer @samp{no} here.
4610 @node nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
4611 @subsubsection nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
4618 @kindex G b c (Group)
4619 @findex nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group
4620 Creates @code{nnmairix} server and default search group for this server
4621 (@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). You should have done
4622 this by now (@pxref{Configuring nnmairix}).
4625 @kindex G b s (Group)
4626 @findex nnmairix-search
4627 Prompts for query which is then sent to the mairix binary. Search
4628 results are put into the default search group which is automatically
4629 displayed (@code{nnmairix-search}).
4632 @kindex G b m (Group)
4633 @findex nnmairix-widget-search
4634 Allows you to create a mairix search or a permanent group more
4635 comfortably using graphical widgets, similar to a customization
4636 group. Just try it to see how it works (@code{nnmairix-widget-search}).
4639 @kindex G b i (Group)
4640 @findex nnmairix-search-interactive
4641 Another command for creating a mairix query more comfortably, but uses
4642 only the minibuffer (@code{nnmairix-search-interactive}).
4645 @kindex G b g (Group)
4646 @findex nnmairix-create-search-group
4647 Creates a permanent group which is associated with a search query
4648 (@code{nnmairix-create-search-group}). The @code{nnmairix} back end
4649 automatically calls mairix when you update this group with @kbd{g} or
4653 @kindex G b q (Group)
4654 @findex nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group
4655 Changes the search query for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor
4656 (@code{nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group}).
4659 @kindex G b t (Group)
4660 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group
4661 Toggles the 'threads' parameter for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor,
4662 i.e. if you want see the whole threads of the found messages
4663 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group}).
4666 @kindex G b u (Group)
4667 @findex nnmairix-update-database
4668 @vindex nnmairix-mairix-update-options
4669 Calls mairix binary for updating the database
4670 (@code{nnmairix-update-database}). The default parameters are @code{-F}
4671 and @code{-Q} for making this as fast as possible (see variable
4672 @code{nnmairix-mairix-update-options} for defining these default
4676 @kindex G b r (Group)
4677 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group
4678 Keep articles in this @code{nnmairix} group always read or unread, or leave the
4679 marks unchanged (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group}).
4682 @kindex G b d (Group)
4683 @findex nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group
4684 Recreate @code{nnmairix} group on the ``real'' mail back end
4685 (@code{nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group}). You can do this if
4686 you always get wrong article counts with a @code{nnmairix} group.
4689 @kindex G b a (Group)
4690 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group
4691 Toggles the @code{allow-fast} parameters for group under cursor
4692 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group}). The default
4693 behavior of @code{nnmairix} is to do a mairix search every time you
4694 update or enter the group. With the @code{allow-fast} parameter set,
4695 mairix will only be called when you explicitly update the group, but not
4696 upon entering. This makes entering the group faster, but it may also
4697 lead to dangling symlinks if something changed between updating and
4698 entering the group which is not yet in the mairix database.
4701 @kindex G b p (Group)
4702 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group
4703 Toggle marks propagation for this group
4704 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group}). (@pxref{Propagating
4708 @kindex G b o (Group)
4709 @findex nnmairix-propagate-marks
4710 Manually propagate marks (@code{nnmairix-propagate-marks}); needed only when
4711 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} is set to @code{nil}.
4720 @kindex $ m (Summary)
4721 @findex nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article
4722 Allows you to create a mairix query or group based on the current
4723 message using graphical widgets (same as @code{nnmairix-widget-search})
4724 (@code{nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article}).
4727 @kindex $ g (Summary)
4728 @findex nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message
4729 Interactively creates a new search group with query based on the current
4730 message, but uses the minibuffer instead of graphical widgets
4731 (@code{nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message}).
4734 @kindex $ t (Summary)
4735 @findex nnmairix-search-thread-this-article
4736 Searches thread for the current article
4737 (@code{nnmairix-search-thread-this-article}). This is effectively a
4738 shortcut for calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{m:msgid} of the
4739 current article and enabled threads.
4742 @kindex $ f (Summary)
4743 @findex nnmairix-search-from-this-article
4744 Searches all messages from sender of the current article
4745 (@code{nnmairix-search-from-this-article}). This is a shortcut for
4746 calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{f:From}.
4749 @kindex $ o (Summary)
4750 @findex nnmairix-goto-original-article
4751 (Only in @code{nnmairix} groups!) Tries determine the group this article
4752 originally came from and displays the article in this group, so that
4753 e.g. replying to this article the correct posting styles/group
4754 parameters are applied (@code{nnmairix-goto-original-article}). This
4755 function will use the registry if available, but can also parse the
4756 article file name as a fallback method.
4759 @kindex $ u (Summary)
4760 @findex nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article
4761 Remove possibly existing tick mark from original article
4762 (@code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article}). (@pxref{nnmairix
4767 @node Propagating marks
4768 @subsubsection Propagating marks
4770 First of: you really need a patched mairix binary for using the marks
4771 propagation feature efficiently. Otherwise, you would have to update
4772 the mairix database all the time. You can get the patch at
4774 @uref{http://www.randomsample.de/mairix-maildir-patch.tar}
4776 You need the mairix v0.21 source code for this patch; everything else
4777 is explained in the accompanied readme file. If you don't want to use
4778 marks propagation, you don't have to apply these patches, but they also
4779 fix some annoyances regarding changing maildir flags, so it might still
4782 With the patched mairix binary, you can use @code{nnmairix} as an
4783 alternative to mail splitting (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}). For
4784 example, instead of splitting all mails from @samp{david@@foobar.com}
4785 into a group, you can simply create a search group with the query
4786 @samp{f:david@@foobar.com}. This is actually what ``smart folders'' are
4787 all about: simply put everything in one mail folder and dynamically
4788 create searches instead of splitting. This is more flexible, since you
4789 can dynamically change your folders any time you want to. This also
4790 implies that you will usually read your mails in the @code{nnmairix}
4791 groups instead of your ``real'' mail groups.
4793 There is one problem, though: say you got a new mail from
4794 @samp{david@@foobar.com}; it will now show up in two groups, the
4795 ``real'' group (your INBOX, for example) and in the @code{nnmairix}
4796 search group (provided you have updated the mairix database). Now you
4797 enter the @code{nnmairix} group and read the mail. The mail will be
4798 marked as read, but only in the @code{nnmairix} group---in the ``real''
4799 mail group it will be still shown as unread.
4801 You could now catch up the mail group (@pxref{Group Data}), but this is
4802 tedious and error prone, since you may overlook mails you don't have
4803 created @code{nnmairix} groups for. Of course, you could first use
4804 @code{nnmairix-goto-original-article} (@pxref{nnmairix keyboard
4805 shortcuts}) and then read the mail in the original group, but that's
4806 even more cumbersome.
4808 Clearly, the easiest way would be if marks could somehow be
4809 automatically set for the original article. This is exactly what
4810 @emph{marks propagation} is about.
4812 Marks propagation is deactivated by default. You can activate it for a
4813 certain @code{nnmairix} group with
4814 @code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group} (bound to @kbd{G b
4815 p}). This function will warn you if you try to use it with your default
4816 search group; the reason is that the default search group is used for
4817 temporary searches, and it's easy to accidentally propagate marks from
4818 this group. However, you can ignore this warning if you really want to.
4820 With marks propagation enabled, all the marks you set in a @code{nnmairix}
4821 group should now be propagated to the original article. For example,
4822 you can now tick an article (by default with @kbd{!}) and this mark should
4823 magically be set for the original article, too.
4825 A few more remarks which you may or may not want to know:
4827 @vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close
4828 Marks will not be set immediately, but only upon closing a group. This
4829 not only makes marks propagation faster, it also avoids problems with
4830 dangling symlinks when dealing with maildir files (since changing flags
4831 will change the file name). You can also control when to propagate marks
4832 via @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} (see the doc-string for
4835 Obviously, @code{nnmairix} will have to look up the original group for every
4836 article you want to set marks for. If available, @code{nnmairix} will first use
4837 the registry for determining the original group. The registry is very
4838 fast, hence you should really, really enable the registry when using
4839 marks propagation. If you don't have to worry about RAM and disc space,
4840 set @code{gnus-registry-max-entries} to a large enough value; to be on
4841 the safe side, choose roughly the amount of mails you index with mairix.
4843 @vindex nnmairix-only-use-registry
4844 If you don't want to use the registry or the registry hasn't seen the
4845 original article yet, @code{nnmairix} will use an additional mairix
4846 search for determining the file name of the article. This, of course, is
4847 way slower than the registry---if you set hundreds or even thousands of
4848 marks this way, it might take some time. You can avoid this situation by
4849 setting @code{nnmairix-only-use-registry} to t.
4851 Maybe you also want to propagate marks the other way round, i.e. if you
4852 tick an article in a "real" mail group, you'd like to have the same
4853 article in a @code{nnmairix} group ticked, too. For several good
4854 reasons, this can only be done efficiently if you use maildir. To
4855 immediately contradict myself, let me mention that it WON'T work with
4856 @code{nnmaildir}, since @code{nnmaildir} stores the marks externally and
4857 not in the file name. Therefore, propagating marks to @code{nnmairix}
4858 groups will usually only work if you use an IMAP server which uses
4859 maildir as its file format.
4861 @vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups
4862 If you work with this setup, just set
4863 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t} and see what
4864 happens. If you don't like what you see, just set it to @code{nil} again. One
4865 problem might be that you get a wrong number of unread articles; this
4866 usually happens when you delete or expire articles in the original
4867 groups. When this happens, you can recreate the @code{nnmairix} group on the
4868 back end using @kbd{G b d}.
4870 @node nnmairix tips and tricks
4871 @subsubsection nnmairix tips and tricks
4877 @findex nnmairix-update-groups
4878 I put all my important mail groups at group level 1. The mairix groups
4879 have group level 5, so they do not get checked at start up (@pxref{Group
4882 I use the following to check for mails:
4885 (defun my-check-mail-mairix-update (level)
4887 ;; if no prefix given, set level=1
4888 (gnus-group-get-new-news (or level 1))
4889 (nnmairix-update-groups "mairixsearch" t t)
4890 (gnus-group-list-groups))
4892 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map "g" 'my-check-mail-mairix-update)
4895 Instead of @samp{"mairixsearch"} use the name of your @code{nnmairix}
4896 server. See the doc string for @code{nnmairix-update-groups} for
4900 Example: search group for ticked articles
4902 For example, you can create a group for all ticked articles, where the
4903 articles always stay unread:
4905 Hit @kbd{G b g}, enter group name (e.g. @samp{important}), use
4906 @samp{F:f} as query and do not include threads.
4908 Now activate marks propagation for this group by using @kbd{G b p}. Then
4909 activate the always-unread feature by using @kbd{G b r} twice.
4911 So far so good---but how do you remove the tick marks in the @code{nnmairix}
4912 group? There are two options: You may simply use
4913 @code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article} (bound to @kbd{$ u}) to remove
4914 tick marks from the original article. The other possibility is to set
4915 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t}, but see the above
4916 comments about this option. If it works for you, the tick marks should
4917 also exist in the @code{nnmairix} group and you can remove them as usual,
4918 e.g. by marking an article as read.
4920 When you have removed a tick mark from the original article, this
4921 article should vanish from the @code{nnmairix} group after you have updated the
4922 mairix database and updated the group. Fortunately, there is a function
4923 for doing exactly that: @code{nnmairix-update-groups}. See the previous code
4924 snippet and the doc string for details.
4927 Dealing with auto-subscription of mail groups
4929 As described before, all @code{nnmairix} groups are in fact stored on
4930 the mail back end in the form @samp{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can
4931 see them when you enter the back end server in the server buffer. You
4932 should not subscribe these groups! Unfortunately, these groups will
4933 usually get @emph{auto-subscribed} when you use @code{nnmaildir} or
4934 @code{nnml}, i.e. you will suddenly see groups of the form
4935 @samp{zz_mairix*} pop up in your group buffer. If this happens to you,
4936 simply kill these groups with C-k. For avoiding this, turn off
4937 auto-subscription completely by setting the variable
4938 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups} to @code{nil} (@pxref{Filtering New
4939 Groups}), or if you like to keep this feature use the following kludge
4940 for turning it off for all groups beginning with @samp{zz_}:
4943 (setq gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
4944 "^\\(nnml\\|nnfolder\\|nnmbox\\|nnmh\\|nnbabyl\\|nnmaildir\\).*:\\([^z]\\|z$\\|\\z[^z]\\|zz$\\|zz[^_]\\|zz_$\\).*")
4949 @node nnmairix caveats
4950 @subsubsection nnmairix caveats
4954 You can create a secondary @code{nnml} server just for nnmairix, but then
4955 you have to explicitly set the corresponding server variable
4956 @code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}. Otherwise, new mail might get
4957 put into this secondary server (and would never show up again). Here's
4958 an example server definition:
4961 (nnml "mairix" (nnml-directory "mairix") (nnml-get-new-mail nil))
4964 (The @code{nnmaildir} back end also has a server variabe
4965 @code{get-new-mail}, but its default value is @code{nil}, so you don't
4966 have to explicitly set it if you use a @code{nnmaildir} server just for
4970 If you use the Gnus registry: don't use the registry with
4971 @code{nnmairix} groups (put them in
4972 @code{gnus-registry-unfollowed-groups}). Be @emph{extra careful} if
4973 you use @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}; mails which are
4974 split into @code{nnmairix} groups are usually gone for good as soon as
4975 you check the group for new mail (yes, it has happened to me...).
4978 Therefore: @emph{Never ever} put ``real'' mails into @code{nnmairix}
4979 groups (you shouldn't be able to, anyway).
4982 If you use the Gnus agent (@pxref{Gnus Unplugged}): don't agentize
4983 @code{nnmairix} groups (though I have no idea what happens if you do).
4986 mairix does only support us-ascii characters.
4989 @code{nnmairix} uses a rather brute force method to force Gnus to
4990 completely reread the group on the mail back end after mairix was
4991 called---it simply deletes and re-creates the group on the mail
4992 back end. So far, this has worked for me without any problems, and I
4993 don't see how @code{nnmairix} could delete other mail groups than its
4994 own, but anyway: you really should have a backup of your mail
4998 All necessary information is stored in the group parameters
4999 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). This has the advantage that no active file
5000 is needed, but also implies that when you kill a @code{nnmairix} group,
5001 it is gone for good.
5004 @findex nnmairix-purge-old-groups
5005 If you create and kill a lot of @code{nnmairix} groups, the
5006 ``zz_mairix-*'' groups will accumulate on the mail back end server. To
5007 delete old groups which are no longer needed, call
5008 @code{nnmairix-purge-old-groups}. Note that this assumes that you don't
5009 save any ``real'' mail in folders of the form
5010 @code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can change the prefix of
5011 @code{nnmairix} groups by changing the variable
5012 @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
5015 The following only applies if you @emph{don't} use the mentioned patch
5016 for mairix (@pxref{Propagating marks}):
5018 A problem can occur when using @code{nnmairix} with maildir folders and
5019 comes with the fact that maildir stores mail flags like @samp{Seen} or
5020 @samp{Replied} by appending chars @samp{S} and @samp{R} to the message
5021 file name, respectively. This implies that currently you would have to
5022 update the mairix database not only when new mail arrives, but also when
5023 mail flags are changing. The same applies to new mails which are indexed
5024 while they are still in the @samp{new} folder but then get moved to
5025 @samp{cur} when Gnus has seen the mail. If you don't update the database
5026 after this has happened, a mairix query can lead to symlinks pointing to
5027 non-existing files. In Gnus, these messages will usually appear with
5028 ``(none)'' entries in the header and can't be accessed. If this happens
5029 to you, using @kbd{G b u} and updating the group will usually fix this.
5033 @node Misc Group Stuff
5034 @section Misc Group Stuff
5037 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
5038 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
5039 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
5040 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
5041 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
5048 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Group)
5049 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
5050 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
5053 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map (kbd "v j d")
5056 (gnus-group-jump-to-group "nndraft:drafts")))
5059 On keys reserved for users in Emacs and on keybindings in general
5060 @xref{Keymaps, Keymaps, , emacs, The Emacs Editor}.
5064 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
5065 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
5066 @xref{Server Buffer}.
5070 @findex gnus-group-post-news
5071 Start composing a message (a news by default)
5072 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
5073 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5074 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
5075 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
5076 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
5080 @findex gnus-group-mail
5081 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
5082 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
5083 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5084 @xref{Composing Messages}.
5088 @findex gnus-group-news
5089 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
5090 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
5091 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
5093 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5094 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5095 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5096 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5097 for this to work though.
5101 @findex gnus-group-compact-group
5103 Compact the group under point (@code{gnus-group-compact-group}).
5104 Currently implemented only in nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes
5105 gaps between article numbers, hence getting a correct total article
5110 Variables for the group buffer:
5114 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
5115 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
5116 is called after the group buffer has been
5119 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
5120 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
5121 is called after the group buffer is
5122 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
5125 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
5126 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
5127 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
5128 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
5130 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
5131 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
5132 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
5133 whether they are empty or not.
5137 @node Scanning New Messages
5138 @subsection Scanning New Messages
5139 @cindex new messages
5140 @cindex scanning new news
5146 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
5147 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
5148 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
5149 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
5150 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
5151 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
5156 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
5157 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
5158 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
5159 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
5160 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
5161 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
5162 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
5164 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
5165 @cindex activating groups
5167 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
5168 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
5173 @findex gnus-group-restart
5174 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
5175 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
5176 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
5180 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
5181 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
5183 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
5184 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
5188 @node Group Information
5189 @subsection Group Information
5190 @cindex group information
5191 @cindex information on groups
5198 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
5199 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
5202 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
5203 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
5204 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
5205 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
5206 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
5207 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
5208 used for fetching the file.
5210 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
5211 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
5215 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
5216 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
5218 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
5219 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
5222 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
5223 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
5224 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
5228 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
5229 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
5230 @cindex control message
5231 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
5232 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
5233 group if given a prefix argument.
5235 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
5236 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
5237 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
5238 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
5240 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
5241 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
5242 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
5246 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
5248 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
5249 @cindex describing groups
5250 @cindex group description
5251 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
5252 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
5253 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
5257 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
5258 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
5259 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
5266 @findex gnus-version
5267 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
5271 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
5272 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
5275 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
5278 @findex gnus-info-find-node
5279 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
5283 @node Group Timestamp
5284 @subsection Group Timestamp
5286 @cindex group timestamps
5288 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
5289 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
5290 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
5293 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
5296 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
5298 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
5299 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
5302 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5303 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
5306 This will result in lines looking like:
5309 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
5310 0: custom 19961002T012713
5313 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
5314 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
5318 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5319 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
5322 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
5323 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
5327 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5328 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
5329 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
5330 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
5332 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
5338 @subsection File Commands
5339 @cindex file commands
5345 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
5346 @vindex gnus-init-file
5347 @cindex reading init file
5348 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
5349 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
5353 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
5354 @cindex saving .newsrc
5355 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
5356 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
5357 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
5360 @c @kindex Z (Group)
5361 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
5362 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
5367 @node Sieve Commands
5368 @subsection Sieve Commands
5369 @cindex group sieve commands
5371 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
5372 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
5373 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
5374 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
5375 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
5377 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5378 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
5379 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
5380 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
5381 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
5382 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
5383 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
5384 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
5385 regenerate the Sieve script.
5387 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
5388 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
5389 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
5390 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
5391 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
5392 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
5393 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
5394 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
5395 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
5396 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
5399 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
5400 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
5405 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
5411 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
5412 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5413 @cindex generating sieve script
5414 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
5415 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
5419 @findex gnus-sieve-update
5420 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5421 @cindex updating sieve script
5422 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
5423 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
5424 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
5429 @node Summary Buffer
5430 @chapter Summary Buffer
5431 @cindex summary buffer
5433 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
5434 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
5436 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
5437 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
5439 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
5441 You can customize the Summary Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
5442 customize-apropos RET gnus-summary-tool-bar}. This feature is only
5446 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Summary)
5447 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
5448 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
5450 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map (kbd "v -") "LrS") ;; lower subthread
5454 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
5455 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
5456 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
5457 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
5458 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
5459 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
5460 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
5461 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
5462 * Threading:: How threads are made.
5463 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
5464 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
5465 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
5466 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
5467 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
5468 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
5469 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
5470 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
5471 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
5472 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
5473 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
5474 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
5475 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
5476 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
5477 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
5478 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
5479 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
5480 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
5481 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
5482 or reselecting the current group.
5483 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
5484 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
5485 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
5486 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
5490 @node Summary Buffer Format
5491 @section Summary Buffer Format
5492 @cindex summary buffer format
5496 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
5497 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
5498 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
5504 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
5505 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
5506 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
5507 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
5510 @findex mail-extract-address-components
5511 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
5512 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
5513 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
5514 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
5515 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
5516 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
5517 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
5518 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
5519 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
5520 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
5523 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
5524 'mail-extract-address-components)
5527 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
5528 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
5529 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
5530 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
5533 @node Summary Buffer Lines
5534 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
5536 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
5537 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
5538 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
5539 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
5540 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
5542 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
5543 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
5544 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
5545 possible to change this. Just write a new function
5546 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
5547 @xref{Positioning Point}.
5549 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
5551 The following format specification characters and extended format
5552 specification(s) are understood:
5558 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
5559 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
5561 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
5562 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
5563 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
5565 Full @code{From} header.
5567 The name (from the @code{From} header).
5569 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
5572 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
5573 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
5574 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
5575 may be more thorough.
5577 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
5580 Number of lines in the article.
5582 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
5583 in some methods (like nnfolder).
5585 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
5586 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
5588 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
5590 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
5591 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
5604 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
5605 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
5606 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
5607 line-drawing glyphs.
5609 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
5610 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
5611 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
5612 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
5614 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
5615 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
5616 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
5617 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
5619 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
5620 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
5621 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
5622 instead. The default is @samp{}.
5624 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
5625 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
5626 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
5628 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
5629 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
5630 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
5632 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
5633 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
5634 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
5636 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
5637 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
5638 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
5643 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
5644 pushes everything after it off the screen).
5646 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
5647 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
5649 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
5650 for adopted articles.
5652 One space for each thread level.
5654 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
5656 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
5659 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
5660 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
5661 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
5664 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
5666 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
5667 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
5668 default level. If the difference between
5669 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
5670 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
5678 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
5680 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
5686 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
5687 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
5689 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
5690 article has any children.
5696 Desired cursor position (instead of after first colon).
5698 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
5699 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
5701 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
5702 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
5703 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
5704 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
5705 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
5706 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
5709 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
5710 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
5711 There can only be one such area.
5713 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
5714 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
5715 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
5716 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
5717 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
5718 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
5720 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
5721 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
5723 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
5726 @node To From Newsgroups
5727 @subsection To From Newsgroups
5731 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
5732 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
5733 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
5734 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
5735 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
5739 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
5740 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
5741 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
5745 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5746 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
5749 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
5750 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
5753 @findex gnus-extra-header
5754 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
5755 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
5756 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
5759 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
5763 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5764 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
5765 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
5766 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
5767 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
5768 headers are used instead.
5770 To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
5771 has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
5772 @code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
5773 @samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
5774 customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
5775 @code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
5779 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
5780 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
5781 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
5782 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
5783 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
5784 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
5787 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
5788 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
5789 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
5790 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
5792 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
5796 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5798 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
5799 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
5800 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
5801 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5805 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
5808 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
5809 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
5812 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
5813 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
5814 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
5820 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
5821 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
5824 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
5825 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
5827 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
5828 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
5829 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
5830 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
5832 Here are the elements you can play with:
5838 Unprefixed group name.
5840 Current article number.
5842 Current article score.
5846 Number of unread articles in this group.
5848 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
5851 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
5852 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
5853 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
5854 and no unselected ones.
5856 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
5857 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
5859 Subject of the current article.
5861 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
5863 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
5865 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5867 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5869 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
5871 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
5875 @node Summary Highlighting
5876 @subsection Summary Highlighting
5880 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5881 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5882 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
5883 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
5884 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5886 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
5887 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
5888 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
5889 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5891 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
5892 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
5893 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
5894 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
5896 @item gnus-summary-highlight
5897 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
5898 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
5899 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
5900 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
5901 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
5904 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
5905 ((> score default) . bold))
5907 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
5908 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
5912 @node Summary Maneuvering
5913 @section Summary Maneuvering
5914 @cindex summary movement
5916 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
5917 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
5919 None of these commands select articles.
5924 @kindex M-n (Summary)
5925 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
5926 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
5927 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
5928 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
5932 @kindex M-p (Summary)
5933 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
5934 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
5935 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
5936 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
5939 @kindex G g (Summary)
5940 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
5941 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
5942 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
5945 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
5946 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
5947 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
5948 to the group buffer.
5950 Variables related to summary movement:
5954 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
5955 @item gnus-auto-select-next
5956 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
5957 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
5958 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
5959 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
5960 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
5961 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
5962 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
5963 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
5964 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
5965 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
5966 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
5967 @pxref{Group Levels}.
5969 @item gnus-auto-select-same
5970 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
5971 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
5972 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
5973 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
5974 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
5975 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
5977 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
5979 @item gnus-summary-check-current
5980 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
5981 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
5982 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
5983 Instead, they will choose the current article.
5985 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
5986 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
5987 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
5988 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
5989 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
5990 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
5991 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
5992 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
5995 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
5996 the given number of lines from the top.
5998 @item gnus-summary-stop-at-end-of-message
5999 @vindex gnus-summary-stop-at-end-of-message
6000 If non-@code{nil}, don't go to the next article when hitting
6001 @kbd{SPC}, and you're at the end of the article.
6006 @node Choosing Articles
6007 @section Choosing Articles
6008 @cindex selecting articles
6011 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
6012 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
6016 @node Choosing Commands
6017 @subsection Choosing Commands
6019 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
6020 and they all select and display an article.
6022 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
6023 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
6027 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
6028 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
6029 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
6030 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
6032 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
6033 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
6034 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
6039 @kindex G n (Summary)
6040 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
6041 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
6042 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
6047 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
6048 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
6049 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
6054 @kindex G N (Summary)
6055 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
6056 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
6061 @kindex G P (Summary)
6062 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
6063 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
6066 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
6067 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
6068 Go to the next article with the same subject
6069 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
6072 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
6073 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
6074 Go to the previous article with the same subject
6075 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
6079 @kindex G f (Summary)
6081 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
6082 Go to the first unread article
6083 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
6087 @kindex G b (Summary)
6089 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
6090 Go to the unread article with the highest score
6091 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
6092 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
6097 @kindex G l (Summary)
6098 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
6099 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
6102 @kindex G o (Summary)
6103 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
6105 @cindex article history
6106 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
6107 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
6108 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
6109 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
6110 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
6111 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
6116 @kindex G j (Summary)
6117 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
6118 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
6119 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
6124 @node Choosing Variables
6125 @subsection Choosing Variables
6127 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
6130 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
6131 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
6132 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
6133 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
6134 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
6135 the server and display it in the article buffer.
6137 @item gnus-select-article-hook
6138 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
6139 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
6140 @code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
6141 you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
6144 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
6145 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
6146 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
6147 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
6148 @findex gnus-unread-mark
6149 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
6150 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
6151 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
6152 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
6153 articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
6154 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
6155 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
6156 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
6157 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
6162 @node Paging the Article
6163 @section Scrolling the Article
6164 @cindex article scrolling
6169 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
6170 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
6171 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
6172 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
6173 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
6175 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
6176 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
6177 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
6178 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
6179 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
6180 what is considered uninteresting with
6181 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
6182 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
6185 @kindex DEL (Summary)
6186 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
6187 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
6190 @kindex RET (Summary)
6191 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
6192 Scroll the current article one line forward
6193 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
6196 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
6197 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
6198 Scroll the current article one line backward
6199 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
6203 @kindex A g (Summary)
6205 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
6206 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
6207 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
6208 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
6209 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
6210 the way it came from the server.
6212 @cindex charset, view article with different charset
6213 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
6214 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
6215 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
6218 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
6223 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
6228 @kindex A < (Summary)
6229 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
6230 Scroll to the beginning of the article
6231 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
6236 @kindex A > (Summary)
6237 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
6238 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
6242 @kindex A s (Summary)
6244 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
6245 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
6246 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
6250 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
6251 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
6256 @node Reply Followup and Post
6257 @section Reply, Followup and Post
6260 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
6261 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
6262 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
6263 * Canceling and Superseding::
6267 @node Summary Mail Commands
6268 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
6270 @cindex composing mail
6272 Commands for composing a mail message:
6278 @kindex S r (Summary)
6280 @findex gnus-summary-reply
6281 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
6282 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
6283 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
6284 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
6289 @kindex S R (Summary)
6290 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
6291 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
6292 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
6293 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
6294 command uses the process/prefix convention.
6297 @kindex S w (Summary)
6298 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
6299 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
6300 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
6301 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
6302 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
6303 present, that's used instead.
6306 @kindex S W (Summary)
6307 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
6308 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
6309 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
6310 the process/prefix convention, but only uses the headers from the
6311 first article to determine the recipients.
6314 @kindex S v (Summary)
6315 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
6316 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
6317 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
6318 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
6319 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
6320 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
6323 @kindex S V (Summary)
6324 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
6325 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
6326 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
6327 command uses the process/prefix convention.
6330 @kindex S B r (Summary)
6331 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
6332 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
6333 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
6334 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
6335 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
6336 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
6337 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
6340 @kindex S B R (Summary)
6341 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
6342 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
6343 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
6344 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
6348 @kindex S o m (Summary)
6349 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
6350 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
6351 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
6352 Forward the current article to some other person
6353 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
6354 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
6355 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
6356 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
6357 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
6358 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
6359 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
6360 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
6361 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
6367 @kindex S m (Summary)
6368 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
6369 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
6370 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
6371 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
6372 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
6375 @kindex S i (Summary)
6376 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
6377 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
6378 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
6379 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
6381 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
6382 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
6383 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
6384 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
6385 for this to work though.
6388 @kindex S D b (Summary)
6389 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
6390 @cindex bouncing mail
6391 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
6392 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
6393 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
6394 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
6395 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
6396 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
6397 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
6398 very well fail, though.
6401 @kindex S D r (Summary)
6402 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
6403 Not to be confused with the previous command,
6404 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
6405 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
6406 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
6407 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
6408 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
6409 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
6410 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
6412 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
6413 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
6414 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
6415 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
6416 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
6418 This command understands the process/prefix convention
6419 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6422 @kindex S D e (Summary)
6423 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
6425 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
6426 if it were a new message before resending.
6429 @kindex S O m (Summary)
6430 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
6431 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
6432 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
6433 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6436 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
6437 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
6438 @cindex crossposting
6439 @cindex excessive crossposting
6440 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
6441 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
6443 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
6444 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
6445 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
6446 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
6447 command understands the process/prefix convention
6448 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
6452 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
6453 Manual}, for more information.
6456 @node Summary Post Commands
6457 @subsection Summary Post Commands
6459 @cindex composing news
6461 Commands for posting a news article:
6467 @kindex S p (Summary)
6468 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
6469 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
6470 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
6471 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
6472 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
6477 @kindex S f (Summary)
6478 @findex gnus-summary-followup
6479 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
6480 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
6484 @kindex S F (Summary)
6486 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
6487 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
6488 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
6489 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
6490 process/prefix convention.
6493 @kindex S n (Summary)
6494 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
6495 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
6496 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
6499 @kindex S N (Summary)
6500 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
6501 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
6502 message through mail and include the original message
6503 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
6504 the process/prefix convention.
6507 @kindex S o p (Summary)
6508 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
6509 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
6510 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
6511 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
6512 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
6513 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
6514 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
6515 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
6516 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
6517 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
6518 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
6519 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
6522 @kindex S O p (Summary)
6523 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
6525 @cindex making digests
6526 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
6527 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
6528 process/prefix convention.
6531 @kindex S u (Summary)
6532 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
6533 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
6534 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
6535 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
6538 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
6539 Manual}, for more information.
6542 @node Summary Message Commands
6543 @subsection Summary Message Commands
6547 @kindex S y (Summary)
6548 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
6549 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
6550 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
6551 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
6552 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6557 @node Canceling and Superseding
6558 @subsection Canceling Articles
6559 @cindex canceling articles
6560 @cindex superseding articles
6562 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
6563 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
6565 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
6567 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
6569 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
6570 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
6571 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
6572 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
6573 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
6574 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6576 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
6577 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
6580 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
6581 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
6582 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
6584 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
6585 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
6586 message, Message Manual}).
6588 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
6589 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
6590 your original article.
6592 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
6594 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
6595 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
6596 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
6599 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
6600 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
6601 have posted almost the same article twice.
6603 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
6604 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
6605 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
6606 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
6607 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
6608 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
6609 header by substituting one of those words for the word
6610 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
6611 you would do normally. The previous article will be
6612 canceled/superseded.
6614 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
6616 @node Delayed Articles
6617 @section Delayed Articles
6618 @cindex delayed sending
6619 @cindex send delayed
6621 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
6622 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
6623 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
6624 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
6627 (gnus-delay-initialize)
6630 @findex gnus-delay-article
6631 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
6632 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
6633 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
6634 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
6638 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
6639 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
6640 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
6641 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
6644 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
6645 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
6646 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
6649 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
6650 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
6651 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
6652 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
6653 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
6654 that means a time tomorrow.
6657 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
6658 couple of variables:
6661 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
6662 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
6663 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
6664 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
6666 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
6667 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
6668 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
6669 formats described above.
6671 @item gnus-delay-group
6672 @vindex gnus-delay-group
6673 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
6674 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
6675 value is @code{"delayed"}.
6677 @item gnus-delay-header
6678 @vindex gnus-delay-header
6679 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
6680 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
6681 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
6684 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
6685 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
6686 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
6687 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
6688 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
6690 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
6691 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
6692 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
6693 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
6694 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
6695 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
6696 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
6699 @item gnus-delay-initialize
6700 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
6701 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
6702 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
6703 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
6704 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
6705 argument is ignored.
6707 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
6708 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
6709 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
6712 When delaying an article with @kbd{C-c C-j}, Message mode will
6713 automatically add a @code{"Date"} header with the current time. In
6714 many cases you probably want the @code{"Date"} header to reflect the
6715 time the message is sent instead. To do this, you have to delete
6716 @code{Date} from @code{message-draft-headers}.
6719 @node Marking Articles
6720 @section Marking Articles
6721 @cindex article marking
6722 @cindex article ticking
6725 There are several marks you can set on an article.
6727 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
6728 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
6729 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
6731 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
6734 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
6738 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
6739 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
6740 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
6741 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
6742 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
6743 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
6747 @node Unread Articles
6748 @subsection Unread Articles
6750 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
6755 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
6756 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
6758 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
6759 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
6760 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
6761 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
6762 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
6763 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
6764 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
6767 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
6768 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
6770 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
6771 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
6772 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
6773 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
6777 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
6778 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
6780 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
6785 @subsection Read Articles
6786 @cindex expirable mark
6788 All the following marks mark articles as read.
6793 @vindex gnus-del-mark
6794 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
6795 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
6798 @vindex gnus-read-mark
6799 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
6802 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
6803 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
6804 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
6807 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
6808 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
6811 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
6812 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
6815 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
6816 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
6819 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
6820 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
6823 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
6824 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
6827 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
6828 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
6832 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
6833 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
6834 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
6838 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
6839 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
6841 One more special mark, though:
6845 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
6846 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
6848 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
6849 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
6850 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
6851 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
6857 @subsection Other Marks
6858 @cindex process mark
6861 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
6867 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
6868 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
6869 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
6870 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
6871 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
6874 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
6875 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
6876 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
6877 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
6880 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
6881 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
6882 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
6885 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
6886 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
6887 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6890 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
6891 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
6892 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
6893 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
6896 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
6897 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
6898 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
6899 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
6900 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
6901 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
6904 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
6905 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
6906 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
6907 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
6910 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
6911 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
6912 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
6913 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
6914 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
6918 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
6919 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
6920 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
6921 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
6922 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
6923 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
6926 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
6927 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
6928 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
6929 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
6930 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
6931 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
6935 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
6936 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
6937 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
6938 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
6939 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
6942 @vindex gnus-process-mark
6943 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
6944 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
6945 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
6946 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
6947 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
6951 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
6952 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
6953 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
6955 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
6956 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
6957 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
6961 @subsection Setting Marks
6962 @cindex setting marks
6964 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
6969 @kindex M c (Summary)
6970 @kindex M-u (Summary)
6971 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
6972 @cindex mark as unread
6973 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
6974 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
6980 @kindex M t (Summary)
6981 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
6982 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
6983 @xref{Article Caching}.
6988 @kindex M ? (Summary)
6989 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
6990 Mark the current article as dormant
6991 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6995 @kindex M d (Summary)
6997 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
6998 Mark the current article as read
6999 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
7003 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
7004 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
7005 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
7010 @kindex M k (Summary)
7011 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
7012 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
7013 and then select the next unread article
7014 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
7018 @kindex M K (Summary)
7019 @kindex C-k (Summary)
7020 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
7021 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
7022 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
7025 @kindex M C (Summary)
7026 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
7027 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
7028 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
7031 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
7032 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
7033 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
7034 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
7037 @kindex M H (Summary)
7038 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
7039 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
7040 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
7043 @kindex M h (Summary)
7044 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
7045 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
7046 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
7049 @kindex C-w (Summary)
7050 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
7051 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
7052 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
7055 @kindex M V k (Summary)
7056 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
7057 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
7058 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
7062 @kindex M e (Summary)
7064 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
7065 Mark the current article as expirable
7066 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
7069 @kindex M b (Summary)
7070 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
7071 Set a bookmark in the current article
7072 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
7075 @kindex M B (Summary)
7076 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
7077 Remove the bookmark from the current article
7078 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
7081 @kindex M V c (Summary)
7082 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
7083 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
7084 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
7087 @kindex M V u (Summary)
7088 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
7089 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
7090 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
7093 @kindex M V m (Summary)
7094 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
7095 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
7096 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
7097 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
7100 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
7101 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
7102 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
7103 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
7104 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
7105 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
7106 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
7107 The default is @code{t}.
7110 @node Generic Marking Commands
7111 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
7113 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
7114 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
7115 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
7116 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
7117 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
7120 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
7121 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
7124 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
7125 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
7126 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
7127 to list in this manual.
7129 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
7130 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
7131 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
7132 article, you could say something like:
7136 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
7137 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
7138 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
7146 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
7147 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
7151 @node Setting Process Marks
7152 @subsection Setting Process Marks
7153 @cindex setting process marks
7155 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
7156 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
7157 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
7158 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
7159 articles into the cache. For more information,
7160 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
7167 @kindex M P p (Summary)
7168 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
7169 Mark the current article with the process mark
7170 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
7171 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
7175 @kindex M P u (Summary)
7176 @kindex M-# (Summary)
7177 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
7178 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
7181 @kindex M P U (Summary)
7182 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
7183 Remove the process mark from all articles
7184 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
7187 @kindex M P i (Summary)
7188 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
7189 Invert the list of process marked articles
7190 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
7193 @kindex M P R (Summary)
7194 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
7195 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
7196 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
7199 @kindex M P G (Summary)
7200 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
7201 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
7202 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
7205 @kindex M P r (Summary)
7206 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
7207 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
7210 @kindex M P g (Summary)
7211 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
7212 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
7215 @kindex M P t (Summary)
7216 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
7217 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
7218 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
7221 @kindex M P T (Summary)
7222 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
7223 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
7224 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
7227 @kindex M P v (Summary)
7228 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
7229 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
7230 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
7233 @kindex M P s (Summary)
7234 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
7235 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
7238 @kindex M P S (Summary)
7239 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
7240 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
7241 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
7244 @kindex M P a (Summary)
7245 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
7246 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
7249 @kindex M P b (Summary)
7250 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
7251 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
7252 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
7255 @kindex M P k (Summary)
7256 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
7257 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
7258 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
7261 @kindex M P y (Summary)
7262 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
7263 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
7264 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
7267 @kindex M P w (Summary)
7268 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
7269 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
7270 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
7274 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
7275 set process marks based on article body contents.
7282 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
7283 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
7284 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
7287 Limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched from
7288 the servers. These commands don't query the server for additional
7295 @kindex / / (Summary)
7296 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
7297 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
7298 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
7302 @kindex / a (Summary)
7303 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
7304 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
7305 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
7309 @kindex / R (Summary)
7310 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
7311 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
7312 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
7316 @kindex / A (Summary)
7317 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-address
7318 Limit the summary buffer to articles in which contents of From, To or Cc
7319 header match a given address (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-address}). If
7320 given a prefix, exclude matching articles.
7323 @kindex / S (Summary)
7324 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons
7325 Limit the summary buffer to articles that aren't part of any displayed
7326 threads (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons}). If given a prefix,
7327 limit to articles that are part of displayed threads.
7330 @kindex / x (Summary)
7331 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
7332 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
7333 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
7334 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
7339 @kindex / u (Summary)
7341 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
7342 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
7343 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
7344 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
7345 dormant articles will also be excluded.
7348 @kindex / m (Summary)
7349 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
7350 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
7351 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
7354 @kindex / t (Summary)
7355 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
7356 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
7357 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
7358 articles younger than that number of days.
7361 @kindex / n (Summary)
7362 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
7363 With prefix @samp{n}, limit the summary buffer to the next @samp{n}
7364 articles. If not given a prefix, use the process marked articles
7365 instead. (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}).
7368 @kindex / w (Summary)
7369 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
7370 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
7371 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
7375 @kindex / . (Summary)
7376 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
7377 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
7378 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
7381 @kindex / v (Summary)
7382 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
7383 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
7384 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
7387 @kindex / p (Summary)
7388 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
7389 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
7390 group parameter predicate
7391 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
7392 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
7395 @kindex / r (Summary)
7396 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
7397 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
7398 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
7403 @kindex M S (Summary)
7404 @kindex / E (Summary)
7405 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
7406 Include all expunged articles in the limit
7407 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
7410 @kindex / D (Summary)
7411 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
7412 Include all dormant articles in the limit
7413 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
7416 @kindex / * (Summary)
7417 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
7418 Include all cached articles in the limit
7419 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
7422 @kindex / d (Summary)
7423 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
7424 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
7425 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
7428 @kindex / M (Summary)
7429 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
7430 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
7433 @kindex / T (Summary)
7434 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
7435 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
7438 @kindex / c (Summary)
7439 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
7440 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
7441 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
7444 @kindex / C (Summary)
7445 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
7446 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
7447 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
7448 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
7451 @kindex / b (Summary)
7452 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies
7453 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have bodies that match a
7454 certain regexp (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies}). If given a
7455 prefix, reverse the limit. This command is quite slow since it
7456 requires selecting each article to find the matches.
7459 @kindex / h (Summary)
7460 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-headers
7461 Like the previous command, only limit to headers instead
7462 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-headers}).
7467 The following commands aren't limiting commands, but use the @kbd{/}
7472 @kindex / N (Summary)
7473 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
7474 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
7475 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
7478 @kindex / o (Summary)
7479 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
7480 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
7481 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
7489 @cindex article threading
7491 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
7492 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
7493 hierarchical fashion.
7495 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
7496 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
7497 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
7498 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
7499 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
7500 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
7501 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
7503 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
7507 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
7510 A tree-like article structure.
7513 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
7516 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
7517 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
7518 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
7519 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
7520 called loose threads.
7522 @item thread gathering
7523 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
7525 @item sparse threads
7526 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
7527 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
7533 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
7534 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
7538 @node Customizing Threading
7539 @subsection Customizing Threading
7540 @cindex customizing threading
7543 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
7544 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
7545 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
7546 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
7551 @subsubsection Loose Threads
7554 @cindex loose threads
7557 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
7558 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
7559 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
7560 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
7561 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
7562 read or killed the root in a previous session.
7564 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
7565 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
7566 There are four possible values:
7570 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
7571 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
7572 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
7573 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
7574 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
7579 @cindex adopting articles
7584 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
7585 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
7586 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
7587 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
7590 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
7591 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
7592 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
7593 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
7594 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
7595 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
7596 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
7597 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
7598 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
7599 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
7602 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
7603 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
7604 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
7608 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
7609 display them after one another.
7612 Don't gather loose threads.
7615 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
7616 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
7617 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
7618 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
7619 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
7620 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
7621 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
7622 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
7623 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
7624 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
7625 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
7627 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
7628 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
7629 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
7632 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
7633 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
7634 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
7635 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
7636 simplification is used.
7638 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7639 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7640 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
7641 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
7643 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
7645 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7651 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
7652 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
7653 "answer" "reference" "announce"
7654 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
7659 (mapconcat 'identity
7660 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
7662 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
7665 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
7668 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
7669 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
7670 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
7671 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
7672 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
7673 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
7675 Useful functions to put in this list include:
7678 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
7679 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
7680 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
7682 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
7683 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
7686 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
7687 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
7688 Remove excessive whitespace.
7690 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
7691 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
7692 Remove all whitespace.
7695 You may also write your own functions, of course.
7698 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
7699 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
7700 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
7701 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
7702 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
7703 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
7704 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
7705 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
7707 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7708 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7709 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
7710 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
7711 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
7712 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
7713 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
7714 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
7715 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
7719 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
7720 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
7721 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
7722 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
7724 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
7725 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
7726 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
7729 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
7733 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7734 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
7740 @node Filling In Threads
7741 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
7744 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
7745 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
7746 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
7747 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
7748 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
7749 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
7750 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
7751 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
7752 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
7753 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
7754 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
7755 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
7758 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
7759 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
7760 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
7762 The server has to support @acronym{NOV} for any of this to work.
7764 @cindex Gmane, gnus-fetch-old-headers
7765 This feature can seriously impact performance it ignores all locally
7766 cached header entries. Setting it to @code{t} for groups for a server
7767 that doesn't expire articles (such as news.gmane.org), leads to very
7768 slow summary generation.
7770 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7771 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7772 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
7775 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
7776 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
7777 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
7778 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
7779 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
7780 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
7781 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
7782 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
7783 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
7784 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
7785 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
7786 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
7787 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
7788 @code{nil} by default.
7790 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
7791 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
7792 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
7793 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
7794 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
7795 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
7798 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
7799 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
7800 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
7805 @node More Threading
7806 @subsubsection More Threading
7809 @item gnus-show-threads
7810 @vindex gnus-show-threads
7811 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
7812 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
7813 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
7814 slower and more awkward.
7816 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7817 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7818 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
7821 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
7822 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
7823 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
7828 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7829 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
7830 gnus-article-unseen-p))
7833 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
7834 unread, but you get my drift.)
7837 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
7838 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
7839 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
7840 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
7841 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
7842 threads are expunged.
7844 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
7845 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
7846 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
7849 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7850 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7851 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
7852 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
7853 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
7854 result in a new thread.
7856 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
7857 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
7858 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
7861 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7862 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7863 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
7864 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
7865 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
7866 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
7867 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
7868 Setting this variable to an alternate value
7869 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
7870 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
7871 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
7876 @node Low-Level Threading
7877 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
7881 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
7882 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
7883 Hook run before parsing any headers.
7885 @item gnus-alter-header-function
7886 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
7887 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
7888 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
7889 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
7890 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
7891 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
7892 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
7893 meaningful. Here's one example:
7896 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
7898 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
7899 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
7901 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
7903 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
7910 @node Thread Commands
7911 @subsection Thread Commands
7912 @cindex thread commands
7918 @kindex T k (Summary)
7919 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
7920 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
7921 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
7922 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
7923 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
7928 @kindex T l (Summary)
7929 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
7930 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
7931 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
7932 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
7935 @kindex T i (Summary)
7936 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
7937 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
7938 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
7941 @kindex T # (Summary)
7942 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
7943 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
7944 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
7947 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
7948 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
7949 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
7950 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
7953 @kindex T T (Summary)
7954 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
7955 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
7958 @kindex T s (Summary)
7959 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
7960 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
7961 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
7964 @kindex T h (Summary)
7965 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
7966 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
7969 @kindex T S (Summary)
7970 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
7971 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
7974 @kindex T H (Summary)
7975 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
7976 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
7979 @kindex T t (Summary)
7980 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
7981 Re-thread the current article's thread
7982 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
7983 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
7986 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
7987 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
7988 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
7989 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
7992 @kindex T M-^ (Summary)
7993 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-children
7994 Make the current article the parent of the marked articles
7995 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-children}).
7999 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
8000 understand the numeric prefix.
8005 @kindex T n (Summary)
8007 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
8009 @kindex M-down (Summary)
8010 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
8011 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
8014 @kindex T p (Summary)
8016 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
8018 @kindex M-up (Summary)
8019 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
8020 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
8023 @kindex T d (Summary)
8024 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
8025 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
8028 @kindex T u (Summary)
8029 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
8030 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
8033 @kindex T o (Summary)
8034 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
8035 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
8038 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
8039 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
8040 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
8041 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
8042 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
8043 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
8044 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
8045 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
8046 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
8047 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
8048 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
8049 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
8053 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
8054 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
8056 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
8057 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
8058 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
8059 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
8060 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
8061 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
8062 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
8063 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
8064 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
8065 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
8066 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
8067 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
8068 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
8069 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
8070 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
8072 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
8073 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
8074 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
8075 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
8076 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date},
8077 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
8078 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
8079 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
8080 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
8081 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
8083 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
8084 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
8085 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
8087 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
8088 last function in the list. You should probably always include
8089 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
8090 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
8091 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
8092 ascending article order.
8094 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
8095 by number, you could do something like:
8098 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
8099 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
8100 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
8101 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
8104 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
8105 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
8106 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
8107 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
8108 which the articles arrived.
8110 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
8114 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
8115 '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
8116 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
8119 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
8120 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
8121 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
8122 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
8125 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
8126 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
8127 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-date
8128 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
8129 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
8130 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
8131 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
8132 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
8133 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-number
8134 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
8135 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
8136 variable. It is very similar to the
8137 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
8138 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
8139 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
8140 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
8141 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
8142 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
8143 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
8145 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
8149 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
8150 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
8151 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
8154 You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
8155 @xref{Group Parameters}.
8158 @node Asynchronous Fetching
8159 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
8160 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
8161 @cindex article pre-fetch
8164 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
8165 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
8166 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
8167 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
8168 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
8170 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
8171 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
8173 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
8174 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
8175 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
8176 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
8177 connection is blocked.
8179 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
8180 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
8181 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
8182 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
8184 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
8185 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
8186 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
8187 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
8190 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
8193 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
8194 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
8195 happen automatically.
8197 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
8198 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
8199 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
8200 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
8201 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
8202 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
8203 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
8205 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
8206 @findex gnus-async-unread-p
8207 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
8208 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
8209 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
8210 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
8211 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-unread-p}, which
8212 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
8213 article data structure as the only parameter.
8215 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
8216 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
8219 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
8220 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
8221 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
8222 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
8225 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
8228 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
8229 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
8230 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
8232 @vindex gnus-async-post-fetch-function
8233 @findex gnus-html-prefetch-images
8234 After an article has been prefetched, this
8235 @code{gnus-async-post-fetch-function} will be called. The buffer will
8236 be narrowed to the region of the article that was fetched. A useful
8237 value would be @code{gnus-html-prefetch-images}, which will prefetch
8238 and store images referenced in the article, so that you don't have to
8239 wait for them to be fetched when you read the article. This is useful
8240 for @acronym{HTML} messages that have external images.
8242 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
8243 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
8244 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
8245 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
8249 Remove articles when they are read.
8252 Remove articles when exiting the group.
8255 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
8257 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
8258 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
8259 @c from the next group.
8262 @node Article Caching
8263 @section Article Caching
8264 @cindex article caching
8267 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
8268 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
8269 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
8270 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
8271 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
8273 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
8275 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
8276 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
8277 @vindex gnus-use-cache
8278 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
8279 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
8280 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
8281 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
8282 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
8284 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
8285 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
8286 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
8287 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
8288 as dormant, and don't worry.
8290 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
8292 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
8293 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
8294 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
8295 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
8296 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
8297 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
8298 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
8299 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
8300 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
8301 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
8303 @findex gnus-jog-cache
8304 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
8305 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
8306 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
8307 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
8308 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
8309 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
8310 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
8311 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
8312 not then be downloaded by this command.
8314 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
8315 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
8316 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
8317 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
8318 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
8319 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
8321 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
8322 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
8323 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
8324 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
8325 variables, the group is not cached.
8327 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
8328 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
8329 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
8330 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
8331 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
8332 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
8333 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
8334 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
8335 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
8338 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
8339 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
8340 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
8341 where, isn't that cool?
8343 @node Persistent Articles
8344 @section Persistent Articles
8345 @cindex persistent articles
8347 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
8348 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
8349 useful in my opinion.
8351 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
8352 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
8353 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
8354 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
8355 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
8356 the expiry going on at the news server.
8358 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
8359 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
8360 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
8366 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
8367 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
8370 @kindex M-* (Summary)
8371 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
8372 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
8373 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
8377 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
8379 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
8380 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
8381 interested in persistent articles:
8384 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
8387 @node Sticky Articles
8388 @section Sticky Articles
8389 @cindex sticky articles
8391 When you select an article the current article buffer will be reused
8392 according to the value of the variable
8393 @code{gnus-single-article-buffer}. If its value is non-@code{nil} (the
8394 default) all articles reuse the same article buffer. Else each group
8395 has its own article buffer.
8397 This implies that it's not possible to have more than one article buffer
8398 in a group at a time. But sometimes you might want to display all the
8399 latest emails from your mother, your father, your aunt, your uncle and
8400 your 17 cousins to coordinate the next christmas party.
8402 That's where sticky articles come in handy. A sticky article buffer
8403 basically is a normal article buffer, but it won't be reused when you
8404 select another article. You can make an article sticky with:
8408 @kindex A S (Summary)
8409 @findex gnus-sticky-article
8410 Make the current article sticky. If a prefix arg is given, ask for a
8411 name for this sticky article buffer.
8414 To close a sticky article buffer you can use these commands:
8420 Puts this sticky article buffer at the end of the list of all buffers.
8424 @findex gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffer
8425 Kills this sticky article buffer.
8428 To kill all sticky article buffers you can use:
8430 @defun gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffers ARG
8431 Kill all sticky article buffers.
8432 If a prefix ARG is given, ask for confirmation.
8435 @node Article Backlog
8436 @section Article Backlog
8438 @cindex article backlog
8440 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
8441 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
8442 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
8443 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
8444 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
8445 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
8446 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
8447 increase memory usage some.
8449 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
8450 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
8451 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
8452 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
8453 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
8454 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
8455 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
8457 The default value is 20.
8460 @node Saving Articles
8461 @section Saving Articles
8462 @cindex saving articles
8464 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
8465 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
8466 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
8467 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
8468 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
8470 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
8471 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
8472 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
8474 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
8475 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
8476 unwanted headers before saving the article.
8478 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
8479 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
8480 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
8481 deleted before saving.
8487 @kindex O o (Summary)
8489 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
8490 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
8491 Save the current article using the default article saver
8492 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
8495 @kindex O m (Summary)
8496 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
8497 Save the current article in a Unix mail box (mbox) file
8498 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
8501 @kindex O r (Summary)
8502 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
8503 Save the current article in Rmail format
8504 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}). This is mbox since Emacs 23,
8505 Babyl in older versions.
8508 @kindex O f (Summary)
8509 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
8510 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
8511 Save the current article in plain file format
8512 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
8515 @kindex O F (Summary)
8516 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
8517 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
8518 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
8521 @kindex O b (Summary)
8522 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
8523 Save the current article body in plain file format
8524 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
8527 @kindex O h (Summary)
8528 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
8529 Save the current article in mh folder format
8530 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
8533 @kindex O v (Summary)
8534 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
8535 Save the current article in a VM folder
8536 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
8540 @kindex O p (Summary)
8542 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
8543 @vindex gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command
8544 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
8545 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
8546 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
8547 complete headers in the piped output. The symbolic prefix @code{r} is
8548 special; it lets this command pipe a raw article including all headers.
8549 The @code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} variable can be set
8550 to a string containing the default command and options (default
8554 @kindex O P (Summary)
8555 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
8556 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
8557 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
8558 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
8559 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
8560 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
8561 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
8565 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
8566 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
8567 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
8568 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
8569 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
8570 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
8571 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
8572 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
8573 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
8574 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
8575 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
8576 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
8580 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
8581 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
8582 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the eight ready-made
8583 functions below, or you can create your own.
8587 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
8588 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
8589 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
8590 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
8591 This is the default format, that used by the Rmail package. Since Emacs
8592 23, Rmail uses standard mbox format. Before this, it used the
8593 @dfn{Babyl} format. Accordingly, this command writes mbox format since
8594 Emacs 23, unless appending to an existing Babyl file. In older versions
8595 of Emacs, it always uses Babyl format. Uses the function in the
8596 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8597 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
8599 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
8600 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
8601 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
8602 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
8603 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8604 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
8606 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
8607 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
8608 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
8609 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
8610 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
8611 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8612 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8614 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
8615 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
8616 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
8617 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
8618 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8619 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8621 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
8622 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
8623 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
8624 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8625 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8627 @item gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
8628 @findex gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
8629 Write the article body straight to an ordinary file. The file is
8630 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
8631 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8632 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8634 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
8635 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
8636 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
8637 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
8638 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
8641 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
8642 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
8643 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
8644 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
8645 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
8647 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
8648 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
8649 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
8650 reader to use this setting.
8652 @item gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
8653 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
8654 Pipe the article to a shell command. This function takes optional two
8655 arguments COMMAND and RAW. Valid values for COMMAND include:
8659 The executable command name and possibly arguments.
8661 You will be prompted for the command in the minibuffer.
8662 @item the symbol @code{default}@*
8663 It will be replaced with the command which the variable
8664 @code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} holds or the command
8665 last used for saving.
8668 Non-@code{nil} value for RAW overrides @code{:decode} and
8669 @code{:headers} properties (see below) and the raw article including all
8670 headers will be piped.
8673 The symbol of each function may have the following properties:
8677 The value non-@code{nil} means save decoded articles. This is
8678 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-save-in-file},
8679 @code{gnus-summary-save-body-in-file},
8680 @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file},
8681 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}, and
8682 @code{gnus-summary-save-in-pipe}.
8685 The value specifies an alternative function which appends, not
8686 overwrites, articles to a file. This implies that when saving many
8687 articles at a time, @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} is bound to
8688 @code{t} and all articles are saved in a single file. This is
8689 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file} and
8690 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}.
8693 The value specifies the symbol of a variable of which the value
8694 specifies headers to be saved. If it is omitted,
8695 @code{gnus-save-all-headers} and @code{gnus-saved-headers} control what
8696 headers should be saved.
8699 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
8700 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
8701 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
8702 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
8705 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
8706 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
8707 available functions that generate names:
8711 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
8712 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
8713 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
8715 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
8716 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
8717 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
8719 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
8720 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
8721 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
8723 @item gnus-plain-save-name
8724 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
8725 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
8727 @item gnus-sender-save-name
8728 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
8729 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
8732 @vindex gnus-split-methods
8733 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
8734 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
8735 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
8736 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
8740 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
8741 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
8742 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
8743 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
8746 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
8747 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
8748 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
8749 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
8750 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
8751 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
8752 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
8753 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
8754 called returns a string or a list of strings.
8756 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
8757 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
8758 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
8759 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
8761 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
8762 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
8763 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
8766 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
8767 lots of mail groups called things like
8768 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
8769 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
8770 following will do just that:
8773 (defun my-save-name (group)
8774 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
8775 (substring group (match-end 0))))
8777 (setq gnus-split-methods
8778 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
8783 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
8784 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
8785 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
8786 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
8787 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
8788 all the files in the top level directory
8789 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
8790 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
8791 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
8792 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
8794 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
8795 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
8796 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
8797 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
8798 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
8801 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
8805 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
8806 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
8807 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
8810 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
8811 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
8812 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
8813 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
8816 @node Decoding Articles
8817 @section Decoding Articles
8818 @cindex decoding articles
8820 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
8821 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
8824 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
8825 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
8826 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
8827 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
8828 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
8829 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
8833 @cindex article series
8834 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
8835 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
8836 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
8837 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
8838 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
8840 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
8841 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
8842 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
8844 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
8845 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
8846 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
8848 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
8849 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
8850 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
8853 @node Uuencoded Articles
8854 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
8856 @cindex uuencoded articles
8861 @kindex X u (Summary)
8862 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
8863 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
8864 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
8867 @kindex X U (Summary)
8868 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
8869 Uudecodes and saves the current series
8870 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8873 @kindex X v u (Summary)
8874 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
8875 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
8878 @kindex X v U (Summary)
8879 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
8880 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
8881 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
8885 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
8886 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
8887 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
8888 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
8889 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8891 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
8892 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
8893 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
8894 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
8897 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
8898 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
8899 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
8900 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
8901 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
8902 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
8906 @node Shell Archives
8907 @subsection Shell Archives
8909 @cindex shell archives
8910 @cindex shared articles
8912 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
8913 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
8914 some commands to deal with these:
8919 @kindex X s (Summary)
8920 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
8921 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
8924 @kindex X S (Summary)
8925 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
8926 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
8929 @kindex X v s (Summary)
8930 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
8931 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
8934 @kindex X v S (Summary)
8935 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
8936 Unshars, views and saves the current series
8937 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
8941 @node PostScript Files
8942 @subsection PostScript Files
8948 @kindex X p (Summary)
8949 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
8950 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
8953 @kindex X P (Summary)
8954 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
8955 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
8956 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
8959 @kindex X v p (Summary)
8960 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
8961 View the current PostScript series
8962 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
8965 @kindex X v P (Summary)
8966 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
8967 View and save the current PostScript series
8968 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
8973 @subsection Other Files
8977 @kindex X o (Summary)
8978 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
8979 Save the current series
8980 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
8983 @kindex X b (Summary)
8984 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
8985 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
8986 doesn't really work yet.
8989 @kindex X Y (Summary)
8990 @findex gnus-uu-decode-yenc
8991 yEnc-decode the current series and save it (@code{gnus-uu-decode-yenc}).
8995 @node Decoding Variables
8996 @subsection Decoding Variables
8998 Adjective, not verb.
9001 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
9002 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
9003 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
9007 @node Rule Variables
9008 @subsubsection Rule Variables
9009 @cindex rule variables
9011 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
9012 variables are of the form
9015 (list '(regexp1 command2)
9022 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
9023 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
9025 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
9026 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
9029 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
9030 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
9033 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
9034 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
9035 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
9036 user and default view rules.
9038 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
9039 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
9040 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
9045 @node Other Decode Variables
9046 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
9049 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
9051 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
9052 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
9053 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
9054 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
9055 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
9059 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
9060 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
9063 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
9064 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
9065 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
9068 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
9069 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
9070 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
9071 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
9072 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
9075 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
9076 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
9077 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
9079 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
9080 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
9081 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
9082 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
9083 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
9086 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
9087 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
9088 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
9090 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
9091 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
9092 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
9093 looking for files to display.
9095 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
9096 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
9097 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
9100 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
9101 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
9102 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
9105 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
9106 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
9107 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
9110 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
9111 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
9112 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
9115 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
9116 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
9117 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
9118 decoded articles as unread.
9120 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
9121 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
9122 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
9123 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
9125 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
9126 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
9127 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
9129 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
9130 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
9132 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
9133 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
9134 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
9135 @code{metamail} for viewing.
9137 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
9138 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
9139 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
9140 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
9141 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
9142 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
9143 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
9144 simply dropped them.
9149 @node Uuencoding and Posting
9150 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
9154 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
9155 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
9156 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
9157 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
9158 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
9159 for you when you post the article.
9161 @item gnus-uu-post-length
9162 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
9163 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
9164 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
9166 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
9167 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
9168 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
9169 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
9170 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
9171 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
9172 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
9174 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
9175 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
9176 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
9177 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
9178 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
9179 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
9180 Default is @code{t}.
9186 @subsection Viewing Files
9187 @cindex viewing files
9188 @cindex pseudo-articles
9190 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
9191 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
9192 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
9193 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
9194 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
9195 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
9196 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
9198 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
9199 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
9200 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
9201 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
9203 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
9204 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
9205 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
9207 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
9208 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
9209 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
9210 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
9211 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
9213 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
9214 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
9215 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
9216 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
9217 a list of parameters to that command.
9219 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
9220 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
9221 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
9223 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
9224 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
9225 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
9228 @node Article Treatment
9229 @section Article Treatment
9231 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
9232 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
9233 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
9234 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
9235 these articles easier.
9238 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
9239 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
9240 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
9241 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
9242 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
9243 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
9244 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
9245 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
9246 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
9247 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
9248 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
9252 @node Article Highlighting
9253 @subsection Article Highlighting
9254 @cindex highlighting
9256 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
9257 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
9262 @kindex W H a (Summary)
9263 @findex gnus-article-highlight
9264 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
9265 Do much highlighting of the current article
9266 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
9267 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
9270 @kindex W H h (Summary)
9271 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
9272 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
9273 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
9274 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
9275 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
9276 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
9277 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
9278 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
9279 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
9280 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
9281 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
9284 @kindex W H c (Summary)
9285 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
9286 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
9288 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
9291 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
9293 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
9294 If the article size in bytes is bigger than this variable (which is
9295 25000 by default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
9297 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
9298 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
9299 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
9301 @item gnus-cite-face-list
9302 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
9303 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
9304 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
9305 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
9306 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
9308 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
9309 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
9310 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
9312 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
9313 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
9314 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
9316 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
9317 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
9318 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
9319 that it's a citation.
9321 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
9322 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
9323 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
9325 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
9326 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
9327 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
9329 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
9330 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
9331 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
9332 cited text belonging to the attribution.
9334 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
9335 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
9336 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
9337 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
9338 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
9345 @kindex W H s (Summary)
9346 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9347 @vindex gnus-signature-face
9348 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
9349 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
9350 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
9351 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
9352 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
9357 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
9360 @node Article Fontisizing
9361 @subsection Article Fontisizing
9363 @cindex article emphasis
9365 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
9366 @kindex W e (Summary)
9367 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
9368 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
9369 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
9370 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
9372 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
9373 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
9374 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
9375 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
9376 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
9377 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
9378 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
9379 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
9383 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
9384 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
9385 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
9394 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
9395 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
9396 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
9397 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
9398 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
9399 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
9400 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
9401 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
9402 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
9403 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
9404 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
9405 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
9406 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
9408 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
9409 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
9410 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
9414 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
9417 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
9419 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
9420 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
9421 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
9422 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
9424 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
9427 @node Article Hiding
9428 @subsection Article Hiding
9429 @cindex article hiding
9431 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
9432 too much cruft in most articles.
9437 @kindex W W a (Summary)
9438 @findex gnus-article-hide
9439 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
9440 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
9441 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
9444 @kindex W W h (Summary)
9445 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
9446 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
9450 @kindex W W b (Summary)
9451 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
9452 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
9453 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
9456 @kindex W W s (Summary)
9457 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
9458 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
9462 @kindex W W l (Summary)
9463 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
9464 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
9465 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
9466 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
9467 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
9468 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
9469 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
9473 @item gnus-list-identifiers
9474 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
9475 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
9476 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
9481 @kindex W W P (Summary)
9482 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
9483 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
9484 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
9487 @kindex W W B (Summary)
9488 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
9489 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
9490 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9493 @cindex stripping advertisements
9494 @cindex advertisements
9495 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
9496 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
9497 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
9498 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
9499 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
9500 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
9501 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
9502 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
9503 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
9504 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
9507 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
9508 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
9509 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
9513 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9514 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9515 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
9516 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
9517 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
9518 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
9519 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
9520 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
9521 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
9522 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
9523 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
9526 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
9527 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
9533 @kindex W W c (Summary)
9534 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
9535 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
9536 customizing the hiding:
9540 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
9541 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
9542 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
9543 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
9544 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
9545 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
9546 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
9551 Starting point of the hidden text.
9553 Ending point of the hidden text.
9555 Number of characters in the hidden region.
9557 Number of lines of hidden text.
9560 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
9561 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
9562 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
9563 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
9564 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
9569 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
9570 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
9572 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
9573 following two variables:
9576 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
9577 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
9578 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
9579 50), hide the cited text.
9581 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
9582 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
9583 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
9588 @kindex W W C (Summary)
9589 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
9590 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
9591 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
9592 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
9593 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
9597 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
9598 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
9599 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
9601 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
9602 citation customization.
9604 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
9608 @node Article Washing
9609 @subsection Article Washing
9611 @cindex article washing
9613 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
9614 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
9616 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
9617 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
9620 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
9621 articles by default.
9626 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
9627 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
9631 Force redisplaying of the current article
9632 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
9633 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
9634 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
9635 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
9638 @kindex W l (Summary)
9639 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
9640 Remove page breaks from the current article
9641 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
9645 @kindex W r (Summary)
9646 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
9647 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
9648 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
9649 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
9650 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
9651 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
9653 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
9654 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
9655 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
9656 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
9659 @kindex W m (Summary)
9660 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
9661 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
9664 @kindex W i (Summary)
9665 @findex gnus-summary-idna-message
9666 Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
9667 encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
9668 unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
9669 string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
9670 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
9675 @kindex W t (Summary)
9677 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
9678 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
9679 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
9682 @kindex W v (Summary)
9683 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
9684 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
9685 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
9688 @kindex W o (Summary)
9689 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
9690 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
9693 @kindex W d (Summary)
9694 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
9695 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
9697 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
9699 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
9700 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
9701 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
9702 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
9705 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
9706 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
9707 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
9708 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
9711 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
9712 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
9713 @cindex Outlook Express
9714 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
9715 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
9716 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
9719 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
9720 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
9721 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
9722 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
9723 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
9724 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
9725 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
9726 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
9727 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
9728 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
9731 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
9732 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
9733 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
9734 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
9737 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
9738 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
9739 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
9740 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
9743 @kindex W w (Summary)
9744 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
9745 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
9747 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
9751 @kindex W Q (Summary)
9752 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
9753 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
9756 @kindex W C (Summary)
9757 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
9758 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
9759 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
9762 @kindex W c (Summary)
9763 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
9764 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
9765 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
9766 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
9767 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
9770 @kindex W q (Summary)
9771 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
9772 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
9773 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
9774 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
9775 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
9776 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
9777 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9778 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
9779 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
9782 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
9783 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
9784 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
9785 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
9786 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
9787 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9788 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
9789 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
9792 @kindex W Z (Summary)
9793 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
9794 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
9795 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
9796 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
9799 @kindex W A (Summary)
9800 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
9801 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
9802 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
9803 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
9804 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
9807 @kindex W u (Summary)
9808 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
9809 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
9810 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
9811 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
9812 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
9815 @kindex W h (Summary)
9816 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
9817 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
9818 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9819 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
9821 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
9822 the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
9823 (@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
9825 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
9826 The default is to use the function specified by
9827 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
9828 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
9829 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
9830 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
9834 @item gnus-article-html
9835 Use Gnus rendered based on w3m.
9841 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
9843 @item w3m-standalone
9844 Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
9847 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
9850 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
9853 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
9858 @kindex W b (Summary)
9859 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
9860 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
9861 @xref{Article Buttons}.
9864 @kindex W B (Summary)
9865 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
9866 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
9867 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
9870 @kindex W p (Summary)
9871 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
9872 Verify a signed control message
9873 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
9874 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
9875 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
9876 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
9877 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
9878 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
9881 @kindex W s (Summary)
9882 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
9883 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
9884 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
9885 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
9888 @kindex W a (Summary)
9889 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
9890 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
9891 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
9894 @kindex W E l (Summary)
9895 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
9896 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
9897 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
9900 @kindex W E m (Summary)
9901 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
9902 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
9903 lines with a single empty line.
9904 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
9907 @kindex W E t (Summary)
9908 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
9909 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
9910 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
9913 @kindex W E a (Summary)
9914 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
9915 Do all the three commands above
9916 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
9919 @kindex W E A (Summary)
9920 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
9921 Remove all blank lines
9922 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
9925 @kindex W E s (Summary)
9926 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
9927 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
9928 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
9931 @kindex W E e (Summary)
9932 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
9933 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
9934 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
9938 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
9941 @node Article Header
9942 @subsection Article Header
9944 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
9949 @kindex W G u (Summary)
9950 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
9951 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
9954 @kindex W G n (Summary)
9955 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
9956 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
9957 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
9960 @kindex W G f (Summary)
9961 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
9962 Fold all the message headers
9963 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
9966 @kindex W E w (Summary)
9967 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
9968 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
9969 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
9974 @node Article Buttons
9975 @subsection Article Buttons
9978 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
9979 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
9980 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
9981 button on these references.
9983 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
9984 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
9985 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
9986 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
9987 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
9991 @item gnus-button-alist
9992 @vindex gnus-button-alist
9993 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
9996 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
10002 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
10003 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
10004 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
10005 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
10006 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
10009 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
10010 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
10011 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
10014 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
10015 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
10016 avoid false matches. Often variables named
10017 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
10018 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
10020 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
10023 This function will be called when you click on this button.
10026 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
10027 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
10031 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
10034 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
10037 @item gnus-header-button-alist
10038 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
10039 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
10040 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
10041 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
10044 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
10047 @var{header} is a regular expression.
10050 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
10053 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
10054 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
10056 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
10058 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
10059 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
10060 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
10061 default values of the variables above.
10063 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
10065 @item gnus-button-man-handler
10066 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
10067 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
10068 argument with a string naming the man page.
10070 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
10072 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
10073 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
10074 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
10076 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
10077 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
10078 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
10079 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
10080 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
10081 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
10082 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
10083 @code{ask}, always query the user what to do. If it is a function, this
10084 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
10085 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
10086 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
10087 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
10089 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
10090 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
10091 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
10092 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
10093 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
10096 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
10097 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
10098 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
10099 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
10101 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
10103 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
10104 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
10105 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
10106 argument, the string naming the URL.
10108 @item gnus-ctan-url
10109 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
10110 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
10111 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
10115 @item gnus-article-button-face
10116 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
10117 Face used on buttons.
10119 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
10120 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
10121 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
10125 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
10128 @node Article Button Levels
10129 @subsection Article button levels
10130 @cindex button levels
10131 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
10132 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
10133 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
10134 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
10135 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
10136 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
10137 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
10138 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
10141 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
10142 (setq gnus-parameters
10143 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
10144 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
10145 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
10150 @item gnus-button-browse-level
10151 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
10152 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
10153 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
10154 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
10155 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
10157 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
10158 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
10159 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
10160 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
10161 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
10162 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
10163 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
10164 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
10165 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
10166 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
10167 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
10168 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
10169 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
10171 @item gnus-button-man-level
10172 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
10173 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
10174 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
10176 @item gnus-button-message-level
10177 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
10178 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
10179 Related variables and functions include
10180 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
10181 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
10182 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
10183 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
10185 @item gnus-button-tex-level
10186 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
10187 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
10188 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
10189 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
10190 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
10191 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
10197 @subsection Article Date
10199 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
10200 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
10201 when the article was sent.
10206 @kindex W T u (Summary)
10207 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
10208 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
10209 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
10212 @kindex W T i (Summary)
10213 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
10215 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
10216 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
10219 @kindex W T l (Summary)
10220 @findex gnus-article-date-local
10221 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
10224 @kindex W T p (Summary)
10225 @findex gnus-article-date-english
10226 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
10227 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
10230 @kindex W T s (Summary)
10231 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
10232 @findex gnus-article-date-user
10233 @findex format-time-string
10234 Display the date using a user-defined format
10235 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
10236 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
10237 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
10238 for a list of possible format specs.
10241 @kindex W T e (Summary)
10242 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
10243 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
10244 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
10245 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
10246 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
10249 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
10252 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
10253 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
10254 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
10257 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
10258 into wonderful absurdities.
10260 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
10263 (gnus-start-date-timer)
10266 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
10267 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
10271 @kindex W T o (Summary)
10272 @findex gnus-article-date-original
10273 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
10274 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
10275 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
10276 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
10277 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
10281 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
10282 preferred format automatically.
10285 @node Article Display
10286 @subsection Article Display
10291 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
10292 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
10294 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
10295 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
10297 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
10298 headers (@pxref{Face}).
10300 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
10301 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
10303 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
10304 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
10306 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
10307 they'll be removed.
10311 @kindex W D x (Summary)
10312 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
10313 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
10314 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
10317 @kindex W D d (Summary)
10318 @findex gnus-article-display-face
10319 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
10320 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
10323 @kindex W D s (Summary)
10324 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
10325 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
10328 @kindex W D f (Summary)
10329 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
10330 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
10333 @kindex W D m (Summary)
10334 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
10335 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
10336 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
10339 @kindex W D n (Summary)
10340 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
10341 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
10342 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
10345 @kindex W D D (Summary)
10346 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
10347 Remove all images from the article buffer
10348 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
10351 @kindex W D W (Summary)
10352 @findex gnus-html-show-images
10353 If you're reading an @acronym{HTML} article rendered with
10354 @code{gnus-article-html}, then you can insert any blocked images in
10355 the buffer with this command.
10356 (@code{gnus-html-show-images}).
10362 @node Article Signature
10363 @subsection Article Signature
10365 @cindex article signature
10367 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
10368 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
10369 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
10370 that says what is to be considered a signature is
10371 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
10372 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
10373 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
10374 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
10375 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
10378 (setq gnus-signature-separator
10379 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
10380 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
10381 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
10382 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
10383 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
10384 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
10385 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
10388 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
10391 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
10392 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
10393 signature when displaying articles.
10397 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
10400 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
10403 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
10404 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
10406 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
10407 in question is not a signature.
10410 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
10411 listed above. Here's an example:
10414 (setq gnus-signature-limit
10415 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
10418 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
10419 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
10420 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
10421 signature after all.
10424 @node Article Miscellanea
10425 @subsection Article Miscellanea
10429 @kindex A t (Summary)
10430 @findex gnus-article-babel
10431 Translate the article from one language to another
10432 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
10437 @node MIME Commands
10438 @section MIME Commands
10439 @cindex MIME decoding
10440 @cindex attachments
10441 @cindex viewing attachments
10443 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
10444 instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
10449 @kindex b (Summary)
10450 @kindex K v (Summary)
10451 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
10454 @kindex K o (Summary)
10455 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
10458 @kindex K O (Summary)
10459 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
10460 from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
10461 via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
10464 @kindex K r (Summary)
10465 Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
10468 @kindex K d (Summary)
10469 Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
10473 @kindex K c (Summary)
10474 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
10477 @kindex K e (Summary)
10478 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
10481 @kindex K i (Summary)
10482 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
10485 @kindex K | (Summary)
10486 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
10489 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
10494 @kindex K H (Summary)
10495 @findex gnus-article-browse-html-article
10496 View @samp{text/html} parts of the current article with a WWW browser.
10497 Inline images embedded in a message using the @code{cid} scheme, as they
10498 are generally considered to be safe, will be processed properly. The
10499 message header is added to the beginning of every @acronym{HTML} part
10500 unless the prefix argument is given.
10502 Warning: Spammers use links to images (using the @code{http} scheme) in
10503 @acronym{HTML} articles to verify whether you have read the message. As
10504 this command passes the @acronym{HTML} content to the browser without
10505 eliminating these ``web bugs'' you should only use it for mails from
10508 If you always want to display @acronym{HTML} parts in the browser, set
10509 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} to @code{nil}.
10511 This command creates temporary files to pass @acronym{HTML} contents
10512 including images if any to the browser, and deletes them when exiting
10513 the group (if you want).
10516 @kindex K b (Summary)
10517 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
10518 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
10522 @kindex K m (Summary)
10523 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
10524 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
10525 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
10526 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
10527 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
10530 @kindex X m (Summary)
10531 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
10532 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
10533 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
10534 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10537 @kindex M-t (Summary)
10538 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
10539 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
10540 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
10543 @kindex W M w (Summary)
10544 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
10545 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
10546 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
10549 @kindex W M c (Summary)
10550 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
10551 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
10552 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
10554 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
10555 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
10556 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
10557 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
10558 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
10559 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
10562 @kindex W M v (Summary)
10563 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
10564 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
10565 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
10569 Relevant variables:
10572 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
10573 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
10574 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10575 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
10578 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
10581 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
10585 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
10586 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
10587 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
10588 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
10589 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
10590 default is @code{t}.
10592 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
10593 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
10596 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
10597 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
10598 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
10599 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
10600 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}. Only
10601 single-part yEnc encoded attachments can be decoded. There's no support
10602 for encoding in Gnus.
10604 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
10605 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
10606 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10607 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
10608 displayed or this variable is overridden by
10609 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
10610 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
10611 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
10613 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
10614 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
10615 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10616 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
10617 displayed. This variable overrides
10618 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
10619 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
10622 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
10623 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
10624 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
10626 You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
10627 display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
10628 those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
10629 (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
10630 Emacs MIME Manual}).
10632 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
10633 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
10634 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
10635 default value is @code{nil}.
10637 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
10638 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
10639 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
10640 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
10641 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
10642 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
10643 save all jpegs into some directory).
10645 Here's an example function the does the latter:
10648 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
10649 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
10651 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
10652 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
10653 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
10654 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
10655 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
10658 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
10659 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
10660 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
10662 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
10663 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
10664 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
10666 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
10667 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
10668 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
10670 If displaying @samp{text/html} is discouraged, see
10671 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}, images or other material inside a
10672 "multipart/related" part might be overlooked when this variable is
10673 @code{nil}. @ref{Display Customization, Display Customization, ,
10674 emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}.
10676 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
10677 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
10678 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
10679 overrides @code{nil} values of
10680 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
10681 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
10683 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10684 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10685 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
10686 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
10688 Ready-made functions include@*
10689 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
10690 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
10691 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
10692 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
10693 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
10694 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
10695 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
10696 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
10697 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
10698 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
10699 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
10700 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
10702 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
10703 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
10705 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
10706 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
10707 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
10710 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10711 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
10712 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
10713 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
10717 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
10726 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
10727 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
10728 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
10729 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
10730 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
10731 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
10732 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
10734 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
10735 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
10736 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
10737 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
10739 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
10740 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
10741 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
10742 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
10743 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
10744 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
10745 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
10746 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
10747 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
10749 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
10750 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
10751 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
10752 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
10753 quoted-printable header encoding.
10755 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
10756 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
10757 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
10761 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
10764 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
10765 means encode all charsets),
10767 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
10768 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
10769 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
10776 @cindex coding system aliases
10777 @cindex preferred charset
10779 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
10780 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
10781 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
10783 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
10785 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
10786 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
10789 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
10790 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
10793 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
10794 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
10796 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
10799 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
10802 This will almost do the right thing.
10804 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
10808 (codepage-setup 1251)
10809 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
10813 @node Article Commands
10814 @section Article Commands
10821 @kindex A P (Summary)
10822 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
10823 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
10824 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
10825 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
10826 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
10827 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
10832 @node Summary Sorting
10833 @section Summary Sorting
10834 @cindex summary sorting
10836 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
10837 can't really see why you'd want that.
10842 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
10843 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
10844 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
10846 @item C-c C-s C-m C-n
10847 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
10848 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number
10849 Sort by most recent article number
10850 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number}).
10853 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
10854 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
10855 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
10858 @kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
10859 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
10860 Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
10863 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
10864 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
10865 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
10868 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
10869 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
10870 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
10872 @item C-c C-s C-m C-d
10873 @kindex C-c C-s C-m C-d (Summary)
10874 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date
10875 Sort by most recent date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date}).
10878 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
10879 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
10880 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
10883 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
10884 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
10885 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
10888 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
10889 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
10890 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
10893 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
10894 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
10895 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
10898 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
10899 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
10900 Sort using the default sorting method
10901 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
10904 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
10905 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
10906 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
10907 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
10908 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
10911 If a prefix argument if given, the sort order is reversed.
10914 @node Finding the Parent
10915 @section Finding the Parent
10916 @cindex parent articles
10917 @cindex referring articles
10921 @kindex ^ (Summary)
10922 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
10923 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
10924 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
10925 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
10926 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
10927 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
10928 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
10929 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
10930 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
10932 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
10933 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
10934 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
10935 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
10936 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
10939 @item A R (Summary)
10940 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
10941 @kindex A R (Summary)
10942 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
10943 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
10945 @item A T (Summary)
10946 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
10947 @kindex A T (Summary)
10948 Display the full thread where the current article appears
10949 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
10950 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
10951 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
10952 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
10953 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
10954 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
10956 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
10957 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
10958 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
10959 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
10960 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
10961 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
10963 @item M-^ (Summary)
10964 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
10965 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
10967 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
10968 You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
10969 belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
10970 for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
10971 thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
10972 You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
10974 Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
10975 been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
10976 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
10979 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
10980 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
10981 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
10982 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
10983 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
10984 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
10987 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
10988 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
10989 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
10992 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
10993 then ask Google if that fails:
10996 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
10998 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
11001 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
11002 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
11003 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
11004 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
11005 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
11006 group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
11007 not support this at all.
11010 @node Alternative Approaches
11011 @section Alternative Approaches
11013 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
11014 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
11017 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
11018 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
11022 @node Pick and Read
11023 @subsection Pick and Read
11024 @cindex pick and read
11026 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
11027 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
11028 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
11029 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
11031 @findex gnus-pick-mode
11032 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
11033 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
11034 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
11035 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
11036 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
11038 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
11043 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
11044 Pick the article or thread on the current line
11045 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
11046 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
11047 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
11048 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
11049 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
11050 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
11053 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
11054 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
11055 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
11056 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
11060 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
11061 Unpick the thread or article
11062 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
11063 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
11064 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
11065 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
11066 the thread or article at that line.
11070 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
11071 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
11072 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
11073 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
11074 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
11075 will still be visible when you are reading.
11079 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
11080 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
11081 which is mapped to the same function
11082 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
11084 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
11087 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
11090 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
11091 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
11093 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
11094 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
11095 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
11097 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
11098 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
11099 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
11100 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
11101 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
11102 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
11103 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
11106 @node Binary Groups
11107 @subsection Binary Groups
11108 @cindex binary groups
11110 @findex gnus-binary-mode
11111 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
11112 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
11113 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
11114 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
11115 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
11116 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
11119 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
11120 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
11121 command, when you have turned on this mode
11122 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
11124 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
11125 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
11129 @section Tree Display
11132 @vindex gnus-use-trees
11133 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
11134 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
11135 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
11136 in the tree buffer.
11138 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
11141 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
11142 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
11143 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
11145 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
11146 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
11147 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
11148 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
11149 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
11151 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
11152 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
11153 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
11154 default is @code{modeline}.
11156 @item gnus-tree-line-format
11157 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
11158 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
11159 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
11160 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
11161 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
11162 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
11168 The name of the poster.
11170 The @code{From} header.
11172 The number of the article.
11174 The opening bracket.
11176 The closing bracket.
11181 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
11183 Variables related to the display are:
11186 @item gnus-tree-brackets
11187 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
11188 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
11189 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
11191 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
11192 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
11193 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
11195 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
11197 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
11198 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
11199 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
11200 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
11204 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
11205 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
11206 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
11207 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
11208 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
11209 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
11210 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
11211 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
11212 other windows displayed next to it.
11214 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
11218 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
11219 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
11222 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
11223 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
11224 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
11225 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
11226 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
11227 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
11228 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
11232 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
11235 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
11245 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
11250 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
11251 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
11253 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
11255 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
11261 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
11262 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
11263 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
11266 (setq gnus-use-trees t
11267 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
11268 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
11269 (gnus-add-configuration
11273 (summary 0.75 point)
11278 @xref{Window Layout}.
11281 @node Mail Group Commands
11282 @section Mail Group Commands
11283 @cindex mail group commands
11285 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
11286 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
11288 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
11289 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
11294 @kindex B e (Summary)
11295 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
11296 @cindex expiring mail
11297 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
11298 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
11299 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
11300 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
11303 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
11304 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
11305 @cindex expiring mail
11306 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
11307 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
11308 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
11309 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
11312 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
11313 @cindex deleting mail
11314 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
11315 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
11316 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
11317 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
11318 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
11321 @kindex B m (Summary)
11323 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
11324 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
11325 Move the article from one mail group to another
11326 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
11327 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
11330 @kindex B c (Summary)
11332 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
11333 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
11334 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
11335 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
11336 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
11339 @kindex B B (Summary)
11340 @cindex crosspost mail
11341 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
11342 Crosspost the current article to some other group
11343 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
11344 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
11345 be properly updated.
11348 @kindex B i (Summary)
11349 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
11350 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
11351 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
11352 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
11355 @kindex B I (Summary)
11356 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
11357 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
11358 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
11359 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
11362 @kindex B r (Summary)
11363 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
11364 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
11365 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
11366 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
11367 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
11368 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
11369 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
11370 (which is the default).
11374 @kindex B w (Summary)
11375 @kindex e (Summary)
11376 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
11377 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
11378 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
11379 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
11380 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
11381 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
11382 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
11385 @kindex B q (Summary)
11386 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
11387 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
11388 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
11389 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
11392 @kindex B t (Summary)
11393 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
11394 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
11395 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
11398 @kindex B p (Summary)
11399 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
11400 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
11401 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
11402 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
11403 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
11404 article from your news server (or rather, from
11405 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
11406 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
11407 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
11408 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
11409 just not have arrived yet.
11412 @kindex K E (Summary)
11413 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
11414 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
11415 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
11416 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
11417 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
11421 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
11422 @cindex moving articles
11423 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
11424 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
11425 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
11426 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
11427 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
11428 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
11429 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
11432 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
11433 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
11434 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
11435 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
11439 @node Various Summary Stuff
11440 @section Various Summary Stuff
11443 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
11444 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
11445 * Summary Generation Commands::
11446 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
11450 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
11451 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
11452 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
11453 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
11454 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
11455 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
11457 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
11458 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
11459 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
11462 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
11463 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
11464 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
11466 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
11467 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
11468 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
11469 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
11470 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
11471 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
11474 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
11475 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
11476 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
11477 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
11478 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
11480 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
11481 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
11482 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
11485 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
11486 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
11487 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
11488 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
11489 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
11490 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
11491 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
11492 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
11493 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
11494 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
11496 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
11497 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
11498 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
11499 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
11500 list of articles to be selected.
11502 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
11503 the list in one particular group:
11506 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
11507 (if (string= group "some.group")
11508 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
11512 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
11513 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
11514 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
11515 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
11516 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
11519 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
11520 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
11521 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
11522 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
11523 variable will be used instead.
11525 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
11526 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
11527 buffers. For example:
11530 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
11531 '(message-use-followup-to
11532 (gnus-visible-headers .
11533 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
11536 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
11538 @vindex gnus-propagate-marks
11539 @item gnus-propagate-marks
11540 If non-@code{nil}, propagate marks to the backends for possible
11541 storing. @xref{NNTP marks}, and friends, for a more fine-grained
11547 @node Summary Group Information
11548 @subsection Summary Group Information
11553 @kindex H f (Summary)
11554 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
11555 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
11556 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
11557 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
11558 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
11559 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
11560 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
11561 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
11562 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
11565 @kindex H d (Summary)
11566 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
11567 Give a brief description of the current group
11568 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
11569 rereading the description from the server.
11572 @kindex H h (Summary)
11573 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
11574 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
11575 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
11578 @kindex H i (Summary)
11579 @findex gnus-info-find-node
11580 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
11584 @node Searching for Articles
11585 @subsection Searching for Articles
11590 @kindex M-s (Summary)
11591 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
11592 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
11593 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
11596 @kindex M-r (Summary)
11597 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
11598 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
11599 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
11602 @kindex M-S (Summary)
11603 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward
11604 Repeat the previous search forwards
11605 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward}).
11608 @kindex M-R (Summary)
11609 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward
11610 Repeat the previous search backwards
11611 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward}).
11614 @kindex & (Summary)
11615 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
11616 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
11617 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
11618 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
11619 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
11620 search backward instead.
11622 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
11623 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
11626 @kindex M-& (Summary)
11627 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
11628 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
11629 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
11632 @node Summary Generation Commands
11633 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
11638 @kindex Y g (Summary)
11639 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
11640 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
11643 @kindex Y c (Summary)
11644 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
11645 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11646 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
11649 @kindex Y d (Summary)
11650 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
11651 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11652 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
11655 @kindex Y t (Summary)
11656 @findex gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles
11657 Pull all ticked articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11658 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles}).
11663 @node Really Various Summary Commands
11664 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
11670 @kindex C-d (Summary)
11671 @kindex A D (Summary)
11672 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
11673 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
11674 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
11675 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
11676 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
11677 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
11678 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
11679 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
11682 @vindex gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit
11683 The variable @code{gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit} controls what
11684 article should be selected after exiting a digest group. Valid values
11689 Select the next article.
11692 Select the next unread article.
11694 @item next-noselect
11695 Move the cursor to the next article. This is the default.
11697 @item next-unread-noselect
11698 Move the cursor to the next unread article.
11701 If it has any other value or there is no next (unread) article, the
11702 article selected before entering to the digest group will appear.
11705 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
11706 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
11707 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
11708 several documents into one biiig group
11709 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
11710 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
11711 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
11712 command understands the process/prefix convention
11713 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
11716 @kindex C-t (Summary)
11717 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
11718 Toggle truncation of summary lines
11719 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
11720 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
11721 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
11724 @kindex = (Summary)
11725 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
11726 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
11727 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
11730 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
11731 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
11732 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
11733 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
11736 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
11737 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
11738 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
11739 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
11744 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
11745 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
11746 @cindex summary exit
11747 @cindex exiting groups
11749 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
11750 group and return you to the group buffer.
11757 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
11758 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
11759 @kindex q (Summary)
11760 @findex gnus-summary-exit
11761 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
11762 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
11763 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
11764 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
11765 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
11766 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
11767 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
11768 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
11769 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
11770 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
11771 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
11775 @kindex Z E (Summary)
11776 @kindex Q (Summary)
11777 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
11778 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
11779 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
11783 @kindex Z c (Summary)
11784 @kindex c (Summary)
11785 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
11786 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
11787 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
11788 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
11791 @kindex Z C (Summary)
11792 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
11793 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
11794 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
11797 @kindex Z n (Summary)
11798 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
11799 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
11800 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
11803 @kindex Z p (Summary)
11804 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
11805 Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
11806 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
11810 @kindex Z R (Summary)
11811 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
11812 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
11813 Exit this group, and then enter it again
11814 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
11815 all articles, both read and unread.
11819 @kindex Z G (Summary)
11820 @kindex M-g (Summary)
11821 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
11822 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
11823 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
11824 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
11825 articles, both read and unread.
11828 @kindex Z N (Summary)
11829 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
11830 Exit the group and go to the next group
11831 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
11834 @kindex Z P (Summary)
11835 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
11836 Exit the group and go to the previous group
11837 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
11840 @kindex Z s (Summary)
11841 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
11842 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
11843 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
11844 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
11845 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
11848 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
11849 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
11850 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
11851 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
11853 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
11854 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
11855 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
11856 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
11857 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
11858 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
11859 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
11860 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
11861 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
11862 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
11863 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
11864 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
11866 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
11868 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
11869 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
11870 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
11871 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
11872 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
11873 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
11874 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
11875 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
11876 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
11879 @node Crosspost Handling
11880 @section Crosspost Handling
11884 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
11885 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
11886 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
11887 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
11888 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
11889 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
11892 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
11893 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
11894 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
11895 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
11896 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
11898 @cindex cross-posting
11900 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
11901 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
11902 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
11903 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
11904 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
11905 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
11906 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
11907 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
11908 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
11909 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
11910 the cross reference mechanism.
11912 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
11913 @cindex overview.fmt
11914 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
11915 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
11916 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
11917 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
11918 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
11919 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
11922 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
11923 set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
11924 considerably. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
11928 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
11931 @node Duplicate Suppression
11932 @section Duplicate Suppression
11934 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
11935 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
11936 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
11937 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
11942 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
11943 is evil and not very common.
11946 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
11947 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
11950 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
11951 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
11954 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
11957 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
11958 well, but these four are the most common situations.
11960 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
11961 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
11962 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
11963 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
11964 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
11965 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
11966 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
11969 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
11970 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
11971 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
11972 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
11973 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
11974 saw the article in.
11977 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
11978 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
11979 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
11981 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
11982 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
11983 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
11984 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
11985 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
11986 session are suppressed.
11988 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
11989 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
11990 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
11991 suppression list. The default is 10000.
11993 @item gnus-duplicate-file
11994 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
11995 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
11996 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
11999 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
12000 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
12001 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
12002 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
12003 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
12004 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
12005 to you to figure out, I think.
12010 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
12011 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
12012 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
12017 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
12018 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
12019 to GnuPG included with Emacs is called EasyPG (@pxref{Top, ,EasyPG,
12020 epa, EasyPG Assistant user's manual}), but PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg,
12021 PGG Manual}), Mailcrypt, and gpg.el are also supported.
12024 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
12025 or newer is recommended.
12029 The variables that control security functionality on reading/composing
12033 @item mm-verify-option
12034 @vindex mm-verify-option
12035 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
12036 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
12037 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
12039 @item mm-decrypt-option
12040 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
12041 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
12042 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
12043 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
12045 @item mm-sign-option
12046 @vindex mm-sign-option
12047 Option of creating signed parts. @code{nil}, use default signing
12048 keys; @code{guided}, ask user to select signing keys from the menu.
12050 @item mm-encrypt-option
12051 @vindex mm-encrypt-option
12052 Option of creating encrypted parts. @code{nil}, use the first
12053 public-key matching the @samp{From:} header as the recipient;
12054 @code{guided}, ask user to select recipient keys from the menu.
12057 @vindex mml1991-use
12058 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
12059 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{epg}, but @code{pgg},
12060 @code{mailcrypt}, and @code{gpg} are also supported although
12061 deprecated. By default, Gnus uses the first available interface in
12065 @vindex mml2015-use
12066 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
12067 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{epg}, but
12068 @code{pgg}, @code{mailcrypt}, and @code{gpg} are also supported
12069 although deprecated. By default, Gnus uses the first available
12070 interface in this order.
12074 By default the buttons that display security information are not
12075 shown, because they clutter reading the actual e-mail. You can type
12076 @kbd{K b} manually to display the information. Use the
12077 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types} and
12078 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} variables to control this
12079 permanently. @ref{MIME Commands} for further details, and hints on
12080 how to customize these variables to always display security
12083 @cindex snarfing keys
12084 @cindex importing PGP keys
12085 @cindex PGP key ring import
12086 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
12087 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
12088 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
12089 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
12090 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
12091 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
12092 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
12093 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
12094 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
12097 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
12100 This happens to also be the default action defined in
12101 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
12103 More information on how to set things for sending outgoing signed and
12104 encrypted messages up can be found in the message manual
12105 (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
12108 @section Mailing List
12109 @cindex mailing list
12112 @kindex A M (summary)
12113 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
12114 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
12115 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
12116 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
12119 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
12124 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
12125 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
12126 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
12129 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
12130 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
12131 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
12134 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
12135 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
12136 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
12140 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
12141 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
12142 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
12145 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
12146 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
12147 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
12150 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
12151 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
12152 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
12157 @node Article Buffer
12158 @chapter Article Buffer
12159 @cindex article buffer
12161 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
12162 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
12163 tell Gnus otherwise.
12166 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
12167 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
12168 * HTML:: Reading @acronym{HTML} messages.
12169 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
12170 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
12171 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
12175 @node Hiding Headers
12176 @section Hiding Headers
12177 @cindex hiding headers
12178 @cindex deleting headers
12180 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
12181 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
12183 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
12184 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
12185 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
12186 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
12187 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
12188 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
12189 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
12190 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
12191 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
12193 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
12197 @item gnus-visible-headers
12198 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
12199 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
12200 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
12201 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
12203 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
12204 the article and the subject, you'd say:
12207 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
12210 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
12213 @item gnus-ignored-headers
12214 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
12215 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
12216 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
12217 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
12218 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
12220 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
12221 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
12224 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
12227 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
12230 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
12231 variable will have no effect.
12235 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
12236 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
12237 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
12238 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
12239 the headers are to be displayed.
12241 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
12242 and then the subject, you might say something like:
12245 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
12248 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
12249 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
12251 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
12252 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
12253 You can hide further boring headers by setting
12254 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
12255 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
12256 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
12257 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
12260 These conditions are:
12263 Remove all empty headers.
12265 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
12266 @code{Newsgroups} header.
12268 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
12269 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
12272 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
12275 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
12276 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
12278 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
12279 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
12281 Remove the @code{Cc} header if it only contains the address identical to
12282 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
12284 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
12287 Remove the @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} header if it is very long.
12289 Remove all @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} headers if there are more than one.
12292 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
12295 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
12296 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
12299 This is also the default value for this variable.
12303 @section Using MIME
12304 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
12306 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
12307 while people stand around yawning.
12309 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
12310 while all newsreaders die of fear.
12312 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
12313 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
12314 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
12316 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
12317 @findex gnus-display-mime
12318 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
12319 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
12320 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
12321 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
12323 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
12324 @acronym{MIME} button:
12327 @findex gnus-article-press-button
12328 @item RET (Article)
12329 @kindex RET (Article)
12330 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
12331 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
12332 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
12333 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
12334 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
12335 object is displayed inline.
12337 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
12338 @item M-RET (Article)
12339 @kindex M-RET (Article)
12341 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
12342 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
12344 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
12346 @kindex t (Article)
12347 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
12348 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
12350 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
12352 @kindex C (Article)
12353 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
12354 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
12356 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
12358 @kindex o (Article)
12359 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
12360 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
12362 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
12363 @item C-o (Article)
12364 @kindex C-o (Article)
12365 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
12366 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
12367 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
12368 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
12369 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
12370 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
12372 @findex gnus-mime-replace-part
12374 @kindex r (Article)
12375 Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
12376 external body refering to the file via the message/external-body
12377 @acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
12379 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
12381 @kindex d (Article)
12382 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
12383 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
12384 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
12386 @c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
12388 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
12390 @kindex c (Article)
12391 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
12392 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
12393 without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
12394 charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
12395 @ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
12396 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
12397 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
12398 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
12400 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
12402 @kindex p (Article)
12403 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
12404 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
12405 @file{.mailcap} file.
12407 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
12409 @kindex i (Article)
12410 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
12411 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as @samp{text/plain}. If given a prefix, insert
12412 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
12413 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
12414 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
12415 Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
12416 automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
12417 @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
12418 Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
12420 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
12422 @kindex E (Article)
12423 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
12424 viewer is available, use an external viewer
12425 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
12427 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
12429 @kindex e (Article)
12430 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
12431 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
12433 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
12435 @kindex | (Article)
12436 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
12438 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
12440 @kindex . (Article)
12441 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
12442 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
12446 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
12447 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
12448 @acronym{MIME} manual.
12450 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
12451 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
12452 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
12453 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
12454 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
12455 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
12456 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
12457 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
12458 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
12460 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
12462 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
12466 @section @acronym{HTML}
12467 @cindex @acronym{HTML}
12469 If you have @code{w3m} installed on your system, Gnus can display
12470 @acronym{HTML} articles in the article buffer. There are many Gnus
12471 add-ons for doing this, using various approaches, but there's one
12472 (sort of) built-in method that's used by default.
12474 For a complete overview, consult @xref{Display Customization,
12475 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. This
12476 section only describes the default method.
12479 @item mm-text-html-renderer
12480 @vindex mm-text-html-renderer
12481 If set to @code{gnus-article-html}, Gnus will use the built-in method,
12482 that's based on @code{curl} and @code{w3m}.
12484 @item gnus-blocked-images
12485 @vindex gnus-blocked-images
12486 Images that have @acronym{URL}s that match this regexp won't be
12487 fetched and displayed. For instance, do block all @acronym{URL}s that
12488 have the string ``ads'' in them, do the following:
12491 (setq gnus-blocked-images "ads")
12494 The default is to block all external images.
12496 @item gnus-html-cache-directory
12497 @vindex gnus-html-cache-directory
12498 Gnus will download and cache images according to how
12499 @code{gnus-blocked-images} is set. These images will be stored in
12502 @item gnus-html-cache-size
12503 @vindex gnus-html-cache-size
12504 When @code{gnus-html-cache-size} bytes have been used in that
12505 directory, the oldest files will be deleted. The default is 500MB.
12507 @item gnus-html-frame-width
12508 @vindex gnus-html-frame-width
12509 The width to use when rendering HTML. The default is 70.
12511 @item gnus-max-image-proportion
12512 @vindex gnus-max-image-proportion
12513 How big pictures displayed are in relation to the window they're in.
12514 A value of 0.7 (the default) means that they are allowed to take up
12515 70% of the width and height of the window. If they are larger than
12516 this, and Emacs supports it, then the images will be rescaled down to
12517 fit these criteria.
12521 To use this, make sure that you have @code{w3m} and @code{curl}
12522 installed. If you have, then Gnus should display @acronym{HTML}
12527 @node Customizing Articles
12528 @section Customizing Articles
12529 @cindex article customization
12531 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
12532 exist. You can call these functions interactively
12533 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
12534 called automatically when you select the articles.
12536 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
12537 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
12538 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
12539 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
12541 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
12542 for sensible values.
12546 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
12549 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
12552 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
12555 @code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
12558 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
12561 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
12565 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
12566 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
12567 regexps in the list.
12570 A list where the first element is not a string:
12572 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
12573 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
12574 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
12578 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
12583 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
12584 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
12585 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
12586 considered to contain just a single part.
12588 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
12589 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
12590 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
12591 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
12592 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
12593 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
12594 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
12597 @c Avoid sort of redundant entries in the same section for the printed
12598 @c manual, but add them in info to allow `i gnus-treat-foo-bar RET' or
12600 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize
12601 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize-head
12602 @vindex gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences
12603 @vindex gnus-treat-overstrike
12604 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-cr
12605 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body
12606 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines
12607 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines
12608 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-pem
12609 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines
12610 @vindex gnus-treat-unsplit-urls
12611 @vindex gnus-treat-wash-html
12612 @vindex gnus-treat-date-english
12613 @vindex gnus-treat-date-iso8601
12614 @vindex gnus-treat-date-lapsed
12615 @vindex gnus-treat-date-local
12616 @vindex gnus-treat-date-original
12617 @vindex gnus-treat-date-user-defined
12618 @vindex gnus-treat-date-ut
12619 @vindex gnus-treat-from-picon
12620 @vindex gnus-treat-mail-picon
12621 @vindex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
12622 @vindex gnus-treat-display-smileys
12623 @vindex gnus-treat-body-boundary
12624 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
12625 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
12626 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
12627 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
12628 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
12629 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
12630 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
12631 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
12632 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
12633 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
12634 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
12635 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
12636 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
12637 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
12638 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
12639 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
12640 @vindex gnus-treat-translate
12641 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
12642 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
12643 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
12644 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
12645 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
12648 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
12649 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
12650 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
12651 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
12654 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
12655 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
12657 @xref{Article Buttons}.
12659 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
12660 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
12661 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
12662 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
12663 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
12664 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
12665 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
12666 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
12667 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
12668 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
12670 @xref{Article Washing}.
12672 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
12673 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
12674 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
12675 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
12676 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
12677 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
12678 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
12680 @xref{Article Date}.
12682 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
12683 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
12684 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
12688 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
12690 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
12692 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
12693 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
12694 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
12698 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
12699 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
12703 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
12704 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
12708 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
12709 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
12710 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
12711 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
12712 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
12713 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
12714 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
12715 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
12716 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
12717 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
12718 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
12719 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
12720 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
12721 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
12722 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
12723 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
12724 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
12725 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
12726 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
12727 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
12729 @xref{Article Hiding}.
12731 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
12732 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
12733 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
12734 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
12735 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
12736 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
12738 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
12740 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
12741 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
12742 @vindex gnus-treat-translate
12743 @item gnus-treat-translate
12744 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
12745 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
12746 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
12748 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
12749 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
12750 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
12751 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
12752 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
12753 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
12754 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
12755 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
12757 @xref{Article Header}.
12762 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
12763 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
12764 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
12765 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
12766 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
12770 @node Article Keymap
12771 @section Article Keymap
12773 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
12774 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
12775 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
12776 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
12779 @kindex v (Article)
12780 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Article)
12781 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
12782 command or better use it as a prefix key.
12784 A few additional keystrokes are available:
12789 @kindex SPACE (Article)
12790 @findex gnus-article-next-page
12791 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
12792 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
12795 @kindex DEL (Article)
12796 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
12797 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
12798 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
12801 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
12802 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
12803 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
12804 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
12805 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
12808 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
12809 @findex gnus-article-mail
12810 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
12811 given a prefix, include the mail.
12814 @kindex s (Article)
12815 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
12816 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
12817 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
12820 @kindex ? (Article)
12821 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
12822 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
12823 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
12826 @kindex TAB (Article)
12827 @findex gnus-article-next-button
12828 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
12829 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
12832 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
12833 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
12834 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
12837 @kindex R (Article)
12838 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
12839 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
12840 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If the region is active,
12841 only yank the text in the region.
12844 @kindex S W (Article)
12845 @findex gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original
12846 Send a wide reply to the current article and yank the current article
12847 (@code{gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original}). If the region is
12848 active, only yank the text in the region.
12851 @kindex F (Article)
12852 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
12853 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
12854 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If the region is active,
12855 only yank the text in the region.
12862 @section Misc Article
12866 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
12867 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
12868 @cindex article buffers, several
12869 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
12870 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
12873 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
12874 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
12875 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
12876 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
12877 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
12879 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
12880 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
12881 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
12882 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
12883 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
12884 the contents of the article buffer.
12886 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
12887 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
12888 Hook called in article mode buffers.
12890 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
12891 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
12892 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
12893 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
12895 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
12896 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
12897 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
12898 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
12900 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
12901 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
12902 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
12903 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
12904 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
12905 with two extensions:
12910 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
12911 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
12912 performed. The characters and their meaning:
12917 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
12920 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
12923 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
12924 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
12925 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
12928 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
12931 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
12934 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasized strings in the article buffer.
12939 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
12943 @vindex gnus-break-pages
12945 @item gnus-break-pages
12946 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
12947 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
12948 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
12949 paging will not be done.
12951 @item gnus-page-delimiter
12952 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
12953 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
12957 @cindex internationalized domain names
12958 @vindex gnus-use-idna
12959 @item gnus-use-idna
12960 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
12961 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
12962 @samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
12963 for how to compose such messages. This requires
12964 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
12965 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
12970 @node Composing Messages
12971 @chapter Composing Messages
12972 @cindex composing messages
12975 @cindex sending mail
12980 @cindex using s/mime
12981 @cindex using smime
12983 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
12984 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
12985 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
12986 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
12987 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
12988 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
12991 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
12992 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
12993 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
12994 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
12995 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
12996 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
12997 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
12998 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
12999 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
13002 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
13003 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
13009 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
13012 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
13013 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
13014 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
13015 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
13016 @code{nil} include all headers.
13018 @item gnus-add-to-list
13019 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
13020 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
13021 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
13023 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
13024 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
13025 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
13026 about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
13027 interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
13028 receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
13029 non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
13030 matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
13032 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
13033 press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
13035 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
13036 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
13037 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
13038 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
13039 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
13044 @node Posting Server
13045 @section Posting Server
13047 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
13048 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
13050 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
13052 It can be quite complicated.
13054 @vindex gnus-post-method
13055 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
13056 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
13057 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
13058 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
13059 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
13060 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
13061 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
13062 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
13063 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
13066 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
13069 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
13070 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
13071 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
13072 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
13074 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
13075 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
13077 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
13078 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
13081 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
13082 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
13084 @vindex message-send-mail-function
13085 When sending mail, Message invokes the function specified by the
13086 variable @code{message-send-mail-function}. Gnus tries to set it to a
13087 value suitable for your system.
13088 @xref{Mail Variables, ,Mail Variables,message,Message manual}, for more
13091 @node POP before SMTP
13092 @section POP before SMTP
13093 @cindex pop before smtp
13094 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
13095 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
13097 Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
13098 authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
13099 mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
13100 a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
13101 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13104 (setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
13105 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
13109 It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
13110 whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
13111 does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
13112 @code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
13113 Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
13114 @code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
13115 set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
13116 correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
13118 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
13119 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
13120 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
13121 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
13122 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
13123 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
13126 (setq mail-source-primary-source
13127 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13128 :password "secret"))
13132 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
13133 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
13136 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
13138 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
13139 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13140 :password "secret")))
13141 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
13144 @node Mail and Post
13145 @section Mail and Post
13147 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
13151 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
13152 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
13153 @cindex mailing lists
13155 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
13156 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
13157 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
13158 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
13159 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
13160 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
13161 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
13162 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
13163 still a pain, though.
13165 @item gnus-user-agent
13166 @vindex gnus-user-agent
13169 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
13170 User-Agent header. It can be a list of symbols or a string. Valid
13171 symbols are @code{gnus} (show Gnus version) and @code{emacs} (show Emacs
13172 version). In addition to the Emacs version, you can add @code{codename}
13173 (show (S)XEmacs codename) or either @code{config} (show system
13174 configuration) or @code{type} (show system type). If you set it to a
13175 string, be sure to use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
13179 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
13180 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
13181 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
13184 @findex ispell-message
13186 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
13189 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
13190 you're in, you could say something like the following:
13193 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
13197 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
13198 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
13200 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
13203 Modify to suit your needs.
13205 @vindex gnus-message-highlight-citation
13206 If @code{gnus-message-highlight-citation} is t, different levels of
13207 citations are highlighted like in Gnus article buffers also in message
13210 @node Archived Messages
13211 @section Archived Messages
13212 @cindex archived messages
13213 @cindex sent messages
13215 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
13216 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
13217 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
13218 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
13221 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
13222 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
13225 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
13226 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
13227 use to store sent messages. The default is @code{"archive"}, and when
13228 actually being used it is expanded into:
13231 (nnfolder "archive"
13232 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
13233 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
13234 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
13235 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
13239 @vindex gnus-update-message-archive-method
13240 Note: a server like this is saved in the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file first
13241 so that it may be used as a real method of the server which is named
13242 @code{"archive"} (that is, for the case where
13243 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} is set to @code{"archive"}) ever
13244 since. If it once has been saved, it will never be updated by default
13245 even if you change the value of @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
13246 afterward. Therefore, the server @code{"archive"} doesn't necessarily
13247 mean the @code{nnfolder} server like this at all times. If you want the
13248 saved method to reflect always the value of
13249 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, set the
13250 @code{gnus-update-message-archive-method} variable to a non-@code{nil}
13251 value. The default value of this variable is @code{nil}.
13254 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
13255 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
13256 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
13257 directory chosen, you could say something like:
13260 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
13261 '(nnfolder "archive"
13262 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
13263 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
13264 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
13267 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
13269 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
13270 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
13271 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
13273 This variable can be used to do the following:
13277 Messages will be saved in that group.
13279 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
13280 message will not be stored in the select method given by
13281 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
13282 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
13283 has the default value shown above. Then setting
13284 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
13285 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
13286 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
13289 @item a list of strings
13290 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
13292 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
13293 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
13296 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
13301 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
13303 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
13306 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
13308 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
13311 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
13313 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13314 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
13315 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
13316 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
13319 More complex stuff:
13321 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13322 '((if (message-news-p)
13327 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
13328 messages in one file per month:
13331 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13332 '((if (message-news-p)
13334 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
13337 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
13338 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
13340 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
13341 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
13342 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
13343 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
13344 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
13345 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
13346 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
13347 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
13348 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
13349 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
13351 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
13352 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
13353 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
13354 this will disable archiving.
13357 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
13358 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
13359 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
13360 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
13361 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
13364 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
13365 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
13366 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
13369 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
13370 but the latter is the preferred method.
13372 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
13373 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
13374 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
13376 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
13377 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
13378 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
13379 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
13380 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
13381 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
13382 changed in the future.
13387 @node Posting Styles
13388 @section Posting Styles
13389 @cindex posting styles
13392 All them variables, they make my head swim.
13394 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
13395 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
13396 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
13399 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
13400 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
13401 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
13402 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
13403 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
13408 (signature "Peace and happiness")
13409 (organization "What me?"))
13411 (signature "Death to everybody"))
13412 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
13413 (organization "Emacs is it")))
13416 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
13417 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
13418 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
13419 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
13420 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
13421 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
13422 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
13423 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
13425 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
13426 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
13427 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
13428 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
13429 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
13430 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
13431 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
13432 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
13433 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
13434 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
13435 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
13436 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
13437 said to @dfn{match}.
13439 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
13440 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
13441 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
13442 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
13443 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
13444 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
13445 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
13446 name can be one of:
13449 @item @code{signature}
13450 @item @code{signature-file}
13451 @item @code{x-face-file}
13452 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
13453 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
13457 Note that the @code{signature-file} attribute honors the variable
13458 @code{message-signature-directory}.
13460 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
13461 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
13462 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
13463 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
13464 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
13466 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
13467 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
13468 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
13469 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
13470 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
13471 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
13472 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
13473 references chars lines xref extra.
13475 @vindex message-reply-headers
13477 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
13478 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
13479 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
13481 @findex message-mail-p
13482 @findex message-news-p
13484 So here's a new example:
13487 (setq gnus-posting-styles
13489 (signature-file "~/.signature")
13491 (x-face-file "~/.xface")
13492 (x-url (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
13493 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
13495 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
13496 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
13497 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
13498 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
13499 (signature my-news-signature))
13500 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
13501 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
13502 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
13503 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
13504 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
13505 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
13506 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
13507 (address "user@@bar.foo")
13508 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
13509 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
13511 (From (with-current-buffer gnus-article-buffer
13512 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
13514 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
13517 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
13518 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
13519 if you fill many roles.
13520 You may also use @code{message-alternative-emails} instead.
13521 @xref{Message Headers, ,Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
13527 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
13528 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
13529 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
13530 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
13531 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
13533 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
13534 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
13535 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
13536 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
13537 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
13541 @vindex nndraft-directory
13542 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
13543 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
13544 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
13545 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
13546 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
13547 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
13549 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
13550 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
13551 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
13552 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
13553 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
13554 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
13555 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
13556 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
13557 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
13559 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
13560 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
13561 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
13562 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
13563 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
13564 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
13565 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
13566 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
13567 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
13568 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
13569 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
13570 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
13571 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
13572 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
13574 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
13575 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
13576 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
13578 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
13579 @kindex D e (Draft)
13580 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
13581 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
13582 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
13584 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
13587 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
13588 @kindex D s (Draft)
13589 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
13590 @kindex D S (Draft)
13591 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
13592 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
13593 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
13594 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
13595 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
13598 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
13599 @kindex D t (Draft)
13600 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
13601 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
13602 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
13604 Finally, if you want to delete a draft, use the normal @kbd{B DEL}
13605 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13608 @node Rejected Articles
13609 @section Rejected Articles
13610 @cindex rejected articles
13612 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
13613 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
13614 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
13615 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
13617 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
13618 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
13619 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
13620 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
13621 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
13623 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
13624 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
13625 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
13627 @node Signing and encrypting
13628 @section Signing and encrypting
13630 @cindex using s/mime
13631 @cindex using smime
13633 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
13634 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
13635 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
13636 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
13638 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
13639 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
13640 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
13641 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
13642 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
13643 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
13644 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
13645 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
13646 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
13647 automatically encrypted messages.
13649 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
13650 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
13651 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
13656 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
13657 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
13659 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
13662 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
13663 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
13665 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
13668 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
13669 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
13671 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
13674 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
13675 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
13677 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
13680 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
13681 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
13683 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
13686 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
13687 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
13689 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
13692 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
13693 @findex mml-unsecure-message
13694 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
13698 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
13700 @node Select Methods
13701 @chapter Select Methods
13702 @cindex foreign groups
13703 @cindex select methods
13705 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
13706 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
13707 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
13708 personal mail group.
13710 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
13711 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
13712 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
13713 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
13714 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
13715 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
13717 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
13718 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
13720 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
13723 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
13724 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
13725 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
13726 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
13727 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
13729 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
13732 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
13733 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
13734 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
13735 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
13736 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
13737 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files.
13738 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
13739 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
13740 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
13744 @node Server Buffer
13745 @section Server Buffer
13747 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
13748 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
13749 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
13750 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
13751 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
13752 back end represents a virtual server.
13754 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
13755 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
13756 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
13757 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
13759 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
13760 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
13761 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
13762 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
13763 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
13764 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
13765 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
13767 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
13768 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
13771 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
13772 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
13773 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
13774 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
13775 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
13776 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
13777 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
13780 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
13781 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
13784 @node Server Buffer Format
13785 @subsection Server Buffer Format
13786 @cindex server buffer format
13788 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
13789 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
13790 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
13791 variable, with some simple extensions:
13796 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
13799 The name of this server.
13802 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
13805 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
13808 Whether this server is agentized.
13811 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
13812 The mode line can also be customized by using the
13813 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
13814 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
13824 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
13827 @node Server Commands
13828 @subsection Server Commands
13829 @cindex server commands
13835 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Server)
13836 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
13837 command or better use it as a prefix key.
13841 @findex gnus-server-add-server
13842 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
13846 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
13847 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
13850 @kindex SPACE (Server)
13851 @findex gnus-server-read-server
13852 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
13856 @findex gnus-server-exit
13857 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
13861 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
13862 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
13866 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
13867 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
13871 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
13872 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
13876 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
13877 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
13881 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
13882 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
13883 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
13888 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
13889 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
13890 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
13891 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
13895 @findex gnus-server-compact-server
13897 Compact all groups in the server under point
13898 (@code{gnus-server-compact-server}). Currently implemented only in
13899 nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes gaps between article numbers,
13900 hence getting a correct total article count.
13905 @node Example Methods
13906 @subsection Example Methods
13908 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
13911 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
13914 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
13920 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
13921 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
13924 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
13925 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
13927 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
13928 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
13932 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
13935 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
13936 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
13938 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
13939 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
13940 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
13944 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
13947 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
13950 Here's the method for a public spool:
13954 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
13955 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
13961 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
13962 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
13963 on the firewall machine and connect with
13964 @uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} from there to the
13965 @acronym{NNTP} server.
13966 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
13967 should probably look something like this:
13971 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)
13972 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
13973 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host"))
13976 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
13977 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
13978 configuration to the example above:
13981 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13984 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
13985 an indirect connection:
13988 (setq gnus-select-method
13990 (nntp-address "news.server.example")
13991 (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
13992 (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
13993 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13994 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C"))
13995 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)))
13998 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
13999 provide automatic authorization, of course.
14001 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
14002 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
14003 netcat connection to the news server as follows:
14007 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
14008 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
14009 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
14013 @node Creating a Virtual Server
14014 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
14016 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
14017 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
14019 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
14020 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
14021 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
14023 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
14025 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
14026 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
14027 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
14028 will contain the following:
14038 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
14039 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
14042 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
14043 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
14044 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
14047 @node Server Variables
14048 @subsection Server Variables
14049 @cindex server variables
14050 @cindex server parameters
14052 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
14053 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
14054 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
14055 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
14056 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
14058 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
14059 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
14060 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
14061 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
14062 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
14063 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
14064 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
14065 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
14066 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
14070 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
14071 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
14072 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
14075 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
14077 @node Servers and Methods
14078 @subsection Servers and Methods
14080 Wherever you would normally use a select method
14081 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
14082 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
14083 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
14087 @node Unavailable Servers
14088 @subsection Unavailable Servers
14090 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
14091 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
14092 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
14093 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
14094 actually the case or not.
14096 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
14097 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
14098 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
14099 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
14100 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
14101 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
14102 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
14103 it will regard that server as ``down''.
14105 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
14106 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
14108 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
14109 with the following commands:
14115 @findex gnus-server-open-server
14116 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
14117 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
14121 @findex gnus-server-close-server
14122 Close the connection (if any) to the server
14123 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
14127 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
14128 Mark the current server as unreachable
14129 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
14132 @kindex M-o (Server)
14133 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
14134 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
14135 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
14138 @kindex M-c (Server)
14139 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
14140 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
14141 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
14145 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
14146 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
14147 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
14151 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
14152 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
14158 @section Getting News
14159 @cindex reading news
14160 @cindex news back ends
14162 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
14163 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
14164 or it can read from a local spool.
14167 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
14168 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
14176 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
14177 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
14178 server as the, uhm, address.
14180 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
14181 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
14182 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
14183 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14185 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
14186 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
14187 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
14189 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
14194 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
14195 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
14196 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
14198 @cindex authentication
14199 @cindex nntp authentication
14200 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
14201 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
14202 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
14203 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
14204 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
14205 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
14206 present in this hook.
14208 @item nntp-authinfo-function
14209 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
14210 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
14211 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
14212 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
14213 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
14214 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
14215 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
14216 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
14217 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
14218 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
14219 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
14223 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
14226 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
14228 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
14229 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
14230 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
14231 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
14232 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
14233 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
14234 @samp{force} is explained below.
14238 Here's an example file:
14241 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
14242 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
14245 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
14246 have to be first, for instance.
14248 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
14249 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
14250 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
14251 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
14252 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
14253 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
14254 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
14256 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
14257 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
14263 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
14264 previously mentioned.
14266 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
14268 @item nntp-server-action-alist
14269 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
14270 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
14271 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
14272 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
14275 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
14276 '(("innd" (ding))))
14279 You probably don't want to do that, though.
14281 The default value is
14284 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
14285 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
14286 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
14289 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
14290 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
14292 @item nntp-maximum-request
14293 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
14294 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
14295 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
14296 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
14297 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
14298 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
14299 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
14301 @item nntp-connection-timeout
14302 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
14303 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
14304 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
14305 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
14306 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
14307 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
14308 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
14309 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
14310 no timeouts are done.
14312 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
14313 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
14314 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
14315 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
14318 @item nntp-xover-commands
14319 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
14320 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
14322 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
14323 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
14327 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
14328 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
14329 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
14330 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
14331 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
14332 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
14333 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
14334 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
14335 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
14336 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
14337 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
14339 @item nntp-xref-number-is-evil
14340 @vindex nntp-xref-number-is-evil
14341 When Gnus refers to an article having the @code{Message-ID} that a user
14342 specifies or having the @code{Message-ID} of the parent article of the
14343 current one (@pxref{Finding the Parent}), Gnus sends a @code{HEAD}
14344 command to the @acronym{NNTP} server to know where it is, and the server
14345 returns the data containing the pairs of a group and an article number
14346 in the @code{Xref} header. Gnus normally uses the article number to
14347 refer to the article if the data shows that that article is in the
14348 current group, while it uses the @code{Message-ID} otherwise. However,
14349 some news servers, e.g., ones running Diablo, run multiple engines
14350 having the same articles but article numbers are not kept synchronized
14351 between them. In that case, the article number that appears in the
14352 @code{Xref} header varies by which engine is chosen, so you cannot refer
14353 to the parent article that is in the current group, for instance. If
14354 you connect to such a server, set this variable to a non-@code{nil}
14355 value, and Gnus never uses article numbers. For example:
14358 (setq gnus-select-method
14360 (nntp-address "newszilla.example.com")
14361 (nntp-xref-number-is-evil t)
14365 The default value of this server variable is @code{nil}.
14367 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
14368 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
14369 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
14371 @item nntp-record-commands
14372 @vindex nntp-record-commands
14373 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
14374 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
14375 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
14376 that doesn't seem to work.
14378 @item nntp-open-connection-function
14379 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
14380 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
14381 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
14382 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
14383 Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
14384 in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
14385 indirect ones (three pre-made).
14387 @item nntp-never-echoes-commands
14388 @vindex nntp-never-echoes-commands
14389 Non-@code{nil} means the nntp server never echoes commands. It is
14390 reported that some nntps server doesn't echo commands. So, you may want
14391 to set this to non-@code{nil} in the method for such a server setting
14392 @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream} for
14393 example. The default value is @code{nil}. Note that the
14394 @code{nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands} variable
14395 overrides the @code{nil} value of this variable.
14397 @item nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
14398 @vindex nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
14399 List of functions that never echo commands. Add or set a function which
14400 you set to @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to this list if it does
14401 not echo commands. Note that a non-@code{nil} value of the
14402 @code{nntp-never-echoes-commands} variable overrides this variable. The
14403 default value is @code{(nntp-open-network-stream)}.
14405 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
14406 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
14407 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
14408 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
14409 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
14410 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
14411 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
14414 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
14417 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
14418 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
14423 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
14424 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
14425 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
14426 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
14430 @node Direct Functions
14431 @subsubsection Direct Functions
14432 @cindex direct connection functions
14434 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
14435 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
14436 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
14437 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14440 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
14441 @item nntp-open-network-stream
14442 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
14445 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
14446 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
14447 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
14448 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
14449 installed. You then define a server as follows:
14452 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
14453 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
14455 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
14456 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
14457 (nntp-port-number 563)
14458 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
14461 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
14462 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
14463 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
14464 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
14465 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
14466 then define a server as follows:
14469 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
14470 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
14472 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
14473 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
14474 (nntp-port-number 563)
14475 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
14478 @findex nntp-open-netcat-stream
14479 @item nntp-open-netcat-stream
14480 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server using the @code{netcat}
14481 program. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have
14482 the default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
14483 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
14484 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
14485 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
14489 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
14490 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
14491 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
14494 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
14495 session, which is not a good idea.
14497 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
14498 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
14499 Like @code{nntp-open-netcat-stream}, but uses @code{telnet} rather than
14500 @code{netcat}. @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things
14501 like line-end-conversion, but sometimes netcat is simply
14502 not available. The previous example would turn into:
14506 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
14507 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
14508 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
14509 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
14514 @node Indirect Functions
14515 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
14516 @cindex indirect connection functions
14518 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
14519 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
14520 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
14521 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
14522 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
14523 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14526 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
14527 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
14528 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then uses @code{netcat} to connect
14529 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
14530 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
14532 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
14535 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
14536 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
14537 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
14538 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
14540 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14541 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14542 List of strings to be used as the switches to
14543 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
14544 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
14545 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections.
14548 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
14549 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
14550 Does essentially the same, but uses @code{telnet} instead of @samp{netcat}
14551 to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
14552 @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things like
14553 line-end-conversion, but sometimes @code{netcat} is simply not available.
14555 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
14558 @item nntp-telnet-command
14559 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
14560 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
14561 intermediate host. The default is @samp{telnet}.
14563 @item nntp-telnet-switches
14564 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
14565 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
14566 @code{nntp-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{("-8")}.
14568 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
14569 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
14570 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
14571 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
14573 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14574 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14575 List of strings to be used as the switches to
14576 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. If you use @samp{ssh}, you may need to set
14577 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
14578 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
14579 host. The default is @code{nil}.
14582 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
14583 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14585 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
14586 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
14587 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
14588 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
14590 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
14593 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
14594 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
14595 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
14598 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
14599 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
14600 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
14601 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
14603 @item nntp-via-user-password
14604 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
14605 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
14607 @item nntp-via-envuser
14608 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
14609 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
14610 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
14611 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
14613 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
14614 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
14615 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
14616 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
14620 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
14621 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14625 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
14630 @item nntp-via-user-name
14631 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
14632 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
14634 @item nntp-via-address
14635 @vindex nntp-via-address
14636 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
14641 @node Common Variables
14642 @subsubsection Common Variables
14644 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
14645 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
14646 affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
14647 default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
14648 variables individually).
14652 @item nntp-pre-command
14653 @vindex nntp-pre-command
14654 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
14655 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
14656 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
14657 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
14660 @vindex nntp-address
14661 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
14663 @item nntp-port-number
14664 @vindex nntp-port-number
14665 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
14666 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
14667 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
14668 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
14669 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
14670 not work with named ports.
14672 @item nntp-end-of-line
14673 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
14674 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
14675 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
14676 using a non native telnet connection function.
14678 @item nntp-netcat-command
14679 @vindex nntp-netcat-command
14680 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
14681 @samp{netcat}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
14682 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
14685 @item nntp-netcat-switches
14686 @vindex nntp-netcat-switches
14687 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-netcat-command}. The default
14693 @subsubsection NNTP marks
14694 @cindex storing NNTP marks
14696 Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
14697 servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
14698 in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
14699 Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
14700 (@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
14701 that of a news server, for example marks for the group
14702 @samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
14703 the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
14705 Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
14706 directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
14707 and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
14708 in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
14709 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
14711 Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
14712 the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
14713 installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
14714 servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
14715 However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
14716 D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
14717 get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
14719 Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
14720 if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
14721 variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
14727 @item nntp-marks-is-evil
14728 @vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
14729 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
14730 default is @code{nil}.
14732 @item nntp-marks-directory
14733 @vindex nntp-marks-directory
14734 The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
14740 @subsection News Spool
14744 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
14745 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
14746 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
14749 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
14750 anything else) as the address.
14752 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
14753 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
14754 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
14755 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
14759 @item nnspool-inews-program
14760 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
14761 Program used to post an article.
14763 @item nnspool-inews-switches
14764 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
14765 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
14767 @item nnspool-spool-directory
14768 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
14769 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
14770 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
14772 @item nnspool-nov-directory
14773 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
14774 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
14775 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
14777 @item nnspool-lib-dir
14778 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
14779 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
14781 @item nnspool-active-file
14782 @vindex nnspool-active-file
14783 The name of the active file.
14785 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
14786 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
14787 The name of the group descriptions file.
14789 @item nnspool-history-file
14790 @vindex nnspool-history-file
14791 The name of the news history file.
14793 @item nnspool-active-times-file
14794 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
14795 The name of the active date file.
14797 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
14798 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
14799 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
14802 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
14803 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
14805 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
14806 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
14807 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
14814 @section Getting Mail
14815 @cindex reading mail
14818 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
14822 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
14823 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
14824 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
14825 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
14826 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
14827 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
14828 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
14829 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
14830 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
14831 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
14832 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
14833 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
14834 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
14838 @node Mail in a Newsreader
14839 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
14841 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
14842 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
14843 of a culture shock.
14845 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
14846 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
14848 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
14849 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
14850 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
14851 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
14853 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
14855 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
14856 deleted? How awful!
14858 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
14859 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
14860 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
14861 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
14864 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
14865 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
14866 they want to treat a message.
14868 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
14869 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
14870 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
14871 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
14872 archived somewhere else.
14874 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
14875 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
14876 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
14877 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
14878 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
14880 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
14881 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
14882 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
14884 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
14885 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
14888 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
14889 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
14890 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
14891 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
14892 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
14894 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
14895 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
14896 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
14897 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
14898 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
14899 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
14903 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
14904 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
14906 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
14907 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
14908 and things will happen automatically.
14910 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
14911 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14914 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
14917 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
14918 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
14919 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
14920 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
14921 like any other group.
14923 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
14926 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14927 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14928 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
14932 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
14933 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
14934 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
14937 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
14938 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
14939 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
14942 @node Splitting Mail
14943 @subsection Splitting Mail
14944 @cindex splitting mail
14945 @cindex mail splitting
14946 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
14948 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
14949 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
14950 to be split into groups.
14953 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14954 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14955 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
14956 ("mail.other" "")))
14959 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
14960 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
14961 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
14962 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
14963 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
14964 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
14965 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
14968 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
14972 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
14973 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14975 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14976 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
14977 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
14978 mail belongs in that group.
14980 @cindex @samp{bogus} group
14981 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
14982 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
14983 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
14984 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
14985 to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
14986 that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
14987 will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
14988 splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
14989 see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
14991 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
14992 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
14993 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
14994 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
14995 thinks should carry this mail message.
14997 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
14998 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
14999 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
15000 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
15002 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
15003 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
15004 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
15005 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
15006 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
15008 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
15011 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
15012 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
15013 links. If that's the case for you, set
15014 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
15015 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
15017 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
15018 @findex nnmail-split-history
15019 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
15020 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
15021 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
15022 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
15025 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
15026 Header lines longer than the value of
15027 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
15030 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
15031 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
15032 By default, splitting does not decode headers, so you can not match on
15033 non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. But it is useful if you want to match
15034 articles based on the raw header data. To enable it, set the
15035 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} variable to a non-@code{nil} value.
15036 In addition, the value of the @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
15037 variable is used for decoding non-@acronym{MIME} encoded string when
15038 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} is non-@code{nil}. The default
15039 value is @code{nil} which means not to decode non-@acronym{MIME} encoded
15040 string. A suitable value for you will be @code{undecided} or be the
15041 charset used normally in mails you are interested in.
15043 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
15044 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
15045 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
15046 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
15047 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
15048 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
15049 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
15050 other kinds of entries.)
15052 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
15053 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
15054 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
15055 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
15056 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
15057 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
15058 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
15059 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
15060 month's rent money.
15064 @subsection Mail Sources
15066 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
15067 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
15068 maildir, for instance.
15071 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
15072 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
15073 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
15077 @node Mail Source Specifiers
15078 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
15080 @cindex mail server
15083 @cindex mail source
15085 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
15086 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
15091 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
15094 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
15095 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
15096 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
15099 The @code{mail-sources} is global for all mail groups. You can specify
15100 an additional mail source for a particular group by including the
15101 @code{group} mail specifier in @code{mail-sources}, and setting a
15102 @code{mail-source} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) specifying
15103 a single mail source. When this is used, @code{mail-sources} is
15104 typically just @code{(group)}; the @code{mail-source} parameter for a
15105 group might look like this:
15108 (mail-source . (file :path "home/user/spools/foo.spool"))
15111 This means that the group's (and only this group's) messages will be
15112 fetched from the spool file @samp{/user/spools/foo.spool}.
15114 The following mail source types are available:
15118 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
15124 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
15125 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
15126 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
15130 Script run before/after fetching mail.
15133 An example file mail source:
15136 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
15139 Or using the default file name:
15145 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
15146 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
15147 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
15148 mail spool while moving the mail.
15150 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
15154 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
15157 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
15161 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
15164 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
15166 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
15169 Alter this script to fit the @samp{movemail} and temporary
15170 file you want to use.
15174 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
15175 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
15176 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
15177 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
15178 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
15179 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
15180 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
15181 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
15182 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
15183 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
15185 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
15186 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
15187 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
15188 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
15194 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
15198 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
15202 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
15203 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
15204 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
15205 predicate are considered.
15209 Script run before/after fetching mail.
15213 An example directory mail source:
15216 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
15221 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
15227 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
15228 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
15231 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
15232 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
15233 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
15234 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
15235 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
15238 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
15242 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
15243 the user is prompted.
15246 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
15247 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
15250 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
15253 The valid format specifier characters are:
15257 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
15258 included in this string.
15261 The name of the server.
15264 The port number of the server.
15267 The user name to use.
15270 The password to use.
15273 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
15274 corresponding keywords.
15277 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
15278 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
15281 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
15282 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
15285 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
15286 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
15287 mail should be moved to.
15289 @item :authentication
15290 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
15291 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
15296 @vindex pop3-movemail
15297 @vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
15298 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
15299 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server}
15300 is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be left on the @acronym{POP} server
15301 after fetching when using @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers
15302 maintain no state information between sessions, so what the client
15303 believes is there and what is actually there may not match up. If they
15304 do not, then you may get duplicate mails or the whole thing can fall
15305 apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
15307 Here are some examples for getting mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
15308 Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server, using the default user
15309 name, and default fetcher:
15315 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
15318 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
15319 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
15322 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
15325 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
15329 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
15330 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
15331 contains exactly one mail.
15337 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
15338 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
15341 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
15342 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
15344 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
15345 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
15346 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
15349 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
15350 from locking problems).
15354 Two example maildir mail sources:
15357 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
15358 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
15362 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
15367 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
15368 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
15369 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
15370 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
15371 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
15373 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
15374 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
15380 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
15381 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
15384 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
15385 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
15388 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
15392 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
15396 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
15397 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
15398 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
15399 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
15401 @item :authentication
15402 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
15403 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
15404 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
15405 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
15408 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
15409 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
15410 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
15416 Make sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g.,
15417 don't forget to redirect the error output to the void. The valid format
15418 specifier characters are:
15422 The name of the server.
15425 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
15428 The port number of the server.
15431 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
15432 corresponding keywords.
15435 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
15436 which normally is the mailbox which receives incoming mail.
15439 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
15440 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
15441 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
15442 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
15443 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
15444 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
15447 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
15448 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
15449 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
15450 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
15453 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
15454 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
15458 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
15461 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
15463 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
15467 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
15468 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
15469 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
15471 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
15472 required for url "4.0pre.46".
15474 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
15480 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
15481 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
15484 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
15488 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
15492 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
15493 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
15497 An example webmail source:
15500 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
15502 :password "secret")
15506 Get the actual mail source from the @code{mail-source} group parameter,
15507 @xref{Group Parameters}.
15512 @item Common Keywords
15513 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
15519 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
15520 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
15525 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
15530 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
15531 useful when you use local mail and news.
15536 @subsubsection Function Interface
15538 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
15539 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
15540 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
15541 consider the following mail-source setting:
15544 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
15545 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
15548 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
15549 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
15550 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
15551 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
15552 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
15554 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
15557 @node Mail Source Customization
15558 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
15560 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
15561 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
15565 @item mail-source-crash-box
15566 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
15567 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
15568 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
15571 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
15572 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
15573 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
15574 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
15575 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
15576 (the deletion will only happen when receiving new mail). You may also
15577 set @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
15578 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
15579 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{10} in alpha Gnusae
15580 and @code{2} in released Gnusae. @xref{Gnus Development}.
15582 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
15583 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
15584 If non-@code{nil}, ask for confirmation before deleting old incoming
15585 files. This variable only applies when
15586 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
15588 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
15589 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
15590 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
15592 @item mail-source-directory
15593 @vindex mail-source-directory
15594 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
15595 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
15596 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
15597 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
15599 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
15600 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
15601 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
15602 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
15603 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
15604 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
15607 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
15608 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
15609 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
15611 @item mail-source-movemail-program
15612 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
15613 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
15614 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
15619 @node Fetching Mail
15620 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
15622 @vindex mail-sources
15623 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
15624 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
15625 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
15627 If this variable is @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to
15628 fetch mail by themselves.
15630 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
15631 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
15636 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
15637 :password "secret")))
15640 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
15644 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
15645 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
15648 :password "secret")))
15652 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
15653 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
15654 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
15655 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
15656 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
15657 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
15661 @node Mail Back End Variables
15662 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
15664 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
15668 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
15669 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
15670 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
15671 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
15673 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
15674 @item nnmail-split-hook
15675 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
15676 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
15677 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
15678 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
15679 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
15680 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
15681 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
15682 in the buffer will show up in any files.
15683 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
15686 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15687 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15688 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15689 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15690 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
15691 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
15692 starting to handle the new mail) and
15693 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
15694 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
15695 default file modes the new mail files get:
15698 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15699 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
15701 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15702 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
15705 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
15706 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
15707 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
15708 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
15709 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
15710 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
15711 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
15713 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
15714 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
15715 @findex delete-file
15716 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
15718 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15719 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15720 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
15721 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
15722 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
15724 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
15725 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
15726 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
15727 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
15728 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
15730 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
15731 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
15732 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
15737 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
15738 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
15739 @cindex mail splitting
15740 @cindex fancy mail splitting
15742 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
15743 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
15744 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
15745 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
15746 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
15747 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
15749 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
15752 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
15753 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
15754 ;; @r{from real errors.}
15755 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
15757 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
15758 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
15759 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
15760 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
15761 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
15762 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
15763 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
15764 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
15765 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
15766 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
15767 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
15768 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
15769 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
15770 (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
15771 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
15772 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
15773 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
15777 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
15778 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
15779 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
15784 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
15785 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
15787 @c Don't fold this line.
15788 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split} [@var{invert-partial}])
15789 The split can be a list containing at least three elements. If the
15790 first element @var{field} (a regexp matching a header) contains
15791 @var{value} (also a regexp) then store the message as specified by
15794 If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
15795 @var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
15796 @var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
15797 @var{split} is processed.
15799 The last element @var{invert-partial} is optional. If it is
15800 non-@code{nil}, the match-partial-words behavior controlled by the
15801 variable @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} (see below) is
15802 be inverted. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
15804 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
15805 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
15806 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
15807 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
15808 stored in one or more groups.
15810 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
15811 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
15812 process all @var{split}s in the list.
15815 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
15816 this message. Use with extreme caution.
15818 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
15819 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
15820 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
15821 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
15824 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
15825 body of the messages:
15828 (defun split-on-body ()
15832 (goto-char (point-min))
15833 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
15837 The buffer is narrowed to the header of the message in question when
15838 @var{function} is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called
15839 after @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
15840 above. Also note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will
15841 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
15842 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
15843 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
15845 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
15846 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
15847 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
15848 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
15849 should return a split.
15852 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
15856 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
15858 Normally, @var{value} in these splits must match a complete @emph{word}
15859 according to the fundamental mode syntax table. In other words, all
15860 @var{value}'s will be implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers,
15861 which are word delimiters. Therefore, if you use the following split,
15865 (any "joe" "joemail")
15869 messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will normally not be filed
15870 in @samp{joemail}. If you want to alter this behavior, you can use any
15871 of the following three ways:
15875 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
15876 You can set the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
15877 to non-@code{nil} in order to ignore word boundaries and instead the
15878 match becomes more like a grep. This variable controls whether partial
15879 words are matched during fancy splitting. The default value is
15882 Note that it influences all @var{value}'s in your split rules.
15885 @var{value} beginning with @code{.*} ignores word boundaries in front of
15886 a word. Similarly, if @var{value} ends with @code{.*}, word boundaries
15887 in the rear of a word will be ignored. For example, the @var{value}
15888 @code{"@@example\\.com"} does not match @samp{foo@@example.com} but
15889 @code{".*@@example\\.com"} does.
15892 You can set the @var{invert-partial} flag in your split rules of the
15893 @samp{(@var{field} @var{value} @dots{})} types, aforementioned in this
15894 section. If the flag is set, word boundaries on both sides of a word
15895 are ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
15896 @code{nil}. Contrarily, if the flag is set, word boundaries are not
15897 ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
15898 non-@code{nil}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
15901 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
15902 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
15903 they are expanded as specified by the variable
15904 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
15905 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
15906 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
15907 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
15911 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
15913 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
15914 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
15916 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
15919 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
15920 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
15921 when all this splitting is performed.
15923 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
15924 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
15925 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
15928 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
15931 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
15932 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
15934 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
15935 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
15936 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
15937 groupings 1 through 9.
15939 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
15940 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
15941 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
15942 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
15943 groups when users send to an address using different case
15944 (i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
15947 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
15948 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
15949 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
15950 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
15951 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
15952 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
15953 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
15954 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
15955 it once per thread.
15957 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
15958 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
15959 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
15960 using the colon feature, like so:
15962 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
15963 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
15965 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
15966 ;; @r{other splits go here}
15970 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
15971 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
15972 in the file specified by the variable
15973 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
15974 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
15975 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
15976 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
15977 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
15978 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
15979 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
15980 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
15981 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
15982 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
15983 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
15984 300 kBytes in size.)
15985 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15986 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
15987 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
15988 messages goes into the new group.
15990 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
15991 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
15992 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
15993 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
15994 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
15995 ``outgoing'' group.
15998 @node Group Mail Splitting
15999 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
16000 @cindex mail splitting
16001 @cindex group mail splitting
16003 @findex gnus-group-split
16004 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
16005 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
16006 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
16007 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
16008 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
16009 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
16010 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
16011 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
16013 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
16014 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
16015 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
16016 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
16018 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
16019 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
16020 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
16021 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
16022 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
16023 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
16024 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
16026 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
16027 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
16028 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
16029 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
16030 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
16031 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
16032 @code{gnus-group-split}.
16034 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
16035 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
16036 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
16037 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
16038 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
16039 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
16040 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
16041 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
16042 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
16043 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
16044 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
16045 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
16046 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
16048 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
16053 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
16054 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
16056 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
16057 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
16058 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
16059 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
16061 ((split-spec . catch-all))
16064 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
16065 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
16066 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
16069 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
16070 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
16071 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
16075 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
16076 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
16077 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
16081 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
16084 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
16085 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
16086 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
16087 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
16088 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
16089 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
16090 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
16091 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
16092 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
16094 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
16095 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
16096 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
16097 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
16098 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
16099 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
16100 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
16101 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
16102 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
16104 @findex gnus-group-split-update
16105 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
16106 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
16107 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
16108 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
16109 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
16112 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
16115 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
16116 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
16117 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
16118 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
16119 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
16122 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
16123 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
16124 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
16125 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
16127 @node Incorporating Old Mail
16128 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
16129 @cindex incorporating old mail
16130 @cindex import old mail
16132 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
16133 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
16134 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
16137 Doing so can be quite easy.
16139 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
16140 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
16141 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
16142 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
16143 your @code{nnml} groups.
16149 Go to the group buffer.
16152 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
16153 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
16156 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
16159 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
16160 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
16163 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
16164 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
16167 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
16168 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
16169 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
16170 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
16171 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
16173 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
16174 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
16175 using the new mail back end.
16178 @node Expiring Mail
16179 @subsection Expiring Mail
16180 @cindex article expiry
16181 @cindex expiring mail
16183 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
16184 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
16185 different approach to mail reading.
16187 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
16188 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
16189 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
16190 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
16191 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
16192 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
16195 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
16196 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
16197 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
16198 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
16199 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
16200 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
16201 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
16202 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
16203 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
16205 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
16206 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
16207 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
16208 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
16209 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
16210 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
16211 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
16214 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
16215 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
16216 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
16217 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
16218 into its own group.)
16220 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
16221 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
16222 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
16223 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
16224 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
16225 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
16226 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
16227 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
16230 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
16231 Groups that match the regular expression
16232 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
16233 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
16234 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
16236 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
16237 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
16238 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
16239 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
16240 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
16242 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
16244 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
16245 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
16246 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
16249 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
16250 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
16251 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
16252 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
16253 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
16255 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
16256 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
16259 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
16260 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
16263 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
16264 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
16266 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
16267 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
16268 don't really mix very well.
16270 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
16271 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
16272 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
16273 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
16276 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
16277 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
16278 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
16279 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
16282 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16284 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16286 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
16288 ((string= group "mail.junk")
16290 ((string= group "important")
16296 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
16297 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
16299 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
16300 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
16301 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
16304 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
16305 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
16307 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
16308 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
16309 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
16310 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
16311 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
16312 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
16313 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
16314 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
16315 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
16316 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
16317 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
16318 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
16319 name or @code{delete}.
16321 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
16323 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
16326 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
16327 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
16328 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
16329 expire mail to groups according to the variable
16330 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
16333 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
16334 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
16335 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
16336 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
16337 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
16340 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
16341 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
16342 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
16343 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
16344 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
16345 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
16347 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
16348 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
16349 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
16350 easier for procmail users.
16352 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
16353 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
16354 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
16355 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
16356 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
16357 caution. Even more dangerous is the
16358 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
16359 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
16360 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
16361 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
16362 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
16363 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
16364 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
16367 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
16369 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
16370 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
16371 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
16372 auto-expire turned on.
16374 @vindex gnus-mark-copied-or-moved-articles-as-expirable
16375 The expirable marks of articles will be removed when copying or moving
16376 them to a group in which auto-expire is not turned on. This is for
16377 preventing articles from being expired unintentionally. On the other
16378 hand, to a group that has turned auto-expire on, the expirable marks of
16379 articles that are copied or moved will not be changed by default. I.e.,
16380 when copying or moving to such a group, articles that were expirable
16381 will be left expirable and ones that were not expirable will not be
16382 marked as expirable. So, even though in auto-expire groups, some
16383 articles will never get expired (unless you read them again). If you
16384 don't side with that behavior that unexpirable articles may be mixed
16385 into auto-expire groups, you can set
16386 @code{gnus-mark-copied-or-moved-articles-as-expirable} to a
16387 non-@code{nil} value. In that case, articles that have been read will
16388 be marked as expirable automatically when being copied or moved to a
16389 group that has auto-expire turned on. The default value is @code{nil}.
16393 @subsection Washing Mail
16394 @cindex mail washing
16395 @cindex list server brain damage
16396 @cindex incoming mail treatment
16398 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
16399 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
16400 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
16401 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
16402 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
16403 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
16405 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
16406 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
16407 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
16410 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
16411 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
16412 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
16413 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
16416 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
16417 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
16418 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
16419 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
16420 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
16423 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
16424 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
16425 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
16426 Emacs running on MS machines.
16430 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
16431 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
16432 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
16433 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
16436 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
16437 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
16438 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
16439 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
16441 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
16442 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
16443 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
16444 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
16445 into a feature by documenting it.)
16447 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
16448 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
16449 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
16450 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
16451 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
16452 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
16453 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
16456 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
16457 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
16460 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
16461 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
16464 This can also be done non-destructively with
16465 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
16467 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
16468 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
16469 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
16471 @item nnmail-ignore-broken-references
16472 @findex nnmail-ignore-broken-references
16473 @c @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
16476 Some mail user agents (e.g. Eudora and Pegasus) produce broken
16477 @code{References} headers, but correct @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This
16478 function will get rid of the @code{References} header if the headers
16479 contain a line matching the regular expression
16480 @code{nnmail-broken-references-mailers}.
16484 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
16485 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
16486 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
16490 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
16491 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
16492 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
16499 @subsection Duplicates
16501 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
16502 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
16503 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
16504 @cindex duplicate mails
16505 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
16506 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
16507 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
16508 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
16509 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
16510 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
16511 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
16512 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
16513 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
16514 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
16515 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
16516 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
16517 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
16519 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
16520 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
16521 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
16522 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
16524 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
16527 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
16528 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
16532 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
16533 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
16534 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
16535 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
16536 (any mail "mail.misc")
16537 ;; @r{Other rules.}
16543 (setq nnmail-split-methods
16544 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
16545 ;; @r{Other rules.}
16549 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
16550 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
16551 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
16552 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
16553 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
16556 @node Not Reading Mail
16557 @subsection Not Reading Mail
16559 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
16560 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
16561 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
16563 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
16564 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
16565 mail, which should help.
16567 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16568 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
16569 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
16570 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
16571 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
16572 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
16573 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old (pre-Emacs
16574 23) Rmail file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
16575 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
16576 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
16577 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
16579 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
16580 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
16584 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
16585 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
16587 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
16588 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
16589 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
16591 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
16592 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
16593 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
16597 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
16598 * Babyl:: Babyl was used by older versions of Rmail.
16599 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
16600 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
16601 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
16602 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
16603 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
16607 @node Unix Mail Box
16608 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
16610 @cindex unix mail box
16612 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
16613 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
16614 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
16615 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
16616 which group it belongs in.
16618 Virtual server settings:
16621 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
16622 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
16623 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
16626 @item nnmbox-active-file
16627 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
16628 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
16629 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
16631 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
16632 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
16633 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
16634 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
16639 @subsubsection Babyl
16642 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
16643 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
16644 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box to store mail.
16645 @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail article to say which
16646 group it belongs in.
16648 Virtual server settings:
16651 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
16652 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
16653 The name of the Babyl file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
16655 @item nnbabyl-active-file
16656 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
16657 The name of the active file for the Babyl file. The default is
16658 @file{~/.rmail-active}
16660 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16661 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16662 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
16668 @subsubsection Mail Spool
16670 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
16672 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
16673 format. It should be used with some caution.
16675 @vindex nnml-directory
16676 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
16677 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
16678 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
16679 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
16681 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
16684 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
16685 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
16686 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
16687 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
16688 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
16689 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
16690 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
16691 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
16693 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
16694 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
16695 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
16696 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
16698 @cindex self contained nnml servers
16700 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
16701 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
16702 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
16703 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
16704 for a group are usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
16705 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
16706 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
16707 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
16710 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
16711 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
16712 them next time it starts.
16714 Virtual server settings:
16717 @item nnml-directory
16718 @vindex nnml-directory
16719 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
16720 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
16723 @item nnml-active-file
16724 @vindex nnml-active-file
16725 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
16726 @file{~/Mail/active}.
16728 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
16729 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
16730 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
16731 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
16733 @item nnml-get-new-mail
16734 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
16735 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
16738 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
16739 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
16740 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
16741 default is @code{nil}.
16743 @item nnml-nov-file-name
16744 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
16745 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
16747 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
16748 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
16749 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
16751 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
16752 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
16753 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
16754 default is @code{nil}.
16756 @item nnml-marks-file-name
16757 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
16758 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
16760 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
16761 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
16762 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
16763 files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
16764 (@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
16765 If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
16766 as the file extension specifying the compression program. You can set it
16767 to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
16768 equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
16770 @item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
16771 @vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
16772 Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
16773 bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
16774 if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil}.
16778 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
16779 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
16780 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
16781 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
16782 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
16783 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
16784 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
16789 @subsubsection MH Spool
16791 @cindex mh-e mail spool
16793 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
16794 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
16795 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
16796 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
16799 Virtual server settings:
16802 @item nnmh-directory
16803 @vindex nnmh-directory
16804 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
16805 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
16808 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
16809 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
16810 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
16814 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
16815 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
16816 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
16817 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
16818 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
16819 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
16820 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
16825 @subsubsection Maildir
16829 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
16830 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
16831 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
16832 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
16833 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
16836 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
16837 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
16838 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
16839 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
16840 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
16841 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
16842 that appear as group in Gnus.
16844 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
16845 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
16846 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
16848 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
16849 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
16850 another, and you will keep your marks.
16852 Virtual server settings:
16856 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
16857 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
16858 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
16859 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
16860 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
16861 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
16862 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
16863 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
16864 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
16865 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
16867 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
16868 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
16869 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
16870 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
16871 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
16872 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
16873 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
16874 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
16875 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
16876 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
16879 @item target-prefix
16880 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
16881 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
16882 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
16885 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
16886 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
16887 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
16888 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
16889 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
16890 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
16891 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
16892 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
16893 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
16895 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
16896 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
16897 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
16898 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
16899 symlinks pointing to them will be).
16901 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
16902 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
16903 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
16904 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
16905 @code{force} argument.
16907 @item directory-files
16908 This should be a function with the same interface as
16909 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
16910 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
16911 parameter is optional; the default is
16912 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
16913 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
16914 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
16915 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
16916 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
16917 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
16920 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
16921 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
16922 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
16923 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
16924 value is @code{nil}.
16926 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
16927 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
16928 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
16929 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
16930 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
16933 @subsubsection Group parameters
16935 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
16936 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
16937 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
16938 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
16939 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
16940 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
16943 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
16944 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
16945 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
16946 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
16947 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
16948 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
16949 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
16950 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
16951 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
16955 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
16956 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
16957 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
16958 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
16959 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
16960 @code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
16961 and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
16962 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
16963 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
16964 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
16965 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
16966 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
16967 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
16970 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
16972 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
16974 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
16975 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
16976 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
16977 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
16978 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
16979 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
16980 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
16981 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
16982 article. So that form can refer to
16983 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
16984 article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
16985 does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
16986 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
16989 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
16990 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
16991 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
16992 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
16993 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
16994 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
16995 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
16996 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
16997 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
16998 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
16999 contain extra copies of the articles.
17001 @item directory-files
17002 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
17003 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
17004 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
17005 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
17007 @item distrust-Lines:
17008 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
17009 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
17010 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
17013 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
17014 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
17015 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
17016 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
17017 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
17018 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
17021 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
17022 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
17023 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
17024 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
17025 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
17026 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
17027 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
17029 @item nov-cache-size
17030 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
17031 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
17032 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
17033 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
17034 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
17035 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
17036 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
17037 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
17038 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
17039 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
17040 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
17043 @subsubsection Article identification
17044 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
17045 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
17046 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
17047 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
17048 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
17049 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
17050 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
17051 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
17052 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
17053 request the article in the summary buffer.
17055 @subsubsection NOV data
17056 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
17057 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
17058 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
17059 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
17060 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
17061 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
17062 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
17063 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
17064 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
17065 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
17066 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
17068 @subsubsection Article marks
17069 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
17070 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
17071 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
17072 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
17073 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
17074 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
17075 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
17076 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
17078 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
17079 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
17080 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
17081 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
17082 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
17083 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
17084 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
17085 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
17086 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
17090 @subsubsection Mail Folders
17092 @cindex mbox folders
17093 @cindex mail folders
17095 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
17096 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
17097 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
17098 numbers and arrival dates.
17100 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
17102 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
17103 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
17104 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
17105 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
17106 Marks for a group are usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
17107 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
17108 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
17109 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
17110 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
17111 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
17113 Virtual server settings:
17116 @item nnfolder-directory
17117 @vindex nnfolder-directory
17118 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
17119 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
17120 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
17122 @item nnfolder-active-file
17123 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
17124 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
17126 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
17127 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
17128 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
17129 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
17131 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
17132 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
17133 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
17134 default is @code{t}
17136 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
17137 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
17138 @cindex backup files
17139 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
17140 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
17141 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
17142 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
17145 (defun turn-off-backup ()
17146 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
17148 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
17151 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
17152 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
17153 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
17154 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
17155 extract some information from it before removing it.
17157 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
17158 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
17159 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
17160 default is @code{nil}.
17162 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
17163 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
17164 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
17166 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
17167 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
17168 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
17169 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
17171 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
17172 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
17173 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
17174 default is @code{nil}.
17176 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
17177 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
17178 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
17180 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
17181 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
17182 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
17183 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
17188 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
17189 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
17190 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
17191 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
17192 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
17193 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
17196 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
17197 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
17199 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
17200 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
17201 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
17202 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
17203 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
17205 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
17206 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
17207 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
17208 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
17209 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
17210 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
17211 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
17212 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
17215 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
17216 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
17217 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
17218 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
17223 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
17224 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
17225 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
17226 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
17227 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
17228 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
17229 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
17230 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
17231 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
17232 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
17233 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
17234 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
17235 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
17240 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
17241 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
17242 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
17243 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
17244 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
17245 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
17246 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
17247 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
17248 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
17249 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
17250 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
17251 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
17252 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
17253 course, and is still maintained within Emacs. Since Emacs 23, it
17254 uses standard mbox format rather than Babyl.
17256 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
17257 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
17262 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
17263 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
17264 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
17265 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
17266 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
17267 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
17268 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
17269 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
17270 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
17271 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
17272 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
17273 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
17274 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
17275 provided by the active file and overviews.
17277 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
17278 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
17279 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
17280 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
17281 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
17284 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
17285 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
17290 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
17291 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
17292 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
17293 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
17294 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
17295 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
17296 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
17300 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
17301 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
17302 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
17303 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
17304 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
17305 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
17306 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
17307 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
17308 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
17310 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
17311 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
17312 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
17313 friendly mail back end all over.
17317 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
17318 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
17321 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
17322 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
17323 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
17324 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
17325 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
17326 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
17327 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
17328 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
17331 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
17332 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
17333 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
17334 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
17335 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
17336 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
17337 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
17338 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
17339 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
17340 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
17341 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
17343 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
17344 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
17345 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
17346 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
17347 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
17350 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
17351 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
17352 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
17353 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
17354 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
17355 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
17356 removed in the future.
17358 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
17359 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
17360 on your file system.
17362 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
17363 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
17368 @node Browsing the Web
17369 @section Browsing the Web
17371 @cindex browsing the web
17375 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
17376 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
17377 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
17378 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
17379 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
17380 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
17381 even know what a news group is.
17383 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
17384 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
17385 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
17386 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
17387 you mad in the end.
17389 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
17392 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
17393 interfaces to these sources.
17397 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
17398 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
17399 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
17402 All the web sources require Emacs/W3 and the url library or those
17403 alternatives to work.
17405 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
17406 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
17407 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
17408 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
17409 though, you should be ok.
17411 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
17412 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
17413 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
17414 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
17415 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
17417 @node Archiving Mail
17418 @subsection Archiving Mail
17419 @cindex archiving mail
17420 @cindex backup of mail
17422 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
17423 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
17424 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
17425 marks is fairly simple.
17427 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
17428 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
17431 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
17432 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
17433 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
17434 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
17435 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
17436 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
17437 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
17438 before you restore the data.
17440 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
17441 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
17442 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
17443 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
17444 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
17445 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
17446 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
17447 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
17448 is unnecessary in that case.
17451 @subsection Web Searches
17456 @cindex Usenet searches
17457 @cindex searching the Usenet
17459 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
17460 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
17461 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
17462 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
17463 searches without having to use a browser.
17465 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
17466 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
17467 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
17468 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
17469 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
17471 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
17472 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
17473 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
17474 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
17475 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
17476 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
17477 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
17478 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
17479 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
17480 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
17483 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
17484 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
17485 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
17486 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
17487 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
17488 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
17490 You must have the @code{url} and @code{W3} package or those alternatives
17491 (try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{mm-url} variable group)
17492 installed to be able to use @code{nnweb}.
17494 Virtual server variables:
17499 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
17500 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
17501 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
17504 @vindex nnweb-search
17505 The search string to feed to the search engine.
17507 @item nnweb-max-hits
17508 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
17509 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
17512 @item nnweb-type-definition
17513 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
17514 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
17515 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
17520 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
17524 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
17527 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
17530 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
17534 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
17545 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
17546 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
17547 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
17548 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
17549 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
17551 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
17552 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
17554 Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
17555 system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
17556 text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
17559 @kindex G R (Group)
17560 Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
17561 prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
17562 The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
17563 and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
17565 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
17566 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
17567 subscribe to groups.
17569 The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
17570 @code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
17571 names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
17572 coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
17573 variable or other. Also @xref{Non-ASCII Group Names}, for more
17576 The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
17577 @acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
17578 and a @samp{text/html} part.
17581 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
17582 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
17585 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
17586 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
17590 @defun nnrss-opml-export
17591 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
17592 @acronym{OPML} format.
17595 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
17598 @item nnrss-directory
17599 @vindex nnrss-directory
17600 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
17601 @file{~/News/rss/}.
17603 @item nnrss-file-coding-system
17604 @vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
17605 The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
17606 data files. The default is the value of
17607 @code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
17608 in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
17610 @item nnrss-ignore-article-fields
17611 @vindex nnrss-ignore-article-fields
17612 Some feeds update constantly article fields during their publications,
17613 e.g. to indicate the number of comments. However, if there is
17614 a difference between the local article and the distant one, the latter
17615 is considered to be new. To avoid this and discard some fields, set this
17616 variable to the list of fields to be ignored. The default is
17617 @code{'(slash:comments)}.
17619 @item nnrss-use-local
17620 @vindex nnrss-use-local
17621 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
17622 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
17623 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
17624 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
17625 download script using @command{wget}.
17627 @item nnrss-wash-html-in-text-plain-parts
17628 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{nnrss} renders text in @samp{text/plain}
17629 parts as @acronym{HTML}. The function specified by the
17630 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} variable (@pxref{Display Customization,
17631 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) will be used
17632 to render text. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default, text will
17633 simply be folded. Leave it @code{nil} if you prefer to see
17634 @samp{text/html} parts.
17637 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
17638 the summary buffer.
17641 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
17642 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
17644 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
17646 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
17647 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
17650 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
17654 (require 'browse-url)
17656 (defun browse-nnrss-url (arg)
17658 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
17661 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
17662 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
17665 (browse-url (cdr url))
17666 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
17667 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
17669 (eval-after-load "gnus"
17670 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
17671 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
17672 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
17675 Even if you have added @samp{text/html} to the
17676 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
17677 Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
17678 Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
17679 more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
17680 @samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
17681 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
17682 Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
17683 @code{nnrss} groups:
17686 ;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
17687 (eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
17689 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
17690 '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
17691 . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
17693 ;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
17696 '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
17700 @node Customizing W3
17701 @subsection Customizing W3
17707 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/W3 (or those
17708 alternatives) to display web pages. Emacs/W3 is documented in its own
17709 manual, but there are some things that may be more relevant for Gnus
17712 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/W3 follow links
17713 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
17714 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
17717 (eval-after-load "w3"
17719 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
17720 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
17721 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
17722 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
17724 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
17727 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in W3-rendered
17728 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
17735 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
17737 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
17738 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
17739 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
17740 specify the network address of the server.
17742 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
17743 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
17744 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
17745 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
17746 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
17747 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
17749 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
17750 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
17751 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
17752 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
17754 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
17755 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
17756 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
17757 usage explained in this section.
17759 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
17760 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
17761 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
17765 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
17766 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
17767 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
17769 (nnimap-address "localhost")
17770 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
17771 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
17773 (nnimap-server-port 143)
17774 (nnimap-address "localhost")
17775 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
17776 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
17777 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
17778 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
17779 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
17780 (nnimap-stream network))
17781 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
17783 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
17784 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
17785 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
17788 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
17789 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
17790 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
17791 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
17793 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
17798 @item nnimap-address
17799 @vindex nnimap-address
17801 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
17802 server name if not specified.
17804 @item nnimap-server-port
17805 @vindex nnimap-server-port
17806 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
17808 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
17811 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17812 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
17815 @item nnimap-list-pattern
17816 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
17817 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
17818 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
17819 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
17820 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
17821 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
17823 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
17824 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
17825 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
17828 Example server specification:
17831 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17832 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
17833 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
17836 @item nnimap-stream
17837 @vindex nnimap-stream
17838 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
17839 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
17840 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
17841 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
17842 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
17844 Example server specification:
17847 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17848 (nnimap-stream ssl))
17851 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
17855 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
17856 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
17858 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
17860 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
17861 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
17864 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
17865 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
17867 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
17868 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
17870 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
17872 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
17875 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
17876 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
17877 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
17878 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
17879 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
17880 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
17881 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
17882 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
17883 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
17886 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
17887 needed. It is available from
17888 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
17890 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
17891 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
17892 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
17893 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
17894 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
17895 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
17896 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
17899 @vindex imap-ssl-program
17900 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
17901 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
17902 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
17903 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
17904 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
17905 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
17908 @vindex imap-shell-program
17909 @vindex imap-shell-host
17910 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the
17911 variable @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call. Make
17912 sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g., don't
17913 forget to redirect the error output to the void.
17915 @item nnimap-authenticator
17916 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
17918 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
17919 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
17921 Example server specification:
17924 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17925 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
17928 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
17932 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
17933 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
17935 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
17938 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
17939 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
17941 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
17943 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
17945 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
17948 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
17950 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
17951 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
17952 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
17953 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
17954 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
17955 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
17958 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
17959 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
17960 running in circles yet?
17962 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
17963 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
17966 The possible options are:
17971 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
17974 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
17975 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
17976 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
17977 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
17979 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
17984 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
17985 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
17987 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
17988 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
17989 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
17990 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
17991 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
17994 Probably the only reason for frobbing this would be if you're trying
17995 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
17998 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
17999 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
18000 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
18001 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
18004 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
18005 as ticked for other users.
18007 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
18009 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
18010 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
18012 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
18013 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
18014 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
18015 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
18017 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
18018 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
18019 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
18020 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
18022 However, if @code{nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil}
18023 is true, this variable has no effect since the search logic
18024 is reversed, as described below.
18026 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
18027 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
18029 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
18030 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
18031 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
18032 @ref{NNTP}. An example of an .authinfo line for an IMAP server, is:
18035 machine students.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis port imap
18038 Note that it should be @code{port imap}, or @code{port 143}, if you
18039 use a @code{nnimap-stream} of @code{tls} or @code{ssl}, even if the
18040 actual port number used is port 993 for secured IMAP. For
18041 convenience, Gnus will accept @code{port imaps} as a synonym of
18044 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
18045 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
18047 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
18048 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
18051 @item nnimap-nov-is-evil
18052 @vindex nnimap-nov-is-evil
18053 @cindex Courier @acronym{IMAP} server
18054 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
18056 Never generate or use a local @acronym{NOV} database. Defaults to the
18057 value of @code{gnus-agent}.
18059 Using a @acronym{NOV} database usually makes header fetching much
18060 faster, but it uses the @code{UID SEARCH UID} command, which is very
18061 slow on some servers (notably some versions of Courier). Since the Gnus
18062 Agent caches the information in the @acronym{NOV} database without using
18063 the slow command, this variable defaults to true if the Agent is in use,
18064 and false otherwise.
18066 @item nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil
18067 @vindex nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil
18068 @cindex Courier @acronym{IMAP} server
18069 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
18071 Avoid the @code{UID SEARCH UID @var{message numbers} NOT SINCE
18072 @var{date}} command, which is slow on some @acronym{IMAP} servers
18073 (notably, some versions of Courier). Instead, use @code{UID SEARCH SINCE
18074 @var{date}} and prune the list of expirable articles within Gnus.
18076 When Gnus expires your mail (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), it starts with a
18077 list of expirable articles and asks the IMAP server questions like ``Of
18078 these articles, which ones are older than a week?'' While this seems
18079 like a perfectly reasonable question, some IMAP servers take a long time
18080 to answer it, since they seemingly go looking into every old article to
18081 see if it is one of the expirable ones. Curiously, the question ``Of
18082 @emph{all} articles, which ones are newer than a week?'' seems to be
18083 much faster to answer, so setting this variable causes Gnus to ask this
18084 question and figure out the answer to the real question itself.
18086 This problem can really sneak up on you: when you first configure Gnus,
18087 everything works fine, but once you accumulate a couple thousand
18088 messages, you start cursing Gnus for being so slow. On the other hand,
18089 if you get a lot of email within a week, setting this variable will
18090 cause a lot of network traffic between Gnus and the IMAP server.
18092 @item nnimap-logout-timeout
18093 @vindex nnimap-logout-timeout
18095 There is a case where a connection to a @acronym{IMAP} server is unable
18096 to close, when connecting to the server via a certain kind of network,
18097 e.g. @acronym{VPN}. In that case, it will be observed that a connection
18098 between Emacs and the local network looks alive even if the server has
18099 closed a connection for some reason (typically, a timeout).
18100 Consequently, Emacs continues waiting for a response from the server for
18101 the @code{LOGOUT} command that Emacs sent, or hangs in other words. If
18102 you are in such a network, setting this variable to a number of seconds
18103 will be helpful. If it is set, a hung connection will be closed
18104 forcibly, after this number of seconds from the time Emacs sends the
18105 @code{LOGOUT} command. It should not be too small value but too large
18106 value will be inconvenient too. Perhaps the value 1.0 will be a good
18107 candidate but it might be worth trying some other values.
18109 Example server specification:
18112 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
18113 (nnimap-logout-timeout 1.0))
18119 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
18120 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
18121 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
18122 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
18123 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
18124 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
18129 @node Splitting in IMAP
18130 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
18131 @cindex splitting imap mail
18133 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
18134 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
18135 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
18136 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
18137 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
18141 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
18142 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
18143 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
18145 Here are the variables of interest:
18149 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
18150 @cindex splitting, crosspost
18152 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
18154 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
18155 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
18156 found will be used.
18158 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
18160 @item nnimap-split-inbox
18161 @cindex splitting, inbox
18163 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
18165 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
18166 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
18167 splitting is disabled!
18170 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
18171 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
18174 No nnmail equivalent.
18176 @item nnimap-split-rule
18177 @cindex splitting, rules
18178 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
18180 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
18183 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
18184 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
18185 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
18186 Neither did I, we need examples.
18189 (setq nnimap-split-rule
18191 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
18192 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
18193 ("INBOX.private" "")))
18196 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
18197 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
18198 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
18200 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
18201 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
18205 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
18208 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
18209 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
18211 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
18212 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
18213 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
18214 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
18216 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
18217 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
18218 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
18219 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
18220 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
18221 them every time you fetch new mail.)
18223 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
18224 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
18225 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
18227 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
18228 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
18229 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
18231 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
18233 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
18234 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
18235 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
18238 (setq nnimap-split-rule
18239 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
18240 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
18241 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
18242 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
18243 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
18246 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
18247 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
18248 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
18249 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
18250 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
18251 group/function elements.
18253 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
18255 @item nnimap-split-predicate
18257 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
18259 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
18260 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
18262 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
18263 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
18264 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
18267 @item nnimap-split-fancy
18268 @cindex splitting, fancy
18269 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
18270 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
18272 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
18273 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
18274 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
18276 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
18277 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
18278 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
18279 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
18284 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
18285 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
18288 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
18290 @item nnimap-split-download-body
18291 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
18292 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
18294 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
18295 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
18296 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
18297 splitting function that analyzes the body to split the article.
18301 @node Expiring in IMAP
18302 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
18303 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
18305 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
18306 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
18307 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
18308 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
18309 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
18310 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
18313 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
18314 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
18315 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
18316 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
18317 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
18318 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
18319 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
18320 messages. Most do, fortunately.
18322 If expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail seems very slow, try setting the server
18323 variable @code{nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil}.
18327 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
18328 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
18330 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
18331 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
18333 @item nnmail-expiry-target
18335 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
18336 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
18337 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
18338 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
18342 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
18343 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
18344 @cindex editing imap acls
18345 @cindex Access Control Lists
18346 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
18347 @kindex G l (Group)
18348 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
18350 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
18351 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
18352 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
18355 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
18356 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
18357 editing window with detailed instructions.
18359 Some possible uses:
18363 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
18364 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
18365 follow the list without subscribing to it.
18367 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
18368 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
18369 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
18373 @node Expunging mailboxes
18374 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
18378 @cindex manual expunging
18379 @kindex G x (Group)
18380 @findex gnus-group-expunge-group
18382 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
18383 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
18384 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
18386 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
18389 @node A note on namespaces
18390 @subsection A note on namespaces
18391 @cindex IMAP namespace
18394 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
18395 by the following text in the RFC2060:
18398 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
18400 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
18401 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
18402 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
18403 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
18405 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
18406 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
18407 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
18408 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
18409 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
18410 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
18413 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
18414 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
18415 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
18417 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
18418 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
18419 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
18420 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
18421 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
18422 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
18423 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
18424 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
18427 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
18428 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
18429 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
18431 @node Debugging IMAP
18432 @subsection Debugging IMAP
18433 @cindex IMAP debugging
18434 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
18436 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
18437 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
18438 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behavior, chances
18439 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
18441 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
18442 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
18443 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
18444 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
18445 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
18446 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
18447 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
18451 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
18452 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
18459 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
18460 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
18461 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
18462 @code{BAD}---but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
18465 @node Other Sources
18466 @section Other Sources
18468 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
18469 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
18473 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
18474 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
18475 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
18476 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
18480 @node Directory Groups
18481 @subsection Directory Groups
18483 @cindex directory groups
18485 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
18486 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
18489 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
18490 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
18491 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
18492 back end to read directories. Big deal.
18494 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
18495 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
18496 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
18497 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
18498 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
18500 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
18502 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
18503 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
18504 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
18505 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
18508 @node Anything Groups
18509 @subsection Anything Groups
18512 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
18513 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
18514 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
18517 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
18518 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
18519 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
18520 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
18521 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
18522 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
18523 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
18524 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
18525 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
18526 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
18529 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
18530 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
18531 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
18532 in the article buffer, just as usual.
18534 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
18535 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
18536 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
18537 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
18539 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
18540 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
18541 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
18542 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
18543 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
18544 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
18545 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
18546 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
18551 @item nneething-map-file-directory
18552 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
18553 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
18554 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
18556 @item nneething-exclude-files
18557 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
18558 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
18559 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
18561 @item nneething-include-files
18562 @vindex nneething-include-files
18563 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
18564 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
18566 @item nneething-map-file
18567 @vindex nneething-map-file
18568 Name of the map files.
18572 @node Document Groups
18573 @subsection Document Groups
18575 @cindex documentation group
18578 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
18579 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
18589 The standard Unix mbox file.
18591 @cindex MMDF mail box
18593 The MMDF mail box format.
18596 Several news articles appended into a file.
18598 @cindex rnews batch files
18600 The rnews batch transport format.
18603 Netscape mail boxes.
18606 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
18608 @item standard-digest
18609 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
18612 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
18614 @item lanl-gov-announce
18615 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
18617 @cindex forwarded messages
18618 @item rfc822-forward
18619 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
18622 The Outlook mail box.
18625 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
18628 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
18631 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
18634 An RFC934-forwarded message.
18640 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
18643 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
18649 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
18650 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
18651 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
18654 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
18655 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
18656 group. And that's it.
18658 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
18659 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
18660 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
18661 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
18662 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
18663 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
18664 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
18665 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
18666 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
18667 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
18669 Virtual server variables:
18672 @item nndoc-article-type
18673 @vindex nndoc-article-type
18674 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
18675 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
18676 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
18677 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
18678 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
18680 @item nndoc-post-type
18681 @vindex nndoc-post-type
18682 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
18683 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
18688 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
18692 @node Document Server Internals
18693 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
18695 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
18696 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
18697 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
18698 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
18700 First, here's an example document type definition:
18704 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
18705 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
18708 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
18709 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
18710 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
18711 types can be defined with very few settings:
18714 @item first-article
18715 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
18716 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
18719 @item article-begin
18720 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
18721 says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
18722 complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
18723 use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
18725 @item article-begin-function
18726 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
18727 of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
18730 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
18731 article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
18732 simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
18734 @item head-begin-function
18735 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
18736 the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
18739 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
18740 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
18743 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
18744 to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
18745 a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
18747 @item body-begin-function
18748 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
18749 of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
18752 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
18753 more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
18754 can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
18756 @item body-end-function
18757 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
18758 the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
18761 If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
18762 before this regexp will be totally ignored.
18765 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
18766 regexp will be totally ignored.
18770 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
18771 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
18772 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
18773 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
18774 something that's palatable for Gnus:
18777 @item prepare-body-function
18778 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
18779 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
18780 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
18782 @item article-transform-function
18783 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
18784 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
18785 body of the article.
18787 @item generate-head-function
18788 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
18789 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
18790 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
18791 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
18793 @item generate-article-function
18794 If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
18795 Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
18796 parameter when requesting all articles.
18798 @item dissection-function
18799 If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
18800 overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
18801 @code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
18802 @code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
18803 @code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
18804 @code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
18808 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
18813 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
18814 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
18815 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
18816 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
18817 (head-end . "^ ?$")
18818 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
18819 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
18820 (subtype digest guess))
18823 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
18824 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
18825 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
18826 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
18827 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
18829 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
18830 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
18831 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
18832 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
18833 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
18834 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
18835 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
18836 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
18837 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
18838 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
18839 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
18840 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
18843 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
18844 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
18845 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
18848 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
18849 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
18850 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
18852 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
18858 @item nngateway-address
18859 @vindex nngateway-address
18860 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
18862 @item nngateway-header-transformation
18863 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
18864 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
18865 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
18866 transformation should be called, and defaults to
18867 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
18868 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
18871 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
18872 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
18873 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
18876 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
18879 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
18882 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
18885 The following pre-defined functions exist:
18887 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
18890 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
18891 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
18892 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
18894 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
18896 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
18897 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
18898 @code{nngateway-address}.
18906 (setq gnus-post-method
18908 "mail2news@@replay.com"
18909 (nngateway-header-transformation
18910 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
18913 So, to use this, simply say something like:
18916 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
18921 @node Combined Groups
18922 @section Combined Groups
18924 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
18928 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
18932 @node Virtual Groups
18933 @subsection Virtual Groups
18935 @cindex virtual groups
18936 @cindex merging groups
18938 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
18941 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
18942 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
18943 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
18945 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
18946 regexp to match component groups.
18948 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
18949 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
18950 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
18951 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
18952 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
18953 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
18954 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
18955 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
18957 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
18958 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
18961 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
18964 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
18965 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
18967 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
18968 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
18969 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
18970 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
18973 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
18976 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
18977 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
18978 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
18980 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
18981 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
18982 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
18983 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
18984 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
18986 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
18987 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
18988 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
18990 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
18991 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} variable is non-@code{nil} (which
18992 is the default), @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread
18993 articles when entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil}
18994 and you read articles in a component group after the virtual group has
18995 been activated, the read articles from the component group will show up
18996 when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this effect if you
18997 have two virtual groups that have a component group in common. If
18998 that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}. Or you can
18999 just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before you enter
19000 it---it'll have much the same effect.
19002 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
19003 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
19004 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
19005 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
19006 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
19007 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
19008 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
19010 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
19011 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
19013 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
19014 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
19018 @node Email Based Diary
19019 @section Email Based Diary
19021 @cindex email based diary
19024 This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
19025 and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
19026 sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
19027 reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
19028 Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
19029 namely, as event reminders.
19031 Here is a typical scenario:
19035 You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
19036 to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
19038 So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
19040 You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
19042 From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
19043 is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
19044 appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
19046 Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
19047 of the night you're gonna have.
19049 Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
19050 message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
19053 The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
19054 (that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
19055 real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
19056 explained in the sections below.
19059 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
19060 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
19061 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
19065 @node The NNDiary Back End
19066 @subsection The NNDiary Back End
19068 @cindex the nndiary back end
19070 @code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
19071 Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
19072 @code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
19073 the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
19074 directory per group.
19076 Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
19077 @code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
19078 of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
19079 Timestamp} to see how it's done.
19082 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
19083 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
19084 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
19087 @node Diary Messages
19088 @subsubsection Diary Messages
19089 @cindex nndiary messages
19090 @cindex nndiary mails
19092 @code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
19093 presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
19094 @code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
19095 @code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
19096 @code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
19097 @code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
19098 crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
19102 For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
19103 either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
19104 (separated by a comma).
19106 A field is either an integer, or a range.
19108 A range is two integers separated by a dash.
19110 Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
19111 @code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
19112 for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
19114 As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
19115 mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
19116 that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
19118 The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
19119 value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
19120 values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
19121 zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
19122 list of available time zone values, see the variable
19123 @code{nndiary-headers}.
19126 As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
19127 for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
19128 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
19133 X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
19136 X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
19138 X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
19141 @node Running NNDiary
19142 @subsubsection Running NNDiary
19143 @cindex running nndiary
19144 @cindex nndiary operation modes
19146 @code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
19147 and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
19148 mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
19149 from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
19150 as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
19151 mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
19153 One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
19154 ``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
19155 sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
19156 messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
19157 being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
19158 the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
19159 (which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
19162 In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
19167 Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
19168 line in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
19171 (setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
19174 You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
19175 headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
19176 Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
19177 multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
19178 source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
19180 As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
19181 @file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
19190 Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
19191 that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
19193 @defvar nndiary-mail-sources
19194 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
19195 @code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
19196 @code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
19199 @defvar nndiary-split-methods
19200 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
19201 @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
19204 Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
19205 (something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
19206 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
19208 Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
19209 @file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
19210 autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
19211 also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
19212 diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
19214 @node Customizing NNDiary
19215 @subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
19216 @cindex customizing nndiary
19217 @cindex nndiary customization
19219 Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
19220 The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
19221 browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
19222 two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
19224 @defvar nndiary-reminders
19225 This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
19226 appointments (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
19227 before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
19228 diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
19232 @defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
19233 Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
19238 @node The Gnus Diary Library
19239 @subsection The Gnus Diary Library
19241 @cindex the gnus diary library
19243 Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
19244 so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
19245 @code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
19246 useful things for you.
19248 In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
19251 (require 'gnus-diary)
19254 Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
19255 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
19256 (sorry if you used them before).
19260 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
19261 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
19262 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
19263 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
19266 @node Diary Summary Line Format
19267 @subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
19268 @cindex diary summary buffer line
19269 @cindex diary summary line format
19271 Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
19272 something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
19273 the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
19274 see the event's date.
19276 @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
19277 summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
19278 for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
19279 while @code{d} corresponds to an approximative remaining time until the
19280 next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
19282 For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
19283 @code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
19284 expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
19287 E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
19290 In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
19291 following line to your diary groups'parameters:
19294 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
19297 However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
19298 Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
19299 with the following user options:
19301 @defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
19302 Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
19303 Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
19304 diary groups'parameters.
19307 @defvar gnus-diary-time-format
19308 Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
19309 used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
19312 @defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
19313 Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
19314 times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
19315 format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
19316 you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
19319 @node Diary Articles Sorting
19320 @subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
19321 @cindex diary articles sorting
19322 @cindex diary summary lines sorting
19323 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
19324 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
19325 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
19327 @code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
19328 Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
19329 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
19330 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
19331 your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
19333 @code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
19334 @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
19335 buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
19336 default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
19339 @node Diary Headers Generation
19340 @subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
19341 @cindex diary headers generation
19342 @findex gnus-diary-check-message
19344 @code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
19345 @code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
19346 headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
19347 required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
19350 This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
19351 moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
19352 automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c C-f d} in
19353 @code{message-mode} and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the
19354 process of converting a usual mail to a diary one.
19356 This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
19357 all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
19358 you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
19361 @node Diary Group Parameters
19362 @subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
19363 @cindex diary group parameters
19365 When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
19366 automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
19367 summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
19368 diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
19369 @code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
19370 to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
19371 on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
19372 automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
19374 @node Sending or Not Sending
19375 @subsection Sending or Not Sending
19377 Well, assuming you've read all of the above, here are two final notes on
19378 mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
19382 @code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
19383 messsages for real. This means for instance that you can give
19384 appointments to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
19385 sending the diary message to them as well.
19387 However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
19388 can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
19389 message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
19390 comes in very handy for private appointments.
19393 @node Gnus Unplugged
19394 @section Gnus Unplugged
19399 @cindex Gnus unplugged
19401 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
19402 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
19403 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
19404 read news. Believe it or not.
19406 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
19407 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
19408 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
19409 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
19410 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
19412 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
19413 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
19414 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
19415 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
19416 reading news on a machine.
19418 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
19419 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
19420 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
19422 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
19425 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
19426 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
19427 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
19428 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
19429 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
19430 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
19431 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
19432 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
19433 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
19434 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
19435 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
19436 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
19437 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
19438 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
19443 @subsection Agent Basics
19445 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
19447 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
19448 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
19449 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
19450 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
19452 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
19453 connected to the net continuously.
19455 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
19456 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
19458 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
19459 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
19460 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
19461 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
19462 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
19464 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
19465 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
19466 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
19467 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
19468 they're kinda like plugged always).
19470 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
19471 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
19472 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
19475 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
19476 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
19477 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
19478 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
19479 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
19481 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
19486 @findex gnus-unplugged
19487 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
19488 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
19489 already fetched while in this mode.
19492 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
19493 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
19494 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
19495 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
19496 Source Specifiers}).
19499 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
19500 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
19501 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
19502 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
19503 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
19506 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
19507 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
19508 then you read the news offline.
19511 And then you go to step 2.
19514 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
19520 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
19521 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
19522 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
19523 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
19524 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
19525 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
19526 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
19527 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
19530 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
19531 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
19532 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
19533 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
19535 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
19536 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
19537 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
19538 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
19539 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
19540 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
19544 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
19548 @node Agent Categories
19549 @subsection Agent Categories
19551 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
19552 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
19553 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
19554 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
19555 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
19556 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
19557 you're interested in the articles anyway.
19559 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
19560 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
19561 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
19562 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
19563 buffer for creating and managing categories.
19565 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
19566 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
19567 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
19568 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
19569 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
19572 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
19573 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
19574 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
19575 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
19576 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
19577 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
19581 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
19582 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
19583 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
19587 @node Category Syntax
19588 @subsubsection Category Syntax
19590 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
19591 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
19592 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
19595 @cindex Agent Parameters
19598 The list of groups that are in this category.
19600 @item agent-predicate
19601 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
19602 are eligible for downloading; and
19605 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
19606 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
19607 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
19609 @item agent-enable-expiration
19610 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
19611 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
19612 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
19613 only groups that should not be expired.
19615 @item agent-days-until-old
19616 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
19617 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
19619 @item agent-low-score
19620 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
19622 @item agent-high-score
19623 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
19625 @item agent-short-article
19626 an integer that overrides the value of
19627 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
19629 @item agent-long-article
19630 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
19632 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
19633 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
19634 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
19635 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
19636 undownloaded faces.
19639 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
19642 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
19643 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
19644 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
19647 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
19648 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
19649 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
19650 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
19652 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
19653 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
19654 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
19656 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
19657 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
19658 operators sprinkled in between.
19660 Perhaps some examples are in order.
19662 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
19663 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
19669 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
19670 short (for some value of ``short'').
19672 Here's a more complex predicate:
19681 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
19682 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
19685 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
19686 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
19687 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
19689 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
19690 you want to do, you can write your own.
19692 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
19693 bound to the value determined by calling
19694 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
19695 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
19696 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
19697 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
19698 predicate to individual groups.
19702 True if the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
19703 lines; default 100.
19706 True if the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
19707 lines; default 200.
19710 True if the article has a download score less than
19711 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
19714 True if the article has a download score greater than
19715 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
19718 True if the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
19719 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
19720 checksum and sees whether articles match.
19729 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
19730 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
19731 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
19734 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
19735 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
19736 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
19737 something along the lines of the following:
19740 (defun my-article-old-p ()
19741 "Say whether an article is old."
19742 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
19743 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
19746 with the predicate then defined as:
19749 (not my-article-old-p)
19752 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
19753 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
19757 (require 'gnus-agent)
19758 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
19759 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
19760 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
19763 and simply specify your predicate as:
19769 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
19770 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
19771 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
19772 just don't give a damn.
19774 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
19775 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
19776 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
19777 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
19778 parameters like so:
19781 (agent-predicate . short)
19784 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
19785 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
19786 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
19788 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
19791 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
19794 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
19795 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
19796 predicate is assumed to be a list.
19799 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
19800 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
19801 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
19802 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
19803 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
19804 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
19806 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
19807 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
19808 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
19809 if it's to be specific to that group.
19811 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
19818 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
19819 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
19825 Category specification
19829 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
19835 Group/Topic Parameter specification
19838 (agent-score ("from"
19839 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
19844 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
19850 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
19851 keywords stated above.
19857 Category specification
19860 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
19866 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
19870 Group Parameter specification
19873 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
19876 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
19881 Use @code{normal} score files
19883 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
19884 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
19885 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
19886 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
19888 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
19889 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
19890 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
19891 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
19895 Category Specification
19902 Group Parameter specification
19905 (agent-score . file)
19910 @node Category Buffer
19911 @subsubsection Category Buffer
19913 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
19914 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
19915 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
19917 The following commands are available in this buffer:
19921 @kindex q (Category)
19922 @findex gnus-category-exit
19923 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
19926 @kindex e (Category)
19927 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
19928 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
19929 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
19932 @kindex k (Category)
19933 @findex gnus-category-kill
19934 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
19937 @kindex c (Category)
19938 @findex gnus-category-copy
19939 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
19942 @kindex a (Category)
19943 @findex gnus-category-add
19944 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
19947 @kindex p (Category)
19948 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
19949 Edit the predicate of the current category
19950 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
19953 @kindex g (Category)
19954 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
19955 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
19956 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
19959 @kindex s (Category)
19960 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
19961 Edit the download score rule of the current category
19962 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
19965 @kindex l (Category)
19966 @findex gnus-category-list
19967 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
19971 @node Category Variables
19972 @subsubsection Category Variables
19975 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
19976 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
19977 Hook run in category buffers.
19979 @item gnus-category-line-format
19980 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
19981 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
19982 Variables}). Valid elements are:
19986 The name of the category.
19989 The number of groups in the category.
19992 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
19993 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
19994 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
19996 @item gnus-agent-short-article
19997 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
19998 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
20000 @item gnus-agent-long-article
20001 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
20002 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
20004 @item gnus-agent-low-score
20005 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
20006 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
20009 @item gnus-agent-high-score
20010 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
20011 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
20014 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
20015 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
20016 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
20017 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
20018 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
20019 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
20020 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
20021 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
20025 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
20026 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
20027 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
20028 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
20029 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
20030 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
20031 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
20036 @node Agent Commands
20037 @subsection Agent Commands
20038 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
20039 @kindex J j (Agent)
20041 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
20042 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
20043 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
20047 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
20048 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
20049 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
20055 @node Group Agent Commands
20056 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
20060 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
20061 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
20062 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
20063 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
20066 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
20067 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
20068 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
20071 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
20072 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
20073 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
20074 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
20077 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
20078 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
20079 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
20080 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
20083 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
20084 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
20085 Add the current group to an Agent category
20086 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
20087 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
20090 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
20091 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
20092 Remove the current group from its category, if any
20093 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
20094 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
20097 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
20098 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20099 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
20105 @node Summary Agent Commands
20106 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
20110 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
20111 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
20112 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
20115 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
20116 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
20117 Remove the downloading mark from the article
20118 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
20122 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
20123 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
20124 Toggle whether to download the article
20125 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
20129 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
20130 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
20131 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
20134 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
20135 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
20136 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
20137 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
20140 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
20141 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
20142 Download all processable articles in this group.
20143 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
20146 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
20147 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
20148 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
20149 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
20154 @node Server Agent Commands
20155 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
20159 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
20160 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
20161 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
20162 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
20165 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
20166 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
20167 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
20168 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
20173 @node Agent Visuals
20174 @subsection Agent Visuals
20176 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
20177 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
20178 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
20179 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
20180 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
20181 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
20182 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
20183 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
20184 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
20185 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
20187 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
20188 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
20189 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
20190 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
20191 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
20192 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
20193 the download status of each article so that you always know which
20194 articles will be available when unplugged.
20196 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
20197 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
20198 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
20199 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
20200 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
20201 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
20202 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
20203 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
20205 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
20206 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
20207 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
20208 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
20209 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
20210 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
20211 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
20212 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
20213 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
20215 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
20216 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
20217 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
20218 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
20219 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
20220 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
20221 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
20222 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
20223 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
20224 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
20226 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
20227 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
20228 group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
20229 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
20230 a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
20231 (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
20233 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
20234 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
20235 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
20236 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
20237 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
20238 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
20239 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
20240 expiring'' articles.
20242 @node Agent as Cache
20243 @subsection Agent as Cache
20245 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
20246 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
20247 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
20248 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
20249 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
20250 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
20251 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
20252 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
20253 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
20255 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
20256 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
20257 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
20258 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
20259 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
20262 @subsection Agent Expiry
20264 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
20265 @findex gnus-agent-expire
20266 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
20267 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
20268 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
20269 @cindex agent expiry
20270 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
20271 @cindex expiry, in Gnus agent
20273 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
20274 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
20275 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
20276 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
20277 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
20278 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
20279 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
20280 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
20282 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
20283 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
20284 synchronized with the group.
20286 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
20287 prevent expiration in selected groups.
20289 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
20290 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
20291 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
20292 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
20293 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
20294 be kept indefinitely.
20296 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
20297 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
20298 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
20299 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
20301 @node Agent Regeneration
20302 @subsection Agent Regeneration
20304 @cindex agent regeneration
20305 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
20306 @cindex regeneration
20308 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
20309 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
20310 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
20311 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
20312 internal inconsistencies.
20314 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
20315 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
20316 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
20317 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
20318 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
20319 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
20321 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
20322 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
20323 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
20324 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
20325 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
20326 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
20328 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
20329 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
20330 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
20331 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
20332 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
20333 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
20336 @node Agent and flags
20337 @subsection Agent and flags
20339 The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
20340 nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc) on the server. Sadly,
20341 the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
20342 the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
20343 Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
20344 to the flags in its own files.
20346 When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
20347 changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
20348 server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
20350 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20351 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
20352 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
20353 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
20354 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
20355 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
20357 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
20358 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
20359 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
20360 in the group buffer.
20362 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
20363 all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
20364 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
20365 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
20366 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
20367 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
20368 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
20369 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
20371 @node Agent and IMAP
20372 @subsection Agent and IMAP
20374 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
20375 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
20376 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
20377 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
20379 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
20380 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
20385 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
20388 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
20392 @node Outgoing Messages
20393 @subsection Outgoing Messages
20395 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
20396 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
20397 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
20399 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
20400 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
20401 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
20403 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
20404 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
20405 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
20406 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
20409 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
20410 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
20411 ask you to confirm your action (see
20412 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
20414 @node Agent Variables
20415 @subsection Agent Variables
20420 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
20421 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
20422 automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
20423 back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
20425 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
20426 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
20429 @item gnus-agent-directory
20430 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
20431 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
20432 @file{~/News/agent/}.
20434 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
20435 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
20436 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
20437 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
20438 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
20441 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
20442 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
20443 Hook run when connecting to the network.
20445 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
20446 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
20447 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
20449 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
20450 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
20451 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
20453 @item gnus-agent-cache
20454 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
20455 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
20456 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
20457 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
20459 @item gnus-agent-go-online
20460 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
20461 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
20462 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
20463 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
20464 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
20465 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
20468 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
20469 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
20470 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
20471 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
20472 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
20473 read. The default is @code{t}.
20475 @item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20476 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20477 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
20478 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
20479 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
20480 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
20481 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
20483 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
20484 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
20485 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
20486 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
20487 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
20488 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
20489 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
20490 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
20491 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
20492 over and over again.
20494 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
20495 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
20496 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
20497 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
20498 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
20499 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
20500 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
20501 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
20502 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
20503 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
20504 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
20505 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
20508 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
20509 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
20510 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
20511 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
20512 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
20513 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
20514 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
20515 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
20516 is only valid if the Agent is used.
20518 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
20519 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
20520 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
20521 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
20522 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
20523 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
20525 The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
20526 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
20527 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
20528 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
20529 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
20531 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
20532 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
20533 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
20534 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
20535 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
20536 mail. The default is @code{t}.
20538 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
20539 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
20540 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
20541 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
20542 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
20544 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
20545 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
20546 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
20547 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
20548 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
20549 which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
20550 to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
20551 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
20552 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
20553 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
20554 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
20559 @node Example Setup
20560 @subsection Example Setup
20562 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
20563 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
20564 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
20567 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
20568 ;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
20569 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
20571 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
20572 ;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
20573 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
20575 ;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
20576 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
20578 ;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
20579 ;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
20580 ;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
20583 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
20584 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
20587 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
20588 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
20589 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
20590 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
20591 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
20594 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
20595 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
20596 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
20597 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
20598 back all the killed groups.)
20600 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
20601 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
20602 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
20605 @node Batching Agents
20606 @subsection Batching Agents
20607 @findex gnus-agent-batch
20609 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
20610 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
20611 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
20613 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
20614 following incantation:
20618 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
20622 @node Agent Caveats
20623 @subsection Agent Caveats
20625 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
20626 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
20630 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
20632 @strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
20633 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
20634 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
20636 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
20637 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
20639 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
20643 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
20644 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
20645 locally stored articles.
20652 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
20653 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
20654 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
20657 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
20658 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
20659 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
20660 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
20661 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
20663 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
20664 before generating the summary buffer.
20666 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
20667 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
20668 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
20670 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
20671 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
20672 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
20673 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
20676 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
20677 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
20678 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
20679 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
20680 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
20681 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
20682 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
20683 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
20684 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
20685 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
20686 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
20687 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
20688 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
20689 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
20690 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
20691 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
20695 @node Summary Score Commands
20696 @section Summary Score Commands
20697 @cindex score commands
20699 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
20700 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
20701 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
20702 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
20703 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
20705 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
20706 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
20707 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
20708 score file the current one.
20710 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
20715 @kindex V s (Summary)
20716 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
20717 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
20720 @kindex V S (Summary)
20721 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
20722 Display the score of the current article
20723 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
20726 @kindex V t (Summary)
20727 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
20728 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
20729 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
20730 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
20731 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
20732 score file and edit it.
20735 @kindex V w (Summary)
20736 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
20737 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
20740 @kindex V R (Summary)
20741 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
20742 Run the current summary through the scoring process
20743 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
20744 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
20745 effect you're having.
20748 @kindex V c (Summary)
20749 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
20750 Make a different score file the current
20751 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
20754 @kindex V e (Summary)
20755 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
20756 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
20757 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
20761 @kindex V f (Summary)
20762 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
20763 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
20764 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
20767 @kindex V F (Summary)
20768 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
20769 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
20770 after editing score files.
20773 @kindex V C (Summary)
20774 @findex gnus-score-customize
20775 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
20776 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
20780 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
20785 @kindex V m (Summary)
20786 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
20787 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
20788 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
20791 @kindex V x (Summary)
20792 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
20793 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
20794 expunge all articles below this score
20795 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
20798 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
20799 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
20802 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
20803 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
20807 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
20808 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
20810 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
20811 keys are available:
20815 Score on the author name.
20818 Score on the subject line.
20821 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
20824 Score on the @code{References} line.
20830 Score on the number of lines.
20833 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
20836 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
20837 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
20840 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
20841 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
20842 @file{ADAPT} files.)
20851 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
20857 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
20858 what headers you are scoring on.
20870 Substring matching.
20873 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
20902 Greater than number.
20907 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
20908 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
20909 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
20914 Temporary score entry.
20917 Permanent score entry.
20920 Immediately scoring.
20924 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
20925 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
20926 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
20930 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
20931 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
20932 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
20933 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
20935 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
20936 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
20937 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
20938 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
20939 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
20941 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
20942 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
20943 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
20944 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
20945 current score file.
20947 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
20948 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
20949 pretend they are keymaps or not.
20952 @node Group Score Commands
20953 @section Group Score Commands
20954 @cindex group score commands
20956 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
20961 @kindex W e (Group)
20962 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
20963 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
20964 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
20967 @kindex W f (Group)
20968 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
20969 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
20970 all the time. This command will flush the cache
20971 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
20975 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
20977 @findex gnus-batch-score
20978 @cindex batch scoring
20980 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
20984 @node Score Variables
20985 @section Score Variables
20986 @cindex score variables
20990 @item gnus-use-scoring
20991 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
20992 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
20993 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
20995 @item gnus-kill-killed
20996 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
20997 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
20998 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
20999 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
21000 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
21001 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
21002 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
21004 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
21005 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
21006 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
21007 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
21008 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
21010 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
21011 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
21012 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
21013 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
21015 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
21016 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
21017 @cindex score cache
21018 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
21019 score files. However, this might make your Emacs grow big and
21020 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
21021 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
21022 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
21023 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
21024 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
21027 @item gnus-save-score
21028 @vindex gnus-save-score
21029 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
21030 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
21031 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
21033 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
21034 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
21035 across group visits.
21037 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
21038 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
21039 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
21040 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
21041 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
21042 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
21043 manually entered data.
21045 @item gnus-summary-default-score
21046 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
21047 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
21049 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
21050 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
21051 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
21052 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
21053 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
21054 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
21056 @item gnus-score-over-mark
21057 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
21058 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
21059 default. Default is @samp{+}.
21061 @item gnus-score-below-mark
21062 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
21063 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
21064 default. Default is @samp{-}.
21066 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
21067 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
21068 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
21069 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
21071 Predefined functions available are:
21074 @item gnus-score-find-single
21075 @findex gnus-score-find-single
21076 Only apply the group's own score file.
21078 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
21079 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
21080 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
21081 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
21082 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
21083 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
21084 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
21085 then a regexp match is done.
21087 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
21088 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
21090 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
21091 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
21092 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
21093 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
21095 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
21096 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
21097 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
21098 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
21099 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
21103 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
21104 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
21105 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
21106 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
21107 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
21108 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
21109 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
21112 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
21113 overall score file, you could use the value
21115 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
21116 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
21119 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
21120 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
21121 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
21122 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
21123 are expired. It's 7 by default.
21125 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
21126 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
21127 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
21128 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
21129 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
21130 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
21131 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
21132 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
21134 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
21135 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
21136 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
21138 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
21139 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
21140 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
21141 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
21142 threading---according to the current value of
21143 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
21144 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
21145 simplified in this manner.
21150 @node Score File Format
21151 @section Score File Format
21152 @cindex score file format
21154 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
21155 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
21156 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
21158 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
21162 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
21164 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
21166 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
21168 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
21173 (mark-and-expunge -10)
21177 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
21178 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
21179 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
21180 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
21184 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
21185 Scoring}, for a different approach.
21187 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
21188 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
21189 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
21191 Six keys are supported by this alist:
21196 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
21197 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
21198 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
21199 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
21200 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
21201 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
21202 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
21203 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
21204 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
21205 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
21206 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
21207 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
21208 to articles that matches these score entries.
21210 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
21211 score entry has one to four elements.
21215 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
21216 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
21220 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
21221 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
21222 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
21223 is successful. If this element is not present, the
21224 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
21225 instead. This is 1000 by default.
21228 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
21229 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
21230 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
21231 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
21232 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
21235 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
21236 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
21237 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
21238 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
21241 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
21242 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
21243 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
21244 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
21245 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
21246 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
21247 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
21248 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
21249 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
21250 instead, if you feel like.
21253 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
21254 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
21255 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
21256 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
21257 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
21258 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
21262 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
21263 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
21267 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
21268 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
21270 These predicates are true if
21273 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
21276 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
21277 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
21284 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
21285 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
21286 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
21287 it's not. I think.)
21289 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
21290 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
21291 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
21292 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
21295 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
21296 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
21297 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
21298 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
21299 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
21300 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
21301 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
21305 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
21306 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
21307 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
21308 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
21309 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
21310 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
21311 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
21312 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
21315 @item Head, Body, All
21316 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
21320 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
21321 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
21322 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
21323 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
21324 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
21325 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
21326 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
21330 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
21331 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
21332 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
21333 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
21334 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
21335 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
21336 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
21337 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
21338 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
21339 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
21340 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
21344 @cindex score file atoms
21346 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
21347 lower than this number will be marked as read.
21350 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
21351 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
21353 @item mark-and-expunge
21354 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
21355 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
21358 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
21359 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
21360 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
21361 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
21362 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
21365 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
21366 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
21369 @item exclude-files
21370 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
21371 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
21375 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}ed. This element will be
21376 ignored when handling global score files.
21379 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
21380 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
21381 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
21382 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
21385 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
21386 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
21387 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
21388 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
21390 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
21394 (mark-and-expunge -100)
21397 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
21398 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
21399 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{c y}) the
21400 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
21401 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
21403 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
21404 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
21405 scoring rules exist.
21408 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
21409 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
21410 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
21411 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
21412 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
21413 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
21414 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
21415 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
21416 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
21417 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
21418 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
21422 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
21423 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
21424 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
21425 file for a number of groups.
21428 @cindex local variables
21429 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
21430 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
21431 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
21432 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
21433 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
21438 @node Score File Editing
21439 @section Score File Editing
21441 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
21442 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
21443 with a mode for that.
21445 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
21446 additional commands:
21451 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
21452 @findex gnus-score-edit-exit
21453 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
21454 (@code{gnus-score-edit-exit}).
21457 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
21458 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
21459 Insert the current date in numerical format
21460 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
21461 you were wondering.
21464 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
21465 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
21466 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
21467 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
21468 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
21473 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
21475 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
21476 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
21478 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
21479 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
21482 @node Adaptive Scoring
21483 @section Adaptive Scoring
21484 @cindex adaptive scoring
21486 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
21487 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
21488 stupidity, to be precise.
21490 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
21491 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
21492 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
21493 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
21494 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
21495 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
21496 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
21497 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
21498 variable to @code{(word line)}.
21500 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
21501 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
21502 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
21503 might look something like this:
21506 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
21507 '((gnus-unread-mark)
21508 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
21509 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
21510 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
21511 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
21512 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
21513 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
21514 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
21515 (gnus-ancient-mark)
21516 (gnus-low-score-mark)
21517 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
21520 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
21521 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
21522 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
21523 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
21524 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
21525 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
21528 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
21529 will be applied to each article.
21531 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
21532 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
21533 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
21534 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
21536 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
21537 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
21538 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
21539 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
21541 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
21542 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
21543 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
21544 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
21546 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
21547 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
21548 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
21549 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
21550 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
21551 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
21553 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
21554 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
21555 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
21557 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
21558 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
21559 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
21561 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
21562 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
21563 let you use different rules in different groups.
21565 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
21566 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
21567 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
21570 @vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
21571 Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
21572 human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
21573 default) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
21575 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
21576 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
21577 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
21578 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
21579 the length of the match is less than
21580 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
21581 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
21584 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
21585 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
21586 headers. If you adapt on words, the
21587 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
21588 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
21591 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
21592 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
21593 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
21594 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
21595 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
21598 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
21599 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
21600 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
21601 score with 30 points.
21603 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
21604 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
21605 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
21606 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
21607 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
21609 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
21610 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
21611 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
21612 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
21613 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
21615 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
21616 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
21617 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
21618 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
21620 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
21621 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
21622 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
21623 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
21625 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
21626 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
21627 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
21628 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
21629 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
21631 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
21632 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
21633 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
21635 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
21636 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
21637 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
21638 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
21641 @node Home Score File
21642 @section Home Score File
21644 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
21645 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
21646 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
21647 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
21649 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
21650 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
21651 could perhaps use the same home score file.
21653 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
21654 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
21659 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
21663 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
21664 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
21668 A list. The elements in this list can be:
21672 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
21673 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
21676 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
21677 be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
21678 name of the group as the parameter.
21681 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
21684 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
21689 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
21692 (setq gnus-home-score-file
21693 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
21696 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
21697 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
21699 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
21701 (setq gnus-home-score-file
21702 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
21705 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
21706 Other functions include
21709 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
21710 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
21711 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
21712 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
21716 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
21717 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
21718 their own home score files:
21721 (setq gnus-home-score-file
21722 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
21723 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
21724 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
21725 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
21728 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
21729 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
21730 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
21731 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
21732 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
21734 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
21735 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
21736 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
21737 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
21738 precedence over this variable.
21741 @node Followups To Yourself
21742 @section Followups To Yourself
21744 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
21745 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
21746 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
21747 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
21748 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
21749 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
21753 @item gnus-score-followup-article
21754 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
21755 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
21758 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
21759 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
21760 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
21764 @vindex message-sent-hook
21765 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
21766 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
21768 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
21772 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
21773 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
21777 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
21778 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
21781 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
21782 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
21787 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
21791 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
21792 is system-dependent.
21795 @node Scoring On Other Headers
21796 @section Scoring On Other Headers
21797 @cindex scoring on other headers
21799 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
21800 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
21801 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
21802 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
21803 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
21805 @vindex gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring
21806 You can inhibit this slow scoring on headers or body by setting the
21807 variable @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring}. If
21808 @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring} is regexp, slow scoring is inhibited if
21809 the group matches the regexp. If it is t, slow scoring on it is
21810 inhibited for all groups.
21812 Now, there's not much you can do about the slowness for news groups, but for
21813 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
21814 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
21815 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
21816 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
21818 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
21821 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
21822 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
21825 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
21826 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
21827 time if you have much mail.
21829 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
21830 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
21836 @section Scoring Tips
21837 @cindex scoring tips
21843 @cindex scoring crossposts
21844 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
21845 the @code{Xref} header.
21847 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
21850 @item Multiple crossposts
21851 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
21852 more than, say, 3 groups:
21855 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
21859 @item Matching on the body
21860 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
21861 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
21862 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
21863 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
21864 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
21865 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
21866 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
21869 @item Marking as read
21870 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
21871 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
21872 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
21876 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
21878 @item Negated character classes
21879 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
21880 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
21881 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
21885 @node Reverse Scoring
21886 @section Reverse Scoring
21887 @cindex reverse scoring
21889 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
21890 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
21891 like this in your score file:
21895 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
21900 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
21901 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
21904 @node Global Score Files
21905 @section Global Score Files
21906 @cindex global score files
21908 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
21909 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
21910 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
21912 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
21913 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
21914 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
21916 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
21917 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
21918 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
21919 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
21920 files are applicable to which group.
21922 To use the score file
21923 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
21924 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
21928 (setq gnus-global-score-files
21929 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
21930 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
21933 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
21935 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
21936 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
21937 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
21938 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
21940 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
21941 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
21943 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
21944 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
21945 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
21946 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
21947 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
21948 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
21950 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
21956 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
21958 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
21960 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
21962 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
21963 lowered out of existence.
21965 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
21966 articles completely.
21969 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
21970 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
21971 old articles for a long time.
21974 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
21975 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
21976 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
21977 holding our breath yet?
21981 @section Kill Files
21984 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
21985 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
21986 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
21988 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
21989 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
21990 files into score files.
21992 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
21993 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
21994 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
21995 that isn't a very good idea.
21997 Normal kill files look like this:
22000 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22001 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
22005 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
22006 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
22008 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
22009 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
22012 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
22017 @kindex M-k (Summary)
22018 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
22019 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
22022 @kindex M-K (Summary)
22023 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
22024 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
22027 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
22032 @kindex M-k (Group)
22033 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
22034 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
22037 @kindex M-K (Group)
22038 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
22039 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
22042 Kill file variables:
22045 @item gnus-kill-file-name
22046 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
22047 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
22048 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
22049 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
22050 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
22051 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
22053 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
22054 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
22055 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
22056 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
22059 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
22060 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
22061 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
22062 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
22063 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
22064 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
22065 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
22066 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
22067 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
22069 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
22070 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
22071 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
22076 @node Converting Kill Files
22077 @section Converting Kill Files
22079 @cindex converting kill files
22081 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
22082 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
22083 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
22086 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Emacs by default.
22087 You can fetch it from the contrib directory of the Gnus distribution or
22089 @uref{http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
22091 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
22092 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
22093 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
22097 @node Advanced Scoring
22098 @section Advanced Scoring
22100 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
22101 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
22102 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
22103 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
22104 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
22106 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
22110 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
22111 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
22112 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
22116 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
22117 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
22119 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
22120 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
22121 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
22122 non-@code{nil} value.
22124 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
22125 operator, and various match operators.
22132 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
22133 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
22134 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
22139 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
22140 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
22141 then this operator will return @code{false}.
22146 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
22147 logical negation of the value of its argument.
22151 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
22152 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
22153 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
22154 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
22155 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
22156 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
22157 the ancestry you want to go.
22159 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
22160 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
22161 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
22162 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
22163 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
22166 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
22167 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
22169 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
22170 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
22173 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
22174 when he's talking about Gnus:
22179 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22180 ("subject" "Gnus"))
22187 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
22191 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22198 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
22199 really don't want to read what he's written:
22203 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22204 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigil Logge")))
22208 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
22209 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
22210 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
22217 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
22218 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
22219 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
22220 ("body" "white.*socks"))
22224 Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
22225 in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
22226 subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
22227 parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
22230 ((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
22232 ((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
22236 The possibilities are endless.
22238 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
22239 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
22241 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
22242 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
22243 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
22244 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
22245 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
22246 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
22247 @samp{subject}) first.
22249 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
22250 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
22261 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
22262 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
22268 ("subject" "Gnus")))
22275 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
22276 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
22281 @section Score Decays
22282 @cindex score decays
22285 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
22286 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
22287 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
22288 use them in any sensible way.
22290 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
22291 @findex gnus-decay-score
22292 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
22293 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
22294 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
22295 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
22296 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
22297 If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
22298 regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
22299 @emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
22300 performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
22301 @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
22305 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
22306 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
22307 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
22309 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
22311 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
22313 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
22314 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
22315 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
22316 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
22317 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
22319 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
22323 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
22324 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
22325 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
22326 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
22330 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
22333 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
22336 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
22340 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
22341 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
22342 the new score, which should be an integer.
22344 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
22345 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
22350 @include message.texi
22351 @chapter Emacs MIME
22352 @include emacs-mime.texi
22354 @include sieve.texi
22366 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
22367 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
22368 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
22369 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
22370 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
22371 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
22372 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
22373 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
22374 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
22375 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
22376 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
22377 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
22378 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
22379 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
22380 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
22381 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
22382 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
22383 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
22384 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
22385 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
22386 * The Gnus Registry:: A package for tracking messages by Message-ID.
22387 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
22388 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
22392 @node Process/Prefix
22393 @section Process/Prefix
22394 @cindex process/prefix convention
22396 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
22397 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
22399 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
22400 command to be performed on.
22404 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
22405 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
22406 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
22407 with the current one.
22409 @vindex transient-mark-mode
22410 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
22411 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
22413 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
22414 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
22417 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
22418 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
22420 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
22423 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
22424 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
22425 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
22426 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
22428 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
22429 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
22430 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
22431 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
22432 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
22433 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
22434 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
22435 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
22437 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
22438 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
22439 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
22440 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
22441 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
22445 @section Interactive
22446 @cindex interaction
22450 @item gnus-novice-user
22451 @vindex gnus-novice-user
22452 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
22453 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
22454 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
22455 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
22458 @item gnus-expert-user
22459 @vindex gnus-expert-user
22460 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
22461 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing,
22462 no matter how strange. For example, quitting Gnus, exiting a group
22463 without an update, catching up with a group, deleting expired
22464 articles, and replying by mail to a news message will not require
22467 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
22468 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
22469 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
22470 is @code{t} by default.
22472 @item gnus-interactive-exit
22473 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
22474 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22479 @node Symbolic Prefixes
22480 @section Symbolic Prefixes
22481 @cindex symbolic prefixes
22483 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
22484 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
22485 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
22486 rule of 900 to the current article.
22488 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
22489 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
22490 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
22491 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
22492 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
22493 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
22494 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
22496 @kindex M-i (Summary)
22497 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
22498 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
22499 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
22500 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
22501 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
22502 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
22503 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
22504 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
22506 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
22507 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
22508 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
22510 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
22514 @node Formatting Variables
22515 @section Formatting Variables
22516 @cindex formatting variables
22518 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
22519 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
22520 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
22521 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
22522 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
22525 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
22526 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
22527 lots of percentages everywhere.
22530 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
22531 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
22532 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
22533 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
22534 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
22535 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
22536 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
22537 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
22540 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
22541 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
22542 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
22543 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
22544 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
22545 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
22546 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
22547 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
22549 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
22550 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
22552 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
22553 @findex gnus-update-format
22554 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
22555 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
22556 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
22557 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
22561 @node Formatting Basics
22562 @subsection Formatting Basics
22564 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
22565 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
22566 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
22568 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
22569 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
22570 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
22571 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
22572 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
22575 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
22576 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
22577 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
22578 less than 4 characters wide.
22580 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
22581 @samp{%&user-date;}.
22584 @node Mode Line Formatting
22585 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
22587 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
22588 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
22589 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
22590 with the following two differences:
22595 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
22598 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
22599 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
22600 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
22601 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
22602 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
22603 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
22604 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
22609 @node Advanced Formatting
22610 @subsection Advanced Formatting
22612 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
22613 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
22614 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
22615 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
22617 These are the valid modifiers:
22622 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
22626 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
22631 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
22634 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
22639 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
22642 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
22645 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
22648 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
22654 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
22659 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
22660 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
22661 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
22662 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
22663 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
22664 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
22665 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
22667 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
22668 last operation, padding.
22670 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
22671 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
22672 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
22673 @xref{Compilation}.
22676 @node User-Defined Specs
22677 @subsection User-Defined Specs
22679 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
22680 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
22681 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
22682 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
22683 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
22684 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
22685 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
22686 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
22687 should protect against that.
22689 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
22690 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
22692 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
22693 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
22694 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
22695 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
22699 @node Formatting Fonts
22700 @subsection Formatting Fonts
22703 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
22704 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
22705 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
22706 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
22707 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
22711 @vindex gnus-face-0
22712 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
22713 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
22714 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
22715 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
22716 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
22717 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
22719 @cindex %<<, %>>, guillemets
22720 @c @cindex %<<, %>>, %«, %», guillemets
22721 @vindex gnus-balloon-face-0
22722 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
22723 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
22724 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
22725 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
22726 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
22727 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
22728 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
22729 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
22730 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
22731 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
22732 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
22735 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
22738 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
22739 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
22740 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
22742 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
22743 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
22744 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
22745 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
22746 ;; @r{Set the color.}
22747 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
22748 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
22750 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
22751 (setq gnus-group-line-format
22752 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
22755 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
22756 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
22758 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
22759 mode-line variables.
22761 @node Positioning Point
22762 @subsection Positioning Point
22764 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
22765 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
22766 line. You can customize this behavior in three different ways.
22768 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
22770 @findex gnus-goto-colon
22771 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
22772 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
22774 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
22775 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
22776 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
22781 @subsection Tabulation
22783 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
22784 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
22785 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
22786 about lining up the following text afterwards.
22788 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
22789 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
22791 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
22792 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
22793 This is the soft tabulator.
22795 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
22796 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
22797 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
22800 @node Wide Characters
22801 @subsection Wide Characters
22803 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
22804 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
22805 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
22807 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
22808 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
22809 these countries, that's not true.
22811 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
22812 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
22813 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
22814 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
22818 @node Window Layout
22819 @section Window Layout
22820 @cindex window layout
22822 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
22824 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
22825 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
22826 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
22827 @code{t} by default.
22829 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
22830 glitches. Use at your own peril.
22832 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
22833 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
22834 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
22837 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
22838 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
22839 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
22843 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
22844 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
22845 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
22846 possible names is listed below.
22848 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
22849 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
22852 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
22856 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
22857 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
22858 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
22859 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
22860 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
22861 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
22862 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
22863 size spec per split.
22865 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
22866 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
22867 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
22868 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
22869 present) gets focus.
22871 Here's a more complicated example:
22874 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
22875 (summary 0.25 point)
22876 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
22880 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
22881 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
22882 occupy, not a percentage.
22884 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
22885 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
22886 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
22887 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
22888 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
22891 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
22894 (article (horizontal 1.0
22899 (summary 0.25 point)
22904 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
22905 @code{horizontal} thingie?
22907 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
22908 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
22909 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
22910 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
22911 the screen is to be given to this strip.
22913 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
22914 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
22915 lines from the splits.
22917 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
22922 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
22923 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
22924 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
22925 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
22926 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
22927 size = number | frame-params
22928 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
22932 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
22933 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
22934 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
22935 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
22937 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
22938 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
22939 @cindex window height
22940 @cindex window width
22941 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
22942 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
22943 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
22944 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
22945 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
22946 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
22948 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
22949 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
22950 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
22951 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
22953 @findex gnus-configure-frame
22954 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
22955 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
22956 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
22957 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
22958 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
22959 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
22960 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
22961 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
22962 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
22963 configuration list.
22966 (gnus-configure-frame
22970 (article 0.3 point))
22978 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
22979 @code{frame} split:
22982 (gnus-configure-frame
22985 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
22987 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
22988 (user-position . t)
22989 (left . -1) (top . 1))
22994 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
22995 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
22996 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
22997 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
22998 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
22999 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
23000 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
23001 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
23003 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
23004 be found in its default value.
23006 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
23007 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
23008 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
23012 (message (horizontal 1.0
23013 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
23015 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
23020 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
23021 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
23022 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
23027 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
23028 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
23029 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
23030 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
23031 (name . "Message"))
23032 (message 1.0 point))))
23035 @findex gnus-add-configuration
23036 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
23037 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
23038 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
23039 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
23042 (gnus-add-configuration
23043 '(article (vertical 1.0
23045 (summary .25 point)
23049 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
23050 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
23051 Gnus has been loaded.
23053 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
23054 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
23055 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
23056 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
23057 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
23059 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
23060 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
23061 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
23064 @subsection Example Window Configurations
23068 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
23069 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
23084 (gnus-add-configuration
23087 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
23089 (summary 0.16 point)
23092 (gnus-add-configuration
23095 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
23096 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
23102 @node Faces and Fonts
23103 @section Faces and Fonts
23108 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
23109 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
23110 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
23115 @section Compilation
23116 @cindex compilation
23117 @cindex byte-compilation
23119 @findex gnus-compile
23121 Remember all those line format specification variables?
23122 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
23123 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
23124 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
23125 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
23126 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
23129 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
23130 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
23131 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
23132 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
23133 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
23134 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
23135 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
23139 @section Mode Lines
23142 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
23143 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
23144 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
23145 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
23146 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
23147 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
23148 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
23151 @cindex display-time
23153 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
23154 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
23155 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
23156 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
23157 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
23158 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
23159 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
23160 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
23163 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
23165 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
23166 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
23168 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
23169 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
23170 (length display-time-string)))))
23173 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
23174 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
23175 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
23176 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
23177 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
23180 @node Highlighting and Menus
23181 @section Highlighting and Menus
23183 @cindex highlighting
23186 @vindex gnus-visual
23187 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
23188 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
23189 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
23192 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
23193 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
23196 @item group-highlight
23197 Do highlights in the group buffer.
23198 @item summary-highlight
23199 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
23200 @item article-highlight
23201 Do highlights in the article buffer.
23203 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
23205 Create menus in the group buffer.
23207 Create menus in the summary buffers.
23209 Create menus in the article buffer.
23211 Create menus in the browse buffer.
23213 Create menus in the server buffer.
23215 Create menus in the score buffers.
23217 Create menus in all buffers.
23220 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
23221 buffers, you could say something like:
23224 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
23227 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
23230 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
23233 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
23234 in all Gnus buffers.
23236 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
23239 @item gnus-mouse-face
23240 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
23241 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
23242 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
23246 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
23250 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
23251 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
23252 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
23254 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
23255 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
23256 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
23258 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
23259 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
23260 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
23262 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
23263 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
23264 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
23266 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
23267 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
23268 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
23270 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
23271 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
23272 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
23283 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
23284 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
23285 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
23286 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
23287 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
23291 @vindex gnus-carpal
23292 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
23293 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
23294 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
23299 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
23300 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
23301 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
23303 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
23304 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
23305 Face used on buttons.
23307 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
23308 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
23309 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
23311 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
23312 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
23313 Buttons in the group buffer.
23315 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
23316 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
23317 Buttons in the summary buffer.
23319 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
23320 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
23321 Buttons in the server buffer.
23323 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
23324 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
23325 Buttons in the browse buffer.
23328 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
23329 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
23330 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
23338 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
23339 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
23340 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
23341 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
23342 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
23344 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
23345 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
23346 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
23348 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
23349 been idle for thirty minutes:
23352 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
23355 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
23359 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
23362 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
23363 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
23364 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
23366 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
23367 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
23368 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
23369 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
23371 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
23372 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
23373 @var{idle} minutes.
23375 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
23376 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
23379 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
23380 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
23381 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
23383 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
23384 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
23385 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
23386 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
23388 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
23389 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23391 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
23393 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
23396 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
23397 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
23398 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
23399 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
23400 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
23401 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
23402 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
23403 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
23404 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
23405 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
23406 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
23408 @findex gnus-demon-init
23409 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
23410 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
23411 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
23412 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
23413 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
23415 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
23416 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
23417 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
23426 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
23427 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
23429 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
23430 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
23431 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
23432 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
23435 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
23436 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
23437 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
23438 messages, which are distributed in the newsgroups
23439 @samp{news.lists.filters}, @samp{alt.nocem.misc}, etc.
23441 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
23442 this will make spam disappear.
23444 There are some variables to customize, of course:
23447 @item gnus-use-nocem
23448 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
23449 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
23452 You can also set this variable to a positive number as a group level.
23453 In that case, Gnus scans NoCeM messages when checking new news if this
23454 value is not exceeding a group level that you specify as the prefix
23455 argument to some commands, e.g. @code{gnus},
23456 @code{gnus-group-get-new-news}, etc. Otherwise, Gnus does not scan
23457 NoCeM messages if you specify a group level that is smaller than this
23458 value to those commands. For example, if you use 1 or 2 on the mail
23459 groups and the levels on the news groups remain the default, 3 is the
23462 @item gnus-nocem-groups
23463 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
23464 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
23467 ("news.lists.filters" "alt.nocem.misc")
23470 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
23471 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
23472 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
23473 people you want to listen to. The default is:
23477 "alba-nocem@@albasani.net"
23478 "bleachbot@@httrack.com"
23479 "news@@arcor-online.net"
23480 "news@@uni-berlin.de"
23482 "pgpmoose@@killfile.org"
23486 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
23487 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
23489 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
23490 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
23491 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
23492 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
23493 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
23494 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
23495 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
23496 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
23497 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
23498 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
23500 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
23501 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
23504 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
23507 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
23508 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
23511 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
23514 The specs are applied left-to-right.
23517 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
23518 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
23519 @findex gnus-nocem-epg-verify
23521 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
23522 says she is. This variable defaults to @code{gnus-nocem-epg-verify} if
23523 EasyPG is available, otherwise defaults to @code{pgg-verify}. The
23524 function should return non-@code{nil} if the verification is successful,
23525 otherwise (including the case the NoCeM message was not signed) should
23526 return @code{nil}. If this is too slow and you don't care for
23527 verification (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to
23530 Formerly the default was @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
23531 function. While you can still use it, you can change it into
23532 @code{gnus-nocem-epg-verify} or @code{pgg-verify} running with GnuPG if
23533 you are willing to add the @acronym{PGP} public keys to GnuPG's keyring.
23535 @item gnus-nocem-directory
23536 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
23537 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
23538 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
23540 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
23541 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
23542 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
23543 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
23544 might then see old spam.
23546 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
23547 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
23548 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
23549 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
23550 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
23553 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
23554 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
23555 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
23556 group. @code{nil} means no restriction. NoCeM groups can be huge and
23557 very slow to process.
23561 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
23562 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
23563 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
23564 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
23571 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
23572 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
23573 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
23575 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
23576 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
23577 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
23578 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
23579 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
23580 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
23581 @code{undo} function.
23583 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
23584 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
23585 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
23586 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
23587 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
23588 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
23589 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
23590 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
23591 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
23592 never be totally undoable.
23594 @findex gnus-undo-mode
23595 @vindex gnus-use-undo
23597 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
23598 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
23599 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
23600 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
23604 @node Predicate Specifiers
23605 @section Predicate Specifiers
23606 @cindex predicate specifiers
23608 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
23609 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
23610 to type all that much.
23612 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
23617 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
23618 gnus-article-unread-p)
23621 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
23622 functions all take one parameter.
23624 @findex gnus-make-predicate
23625 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
23626 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
23627 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
23632 @section Moderation
23635 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
23636 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
23637 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
23640 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
23644 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
23647 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
23649 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
23654 You split your incoming mail by matching on
23655 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
23656 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
23659 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
23660 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
23663 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
23664 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
23668 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
23671 (setq gnus-moderated-list
23672 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
23676 @node Fetching a Group
23677 @section Fetching a Group
23678 @cindex fetching a group
23680 @findex gnus-fetch-group
23681 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
23682 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
23683 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
23684 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
23685 It takes the group name as a parameter.
23688 @node Image Enhancements
23689 @section Image Enhancements
23691 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
23692 support images, Emacs 22 does.} and up, are able to display pictures and
23693 stuff, so Gnus has taken advantage of that.
23696 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
23697 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
23698 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
23699 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
23700 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
23708 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
23709 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
23710 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
23714 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
23715 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
23716 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
23724 Viewing an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
23725 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions have), or that you
23726 have suitable conversion or display programs installed. If your Emacs
23727 has image support the default action is to display the face before the
23728 @code{From} header. If there's no native @code{X-Face} support, Gnus
23729 will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using external programs
23730 from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends, see below. For XEmacs it's
23731 faster if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support. The
23732 default action under Emacs without image support is to fork off the
23733 @code{display} program.
23735 On a GNU/Linux system, the @code{display} program is included in the
23736 ImageMagick package. For external conversion programs look for packages
23737 with names like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.
23738 On Windows, you may use the packages @code{netpbm} and @code{compface}
23739 from @url{http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net}. You need to add the
23740 @code{bin} directory to your @code{PATH} environment variable.
23741 @c In fact only the following DLLs and binaries seem to be required:
23742 @c compface1.dll uncompface.exe libnetpbm10.dll icontopbm.exe
23744 The variable @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} controls which programs
23745 are used to display the @code{X-Face} header. If this variable is a
23746 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
23747 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
23748 If @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches the
23749 @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
23751 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
23759 @vindex gnus-x-face
23760 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
23761 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
23762 default colors are black and white.
23764 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
23765 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
23766 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
23767 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
23768 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
23769 XEmacs. Here are examples:
23772 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
23773 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
23774 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
23775 (png . (:ascent 80))))
23777 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
23778 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
23779 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
23780 (png . (:relief -2))))
23783 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
23784 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
23785 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
23786 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
23787 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
23788 @samp{libcompface} library.
23791 If you use posting styles, you can use an @code{x-face-file} entry in
23792 @code{gnus-posting-styles}, @xref{Posting Styles}. If you don't, Gnus
23793 provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow easier
23794 insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages. You also need the
23795 above mentioned ImageMagick, netpbm or other image conversion packages
23796 (depending the values of the variables below) for these functions.
23798 @findex gnus-random-x-face
23799 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
23800 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
23801 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
23802 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
23803 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
23804 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
23805 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
23806 header data as a string.
23808 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
23809 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
23810 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
23811 randomly generated data.
23813 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
23814 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
23815 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
23816 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
23817 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
23819 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
23820 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23823 (setq message-required-news-headers
23824 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23825 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
23828 Using the last function would be something like this:
23831 (setq message-required-news-headers
23832 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23833 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
23834 (gnus-x-face-from-file
23835 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
23843 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces' implementations should really be harmonized.
23845 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
23846 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
23847 represent the author of the message.
23850 @findex gnus-article-display-face
23851 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
23852 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
23855 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
23856 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
23858 Viewing an @code{Face} header requires an Emacs that is able to display
23861 @c (if (featurep 'xemacs)
23863 @c (image-type-available-p 'png))
23865 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
23866 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
23868 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
23869 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
23870 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
23872 @findex gnus-face-from-file
23873 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
23874 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
23875 converts the file to Face format by using the
23876 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
23878 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
23879 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23882 (setq message-required-news-headers
23883 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23884 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
23885 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
23890 @subsection Smileys
23895 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
23900 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
23901 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
23903 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
23904 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23907 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
23910 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
23911 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
23912 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
23913 text and maps that to file names.
23915 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
23916 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
23917 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
23918 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
23919 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
23922 The following variables customize the appearance of the smileys:
23927 @vindex smiley-style
23928 Specifies the smiley style. Predefined smiley styles include
23929 @code{low-color} (small 13x14 pixel, three-color images), @code{medium}
23930 (more colorful images, 16x16 pixel), and @code{grayscale} (grayscale
23931 images, 14x14 pixel). The default depends on the height of the default
23934 @item smiley-data-directory
23935 @vindex smiley-data-directory
23936 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files. You shouldn't set this
23937 variable anymore. Customize @code{smiley-style} instead.
23939 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
23940 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
23941 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
23955 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
23956 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
23957 over your shoulder as you read news.
23959 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
23968 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
23969 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
23970 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
23971 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
23972 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
23973 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
23974 @code{GIF} formats.
23977 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
23978 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
23979 point your Web browser at
23980 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
23982 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
23983 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
23985 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
23986 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
23989 @vindex gnus-picon-style
23990 The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
23991 If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
23992 @code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
23994 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
23998 @item gnus-picon-databases
23999 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
24000 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
24001 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
24002 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
24003 "/usr/local/faces")}.
24005 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
24006 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
24007 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
24008 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
24010 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
24011 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
24012 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
24013 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
24015 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
24016 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
24017 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
24018 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
24019 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
24021 @item gnus-picon-file-types
24022 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
24023 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
24024 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
24030 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
24033 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
24034 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
24035 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
24036 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
24037 unusual directory structure.
24039 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
24040 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
24041 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
24046 @subsubsection Toolbar
24050 @item gnus-use-toolbar
24051 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
24052 This variable specifies the position to display the toolbar. If
24053 @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If it is non-@code{nil}, it should
24054 be one of the symbols @code{default}, @code{top}, @code{bottom},
24055 @code{right}, and @code{left}. @code{default} means to use the default
24056 toolbar, the rest mean to display the toolbar on the place which those
24057 names show. The default is @code{default}.
24059 @item gnus-toolbar-thickness
24060 @vindex gnus-toolbar-thickness
24061 Cons of the height and the width specifying the thickness of a toolbar.
24062 The height is used for the toolbar displayed on the top or the bottom,
24063 the width is used for the toolbar displayed on the right or the left.
24064 The default is that of the default toolbar.
24066 @item gnus-group-toolbar
24067 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
24068 The toolbar in the group buffer.
24070 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
24071 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
24072 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
24074 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
24075 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
24076 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
24087 @node Fuzzy Matching
24088 @section Fuzzy Matching
24089 @cindex fuzzy matching
24091 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
24092 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
24094 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
24095 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
24096 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
24098 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
24099 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
24100 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
24101 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
24102 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
24105 @node Thwarting Email Spam
24106 @section Thwarting Email Spam
24110 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
24112 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
24113 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
24114 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
24115 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
24116 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
24117 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
24118 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
24119 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
24122 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
24123 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
24124 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
24125 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
24126 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
24127 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
24129 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
24132 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
24133 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
24134 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
24135 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
24138 @node The problem of spam
24139 @subsection The problem of spam
24141 @cindex spam filtering approaches
24142 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
24144 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
24146 First, some background on spam.
24148 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
24149 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
24150 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
24151 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
24152 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
24153 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
24154 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
24155 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
24156 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
24158 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
24159 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
24160 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
24161 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
24162 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
24163 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
24164 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
24165 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
24166 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
24169 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
24170 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
24171 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
24172 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
24173 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
24174 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
24175 from Bulgarian IPs.
24177 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
24178 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
24179 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
24180 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
24182 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
24183 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
24184 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
24185 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
24187 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
24188 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
24189 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
24190 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
24191 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
24192 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
24193 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
24194 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
24195 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
24197 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
24198 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
24199 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
24200 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
24201 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
24202 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
24203 down for some time because of the incident.
24205 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
24206 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
24207 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
24208 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
24209 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
24210 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
24211 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
24212 to store the database of spam analysis. Statistical analysis on the
24213 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
24214 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
24215 the server that it has misclassified mail.
24217 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
24218 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
24219 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
24220 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
24221 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
24222 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
24223 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
24226 @node Anti-Spam Basics
24227 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
24231 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
24233 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
24234 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
24236 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
24237 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
24238 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
24239 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
24240 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
24241 part of the mail address.)
24244 (setq message-default-news-headers
24245 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
24248 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
24249 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
24253 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
24254 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
24255 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
24260 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
24261 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
24262 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
24263 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
24265 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
24266 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
24267 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
24268 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
24269 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
24270 your fancy split rule in this way:
24275 (to "larsi" "misc")
24279 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
24280 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
24281 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
24282 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
24283 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
24285 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
24286 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
24287 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
24288 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
24290 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
24294 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
24295 @cindex SpamAssassin
24296 @cindex Vipul's Razor
24299 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
24300 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
24301 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
24302 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
24303 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
24304 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
24305 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
24307 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
24308 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
24309 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
24312 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
24313 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
24314 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
24315 Specifiers}) follow.
24319 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
24323 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
24326 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
24327 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
24328 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
24331 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
24335 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
24338 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
24339 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
24343 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
24344 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
24345 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
24346 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
24349 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
24351 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
24355 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
24356 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
24360 Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
24361 downloaded by default. You need to set
24362 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
24363 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
24365 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
24366 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
24367 spam. And here is the nifty function:
24370 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
24371 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
24373 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d" t)
24374 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
24378 @subsection Hashcash
24381 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
24382 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
24383 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
24384 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
24385 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
24387 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
24388 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
24389 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
24390 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
24391 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
24392 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
24393 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
24394 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
24395 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
24396 one of them separately.
24399 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
24400 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
24401 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
24402 For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
24403 need to install to use this feature, see
24404 @uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
24405 at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
24407 If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
24408 customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
24409 Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
24412 (setq message-generate-hashcash t)
24415 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
24419 @item hashcash-default-payment
24420 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
24421 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
24422 should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
24425 @item hashcash-payment-alist
24426 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
24427 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
24428 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
24429 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
24430 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
24431 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
24432 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
24433 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
24435 @item hashcash-path
24436 @vindex hashcash-path
24437 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
24438 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
24439 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
24440 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
24441 when you generate hashcash payments.
24445 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
24446 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
24447 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
24448 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
24449 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
24450 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
24451 Hashcash Payments}).
24454 @section Spam Package
24455 @cindex spam filtering
24458 The Spam package provides Gnus with a centralized mechanism for
24459 detecting and filtering spam. It filters new mail, and processes
24460 messages according to whether they are spam or ham. (@dfn{Ham} is the
24461 name used throughout this manual to indicate non-spam messages.)
24464 * Spam Package Introduction::
24465 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
24466 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
24467 * Spam and Ham Processors::
24468 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
24470 * Extending the Spam package::
24471 * Spam Statistics Package::
24474 @node Spam Package Introduction
24475 @subsection Spam Package Introduction
24476 @cindex spam filtering
24477 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
24480 You must read this section to understand how the Spam package works.
24481 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
24483 Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
24484 events. See @xref{Extending the Spam package}.
24486 @cindex spam-initialize
24487 @vindex spam-use-stat
24488 To use the Spam package, you @strong{must} first run the function
24489 @code{spam-initialize}:
24495 This autoloads @code{spam.el} and installs the various hooks necessary
24496 to let the Spam package do its job. In order to make use of the Spam
24497 package, you have to set up certain group parameters and variables,
24498 which we will describe below. All of the variables controlling the
24499 Spam package can be found in the @samp{spam} customization group.
24501 There are two ``contact points'' between the Spam package and the rest
24502 of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and leaving a group.
24504 Checking new mail for spam is done in one of two ways: while splitting
24505 incoming mail, or when you enter a group.
24507 The first way, checking for spam while splitting incoming mail, is
24508 suited to mail back ends such as @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap}, where
24509 new mail appears in a single spool file. The Spam package processes
24510 incoming mail, and sends mail considered to be spam to a designated
24511 ``spam'' group. @xref{Filtering Incoming Mail}.
24513 The second way is suited to back ends such as @code{nntp}, which have
24514 no incoming mail spool, or back ends where the server is in charge of
24515 splitting incoming mail. In this case, when you enter a Gnus group,
24516 the unseen or unread messages in that group are checked for spam.
24517 Detected spam messages are marked as spam. @xref{Detecting Spam in
24520 @cindex spam back ends
24521 In either case, you have to tell the Spam package what method to use
24522 to detect spam messages. There are several methods, or @dfn{spam back
24523 ends} (not to be confused with Gnus back ends!) to choose from: spam
24524 ``blacklists'' and ``whitelists'', dictionary-based filters, and so
24525 forth. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
24527 In the Gnus summary buffer, messages that have been identified as spam
24528 always appear with a @samp{$} symbol.
24530 The Spam package divides Gnus groups into three categories: ham
24531 groups, spam groups, and unclassified groups. You should mark each of
24532 the groups you subscribe to as either a ham group or a spam group,
24533 using the @code{spam-contents} group parameter (@pxref{Group
24534 Parameters}). Spam groups have a special property: when you enter a
24535 spam group, all unseen articles are marked as spam. Thus, mail split
24536 into a spam group is automatically marked as spam.
24538 Identifying spam messages is only half of the Spam package's job. The
24539 second half comes into play whenever you exit a group buffer. At this
24540 point, the Spam package does several things:
24542 First, it calls @dfn{spam and ham processors} to process the articles
24543 according to whether they are spam or ham. There is a pair of spam
24544 and ham processors associated with each spam back end, and what the
24545 processors do depends on the back end. At present, the main role of
24546 spam and ham processors is for dictionary-based spam filters: they add
24547 the contents of the messages in the group to the filter's dictionary,
24548 to improve its ability to detect future spam. The @code{spam-process}
24549 group parameter specifies what spam processors to use. @xref{Spam and
24552 If the spam filter failed to mark a spam message, you can mark it
24553 yourself, so that the message is processed as spam when you exit the
24563 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
24564 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
24565 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark
24566 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}).
24570 Similarly, you can unmark an article if it has been erroneously marked
24571 as spam. @xref{Setting Marks}.
24573 Normally, a ham message found in a non-ham group is not processed as
24574 ham---the rationale is that it should be moved into a ham group for
24575 further processing (see below). However, you can force these articles
24576 to be processed as ham by setting
24577 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
24578 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups}.
24580 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
24581 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
24582 The second thing that the Spam package does when you exit a group is
24583 to move ham articles out of spam groups, and spam articles out of ham
24584 groups. Ham in a spam group is moved to the group specified by the
24585 variable @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}, or the group parameter
24586 @code{ham-process-destination}. Spam in a ham group is moved to the
24587 group specified by the variable @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations},
24588 or the group parameter @code{spam-process-destination}. If these
24589 variables are not set, the articles are left in their current group.
24590 If an article cannot be moved (e.g., with a read-only backend such
24591 as @acronym{NNTP}), it is copied.
24593 If an article is moved to another group, it is processed again when
24594 you visit the new group. Normally, this is not a problem, but if you
24595 want each article to be processed only once, load the
24596 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and set the variable
24597 @code{spam-log-to-registry} to @code{t}. @xref{Spam Package
24598 Configuration Examples}.
24600 Normally, spam groups ignore @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations}.
24601 However, if you set @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only} to
24602 @code{nil}, spam will also be moved out of spam groups, depending on
24603 the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter.
24605 The final thing the Spam package does is to mark spam articles as
24606 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
24608 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
24609 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
24610 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
24612 @node Filtering Incoming Mail
24613 @subsection Filtering Incoming Mail
24614 @cindex spam filtering
24615 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
24618 To use the Spam package to filter incoming mail, you must first set up
24619 fancy mail splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}. The Spam package
24620 defines a special splitting function that you can add to your fancy
24621 split variable (either @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
24622 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on your mail back end):
24628 @vindex spam-split-group
24630 The @code{spam-split} function scans incoming mail according to your
24631 chosen spam back end(s), and sends messages identified as spam to a
24632 spam group. By default, the spam group is a group named @samp{spam},
24633 but you can change this by customizing @code{spam-split-group}. Make
24634 sure the contents of @code{spam-split-group} are an unqualified group
24635 name. For instance, in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server},
24636 the value @samp{spam} means @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The value
24637 @samp{nnimap+server:spam} is therefore wrong---it gives the group
24638 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam}.
24640 @code{spam-split} does not modify the contents of messages in any way.
24642 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
24643 Note for IMAP users: if you use the @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
24644 @code{spam-check-ifile}, and @code{spam-check-stat} spam back ends,
24645 you should also set the variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body}
24646 to @code{t}. These spam back ends are most useful when they can
24647 ``scan'' the full message body. By default, the nnimap back end only
24648 retrieves the message headers; @code{nnimap-split-download-body} tells
24649 it to retrieve the message bodies as well. We don't set this by
24650 default because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and that is not an
24651 appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user. @xref{Splitting
24654 You have to specify one or more spam back ends for @code{spam-split}
24655 to use, by setting the @code{spam-use-*} variables. @xref{Spam Back
24656 Ends}. Normally, @code{spam-split} simply uses all the spam back ends
24657 you enabled in this way. However, you can tell @code{spam-split} to
24658 use only some of them. Why this is useful? Suppose you are using the
24659 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and @code{spam-use-blackholes} spam back
24660 ends, and the following split rule:
24663 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
24664 (any "ding" "ding")
24666 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24671 The problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the ding
24672 folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam detected by
24673 SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through, when it's
24674 sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to the ding
24675 list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the invocation
24676 of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
24678 The solution is to let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, and
24679 perform the other @code{spam-split} rules (including a second
24680 invocation of the regex-headers check) after the ding rule. This is
24681 done by passing a parameter to @code{spam-split}:
24686 ;; @r{spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
24687 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
24688 (any "ding" "ding")
24689 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
24691 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24696 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
24697 your particular needs, and target the results of those checks to a
24698 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
24699 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
24700 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
24701 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
24702 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
24704 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
24705 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
24706 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
24707 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
24709 @c @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
24710 @c statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
24713 @node Detecting Spam in Groups
24714 @subsection Detecting Spam in Groups
24716 To detect spam when visiting a group, set the group's
24717 @code{spam-autodetect} and @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group
24718 parameters. These are accessible with @kbd{G c} or @kbd{G p}, as
24719 usual (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
24721 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
24722 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
24723 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
24724 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set.
24726 By default, only unseen articles are processed for spam. You can
24727 force Gnus to recheck all messages in the group by setting the
24728 variable @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages} to @code{t}.
24730 If you use the @code{spam-autodetect} method of checking for spam, you
24731 can specify different spam detection methods for different groups.
24732 For instance, the @samp{ding} group may have @code{spam-use-BBDB} as
24733 the autodetection method, while the @samp{suspect} group may have the
24734 @code{spam-use-blacklist} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods
24735 enabled. Unlike with @code{spam-split}, you don't have any control
24736 over the @emph{sequence} of checks, but this is probably unimportant.
24738 @node Spam and Ham Processors
24739 @subsection Spam and Ham Processors
24740 @cindex spam filtering
24741 @cindex spam filtering variables
24742 @cindex spam variables
24745 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
24746 Spam and ham processors specify special actions to take when you exit
24747 a group buffer. Spam processors act on spam messages, and ham
24748 processors on ham messages. At present, the main role of these
24749 processors is to update the dictionaries of dictionary-based spam back
24750 ends such as Bogofilter (@pxref{Bogofilter}) and the Spam Statistics
24751 package (@pxref{Spam Statistics Filtering}).
24753 The spam and ham processors that apply to each group are determined by
24754 the group's@code{spam-process} group parameter. If this group
24755 parameter is not defined, they are determined by the variable
24756 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups}.
24758 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
24759 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
24760 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
24761 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
24762 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
24763 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
24764 by customizing the corresponding variable
24765 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
24766 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
24767 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
24768 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
24769 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
24770 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
24771 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
24774 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
24776 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
24777 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
24778 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
24779 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
24780 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
24781 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
24782 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
24783 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
24784 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
24785 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
24786 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
24787 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
24788 processor which will study them as spam samples.
24790 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
24791 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
24792 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
24793 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
24794 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
24795 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
24796 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
24797 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
24800 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
24801 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
24802 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
24803 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
24804 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
24805 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
24806 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
24811 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
24812 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
24813 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
24814 you really want to.
24817 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
24818 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
24819 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
24820 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
24821 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
24822 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
24825 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
24826 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
24827 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
24828 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
24829 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
24830 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
24831 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
24832 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
24833 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
24834 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
24835 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
24836 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
24837 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
24838 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
24839 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
24841 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
24842 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
24844 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
24845 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
24846 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
24848 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
24849 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
24851 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
24852 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
24853 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
24854 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
24855 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
24857 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
24858 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
24859 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
24860 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
24861 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
24864 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
24865 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
24866 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
24867 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
24868 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
24869 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
24870 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
24871 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
24872 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
24873 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
24874 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
24875 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
24876 group buffer then you need it here as well.
24878 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
24879 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
24881 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
24882 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
24885 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
24886 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
24887 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
24888 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
24889 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
24890 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
24891 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
24893 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
24894 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
24895 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
24896 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
24898 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
24899 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
24900 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
24901 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
24902 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
24903 from the mail server.
24905 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
24906 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
24907 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
24908 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
24910 @node Spam Package Configuration Examples
24911 @subsection Spam Package Configuration Examples
24912 @cindex spam filtering
24913 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
24914 @cindex spam configuration examples
24917 @subsubheading Ted's setup
24919 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
24921 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
24922 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
24923 (gnus-registry-initialize)
24927 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
24929 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
24930 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
24931 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
24932 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
24933 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
24934 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
24935 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
24936 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
24937 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
24938 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
24939 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
24940 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
24941 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
24942 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
24943 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
24944 (any "ding" "ding")
24945 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
24947 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24950 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
24952 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
24953 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
24954 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
24955 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
24957 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
24959 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
24960 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
24961 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
24962 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
24963 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
24965 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
24966 ((spam-autodetect . t))
24968 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
24970 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
24971 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
24973 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
24974 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
24975 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
24977 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
24979 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
24980 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
24982 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
24983 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
24984 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
24986 (gnus-ticked-mark))
24987 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
24988 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
24989 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
24991 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
24992 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
24993 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
24997 @subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
24998 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
25000 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
25001 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
25002 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
25003 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
25004 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
25005 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
25006 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
25007 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
25008 @samp{training.spam} folders.
25010 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
25011 does most of the job for me:
25014 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
25015 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
25016 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
25017 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
25018 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
25019 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
25020 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
25025 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
25027 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
25028 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
25029 bogofilter or DCC).
25031 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
25032 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
25033 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark
25034 (@code{ham-marks}, @ref{Spam and Ham Processors}). On group exit,
25035 those messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want
25036 to have the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter)
25037 and deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
25039 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
25040 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
25041 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
25042 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
25043 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
25044 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
25046 @item @b{Ham folders:}
25048 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
25049 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
25050 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
25051 @samp{training.spam}.
25054 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
25056 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
25058 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
25059 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
25060 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
25064 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
25067 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
25068 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
25069 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
25070 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
25071 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
25073 @node Spam Back Ends
25074 @subsection Spam Back Ends
25075 @cindex spam back ends
25077 The spam package offers a variety of back ends for detecting spam.
25078 Each back end defines a set of methods for detecting spam
25079 (@pxref{Filtering Incoming Mail}, @pxref{Detecting Spam in Groups}),
25080 and a pair of spam and ham processors (@pxref{Spam and Ham
25084 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
25085 * BBDB Whitelists::
25086 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
25087 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
25089 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
25091 * SpamAssassin back end::
25092 * ifile spam filtering::
25093 * Spam Statistics Filtering::
25097 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
25098 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
25099 @cindex spam filtering
25100 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
25101 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
25104 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
25106 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
25107 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
25108 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
25109 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
25114 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
25116 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
25117 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
25118 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
25119 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
25120 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
25124 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
25126 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
25127 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
25128 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
25132 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
25134 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25135 customizing the group parameters or the
25136 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25137 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
25138 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
25142 Instead of the obsolete
25143 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
25144 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
25145 the same way, we promise.
25149 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
25151 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25152 customizing the group parameters or the
25153 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25154 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
25155 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
25160 Instead of the obsolete
25161 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
25162 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
25163 the same way, we promise.
25167 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
25168 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
25169 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
25170 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
25171 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
25173 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
25174 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
25175 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
25176 Emacs regular expression syntax.
25178 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
25179 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
25180 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
25181 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
25182 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
25183 @file{blacklist} respectively.
25185 @node BBDB Whitelists
25186 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
25187 @cindex spam filtering
25188 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
25189 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
25192 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
25194 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
25195 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
25196 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
25197 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
25198 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
25199 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
25200 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
25204 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
25206 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
25207 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
25208 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
25209 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
25210 classified as spammers.
25212 While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
25213 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
25214 @emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
25215 @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to t, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
25220 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
25222 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25223 customizing the group parameters or the
25224 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25225 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
25226 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
25231 Instead of the obsolete
25232 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
25233 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
25234 the same way, we promise.
25238 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
25239 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
25240 @cindex spam reporting
25241 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
25242 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
25245 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
25247 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25248 customizing the group parameters or the
25249 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25250 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
25251 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
25254 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
25258 Instead of the obsolete
25259 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
25260 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
25261 same way, we promise.
25265 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
25267 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
25268 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
25269 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
25270 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
25271 @code{spam-report.el} will fetch the number from the article headers.
25275 @defvar spam-report-user-mail-address
25277 Mail address exposed in the User-Agent spam reports to Gmane. It allows
25278 the Gmane administrators to contact you in case of misreports. The
25279 default is @code{user-mail-address}.
25283 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
25284 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
25285 @cindex spam filtering
25286 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
25289 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
25291 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
25292 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
25293 instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
25294 token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
25295 filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
25296 are not assumed to be spam or ham.
25301 @subsubsection Blackholes
25302 @cindex spam filtering
25303 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
25306 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
25308 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
25309 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
25310 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
25311 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
25312 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
25313 contains outdated servers.
25315 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
25316 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
25317 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
25318 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
25319 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
25320 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
25324 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
25326 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
25330 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
25332 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
25333 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
25337 @defvar spam-use-dig
25339 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
25340 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
25344 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
25345 ham processor for blackholes.
25347 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
25348 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
25349 @cindex spam filtering
25350 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
25353 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
25355 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
25356 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
25357 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
25358 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
25359 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
25360 message is spam or ham, respectively.
25364 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
25366 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
25367 the message, positively identify it as spam.
25371 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
25373 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
25374 the message, positively identify it as ham.
25378 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
25379 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
25382 @subsubsection Bogofilter
25383 @cindex spam filtering
25384 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
25387 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
25389 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
25392 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
25393 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
25394 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
25395 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
25396 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
25397 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
25399 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
25400 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
25403 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
25404 processing will be turned off.
25406 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
25415 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
25416 Get the Bogofilter spamicity score (@code{spam-bogofilter-score}).
25419 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
25421 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
25422 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
25423 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
25424 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
25425 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
25426 installation documents for details.
25428 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
25432 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
25433 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25434 customizing the group parameters or the
25435 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25436 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
25437 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
25441 Instead of the obsolete
25442 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
25443 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
25444 the same way, we promise.
25447 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
25448 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25449 customizing the group parameters or the
25450 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25451 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
25452 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
25453 of non-spam messages.
25457 Instead of the obsolete
25458 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
25459 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
25460 the same way, we promise.
25463 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
25465 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
25466 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
25467 database directory.
25471 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
25472 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
25473 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
25474 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
25475 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
25476 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
25478 @node SpamAssassin back end
25479 @subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
25480 @cindex spam filtering
25481 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
25484 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
25486 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
25488 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
25489 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
25490 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
25491 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
25494 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
25495 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
25496 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
25497 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
25500 You should not enable this if you use
25501 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
25505 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
25507 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
25508 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
25510 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
25514 @defvar spam-spamassassin-program
25516 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
25517 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
25518 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
25519 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
25523 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
25524 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
25525 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
25526 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
25527 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
25528 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
25529 to test this functionality.
25531 @node ifile spam filtering
25532 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
25533 @cindex spam filtering
25534 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
25537 @defvar spam-use-ifile
25539 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
25540 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
25544 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
25546 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
25547 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
25548 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
25552 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
25554 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
25555 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
25556 the default value of @samp{spam}.
25559 @defvar spam-ifile-database
25561 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
25562 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
25566 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
25567 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
25568 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
25569 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
25572 @node Spam Statistics Filtering
25573 @subsubsection Spam Statistics Filtering
25574 @cindex spam filtering
25575 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
25579 This back end uses the Spam Statistics Emacs Lisp package to perform
25580 statistics-based filtering (@pxref{Spam Statistics Package}). Before
25581 using this, you may want to perform some additional steps to
25582 initialize your Spam Statistics dictionary. @xref{Creating a
25583 spam-stat dictionary}.
25585 @defvar spam-use-stat
25589 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
25590 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25591 customizing the group parameters or the
25592 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25593 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
25594 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
25598 Instead of the obsolete
25599 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
25600 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
25601 the same way, we promise.
25604 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
25605 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25606 customizing the group parameters or the
25607 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25608 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
25609 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
25610 of non-spam messages.
25614 Instead of the obsolete
25615 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
25616 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
25617 the same way, we promise.
25620 This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
25621 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
25622 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
25623 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
25624 @code{spam-split} are provided.
25627 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
25628 @cindex spam filtering
25632 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
25633 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
25634 installed separately.
25636 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
25637 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
25638 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
25639 mail as a spam mail or not.
25641 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
25642 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
25643 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
25645 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Spam Package})
25648 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
25649 To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
25650 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
25651 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}. @xref{Spam
25652 Package}. In this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is
25653 filtered using SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be
25654 moved to @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham
25655 messages stay in @samp{INBOX}:
25658 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
25659 spam-split-group "Junk"
25660 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
25661 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
25662 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
25665 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
25666 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
25670 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
25671 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
25672 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
25676 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
25677 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
25678 store its analysis. This is controlled by the variable
25679 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
25680 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
25681 database to live somewhere special, set
25682 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
25685 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
25686 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
25687 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns
25688 the characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
25689 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
25690 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary
25691 buffer and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using
25692 @file{spam.el}'s spam- and ham-processors, which is much more
25693 convenient. For a detailed description of spam- and ham-processors,
25694 @xref{Spam Package}.
25696 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
25697 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25698 customizing the group parameter or the
25699 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
25700 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
25701 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
25705 Instead of the obsolete
25706 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
25707 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
25708 the same way, we promise.
25711 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
25712 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25713 customizing the group parameter or the
25714 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
25715 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
25716 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
25721 Instead of the obsolete
25722 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
25723 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
25724 the same way, we promise.
25727 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
25728 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
25731 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
25732 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
25733 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
25735 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
25736 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
25737 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
25738 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
25739 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
25740 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
25742 @node Extending the Spam package
25743 @subsection Extending the Spam package
25744 @cindex spam filtering
25745 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
25746 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
25748 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
25749 incoming mail, provide the following:
25757 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
25758 "True if blackbox should be used.")
25761 Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
25763 Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
25764 @code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
25765 register/unregister routines as a start, or other restister/unregister
25766 routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
25767 register/unregister spam and ham.
25772 The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
25773 @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
25774 existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
25775 do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
25780 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
25787 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
25788 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
25790 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
25791 variables. Instead the form @code{(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
25792 @code{(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
25793 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
25796 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
25797 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
25798 Only applicable to spam groups.")
25800 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
25801 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
25802 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
25811 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
25812 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
25814 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
25815 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
25816 variable customization.
25820 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
25822 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
25823 @code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
25825 Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
25826 @code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
25832 @code{spam-install-backend-alias}
25834 This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
25835 everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
25836 make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
25839 @code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
25841 This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
25842 register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
25846 @code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
25848 This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
25849 for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
25850 @code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
25854 @code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
25856 This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
25857 full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
25858 for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
25861 @code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
25863 This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
25864 registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
25868 @code{spam-install-backend}
25870 This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
25871 check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
25872 abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
25875 @code{spam-install-mover-backend}
25877 Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
25878 articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
25879 never install such a back end.
25884 @node Spam Statistics Package
25885 @subsection Spam Statistics Package
25886 @cindex Paul Graham
25887 @cindex Graham, Paul
25888 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
25889 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
25890 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
25892 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
25893 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
25894 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
25895 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
25896 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
25897 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
25898 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
25899 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
25900 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
25903 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
25904 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
25905 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
25906 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
25907 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
25908 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
25909 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
25910 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
25912 The Spam Statistics package adds support to Gnus for this kind of
25913 filtering. It can be used as one of the back ends of the Spam package
25914 (@pxref{Spam Package}), or by itself.
25916 Before using the Spam Statistics package, you need to set it up.
25917 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
25918 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
25919 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
25920 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
25923 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
25924 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
25925 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
25928 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
25929 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
25931 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
25932 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
25933 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
25934 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
25935 need several hundred emails in both collections.
25937 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
25938 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
25939 per mail. Use the following:
25941 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
25942 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
25943 is treated as one spam mail.
25946 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
25947 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
25948 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
25951 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
25952 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds to
25953 the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
25954 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
25955 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds to the group
25956 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
25958 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
25959 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
25960 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
25961 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
25962 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
25965 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
25966 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
25967 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
25968 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
25971 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
25972 reset the dictionary.
25974 @defun spam-stat-reset
25975 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
25978 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
25979 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
25980 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
25981 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
25982 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
25983 only non-spam mails.
25985 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
25986 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
25987 to update the dictionary incrementally.
25990 @defun spam-stat-save
25991 Save the dictionary.
25994 @defvar spam-stat-file
25995 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
25996 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
25999 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
26000 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
26002 This section describes how to use the Spam statistics
26003 @emph{independently} of the @xref{Spam Package}.
26005 First, add the following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
26008 (require 'spam-stat)
26012 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
26015 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
26016 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
26017 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
26018 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
26020 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
26021 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
26022 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
26023 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
26026 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26027 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26031 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
26032 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
26035 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
26036 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
26037 expression are considered potential spam.
26040 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26041 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
26042 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26046 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
26047 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
26048 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
26049 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
26050 mails, when creating the dictionary!
26053 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26054 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26055 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
26059 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
26060 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
26061 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
26062 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
26063 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
26067 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26068 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
26069 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26070 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
26075 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
26076 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
26078 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
26080 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
26081 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
26082 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
26085 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
26086 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
26087 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
26090 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
26091 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
26092 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
26093 already been processed as non-spam.
26096 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
26097 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
26098 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
26099 been processed as spam.
26102 @defun spam-stat-save
26103 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
26104 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
26107 @defun spam-stat-load
26108 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
26109 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
26112 @defun spam-stat-score-word
26113 Return the spam score for a word.
26116 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
26117 Return the spam score for a buffer.
26120 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
26121 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
26122 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
26125 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
26126 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
26129 (require 'spam-stat)
26133 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
26136 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
26137 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26138 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26139 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
26140 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
26141 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
26142 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26143 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26144 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
26145 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
26146 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
26147 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
26148 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26149 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26152 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
26155 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
26156 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26157 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26158 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
26159 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
26160 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
26163 @node The Gnus Registry
26164 @section The Gnus Registry
26169 The Gnus registry is a package that tracks messages by their
26170 Message-ID across all backends. This allows Gnus users to do several
26171 cool things, be the envy of the locals, get free haircuts, and be
26172 experts on world issues. Well, maybe not all of those, but the
26173 features are pretty cool.
26175 Although they will be explained in detail shortly, here's a quick list
26176 of said features in case your attention span is... never mind.
26180 Split messages to their parent
26182 This keeps discussions in the same group. You can use the subject and
26183 the sender in addition to the Message-ID. Several strategies are
26187 Store custom flags and keywords
26189 The registry can store custom flags and keywords for a message. For
26190 instance, you can mark a message ``To-Do'' this way and the flag will
26191 persist whether the message is in the nnimap, nnml, nnmaildir,
26195 Store arbitrary data
26197 Through a simple ELisp API, the registry can remember any data for a
26198 message. A built-in inverse map, when activated, allows quick lookups
26199 of all messages matching a particular set of criteria.
26204 * Fancy splitting to parent::
26205 * Store custom flags and keywords::
26206 * Store arbitrary data::
26212 Fortunately, setting up the Gnus registry is pretty easy:
26215 (setq gnus-registry-max-entries 2500
26216 gnus-registry-use-long-group-names t)
26218 (gnus-registry-initialize)
26221 This adds registry saves to Gnus newsrc saves (which happen on exit
26222 and when you press @kbd{s} from the @code{*Group*} buffer. It also
26223 adds registry calls to article actions in Gnus (copy, move, etc.) so
26224 it's not easy to undo the initialization. See
26225 @code{gnus-registry-initialize} for the gory details.
26227 Here are other settings used by the author of the registry (understand
26228 what they do before you copy them blindly).
26232 gnus-registry-split-strategy 'majority
26233 gnus-registry-ignored-groups '(("nntp" t)
26237 gnus-registry-max-entries 500000
26238 gnus-registry-use-long-group-names t
26239 gnus-registry-track-extra '(sender subject))
26242 They say: keep a lot of messages around, use long group names, track
26243 messages by sender and subject (not just parent Message-ID), and when
26244 the registry splits incoming mail, use a majority rule to decide where
26245 messages should go if there's more than one possibility. In addition,
26246 the registry should ignore messages in groups that match ``nntp'',
26247 ``nnrss'', ``spam'', or ``train.''
26249 You are doubtless impressed by all this, but you ask: ``I am a Gnus
26250 user, I customize to live. Give me more.'' Here you go, these are
26251 the general settings.
26253 @defvar gnus-registry-unfollowed-groups
26254 The groups that will not be followed by
26255 @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}. They will still be
26256 remembered by the registry. This is a list of regular expressions.
26259 @defvar gnus-registry-ignored-groups
26260 The groups that will not be remembered by the registry. This is a
26261 list of regular expressions, also available through Group/Topic
26262 customization (so you can ignore or keep a specific group or a whole
26266 @defvar gnus-registry-use-long-group-names
26267 Whether the registry will use long group names. It's recommended to
26268 set this to @code{t}, although everything works if you don't. Future
26269 functionality will require it.
26272 @defvar gnus-registry-max-entries
26273 The number (an integer or @code{nil} for unlimited) of entries the
26274 registry will keep.
26277 @defvar gnus-registry-cache-file
26278 The file where the registry will be stored between Gnus sessions.
26281 @node Fancy splitting to parent
26282 @subsection Fancy splitting to parent
26284 Simply put, this lets you put followup e-mail where it belongs.
26286 Every message has a Message-ID, which is unique, and the registry
26287 remembers it. When the message is moved or copied, the registry will
26288 notice this and offer the new group as a choice to the splitting
26291 When a followup is made, usually it mentions the original message's
26292 Message-ID in the headers. The registry knows this and uses that
26293 mention to find the group where the original message lives. You only
26294 have to put a rule like this:
26297 (setq nnimap-my-split-fancy '(|
26299 ;; split to parent: you need this
26300 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
26302 ;; other rules, as an example
26308 in your fancy split setup. In addition, you may want to customize the
26309 following variables.
26311 @defvar gnus-registry-track-extra
26312 This is a list of symbols, so it's best to change it from the
26313 Customize interface. By default it's @code{nil}, but you may want to
26314 track @code{subject} and @code{sender} as well when splitting by parent.
26315 It may work for you. It can be annoying if your mail flow is large and
26316 people don't stick to the same groups.
26319 @defvar gnus-registry-split-strategy
26320 This is a symbol, so it's best to change it from the Customize
26321 interface. By default it's @code{nil}, but you may want to set it to
26322 @code{majority} or @code{first} to split by sender or subject based on
26323 the majority of matches or on the first found.
26326 @node Store custom flags and keywords
26327 @subsection Store custom flags and keywords
26329 The registry lets you set custom flags and keywords per message. You
26330 can use the Gnus->Registry Marks menu or the @kbd{M M x} keyboard
26331 shortcuts, where @code{x} is the first letter of the mark's name.
26333 @defvar gnus-registry-marks
26334 The custom marks that the registry can use. You can modify the
26335 default list, if you like. If you do, you'll have to exit Emacs
26336 before they take effect (you can also unload the registry and reload
26337 it or evaluate the specific macros you'll need, but you probably don't
26338 want to bother). Use the Customize interface to modify the list.
26340 By default this list has the @code{Important}, @code{Work},
26341 @code{Personal}, @code{To-Do}, and @code{Later} marks. They all have
26342 keyboard shortcuts like @kbd{M M i} for Important, using the first
26346 @defun gnus-registry-mark-article
26347 Call this function to mark an article with a custom registry mark. It
26348 will offer the available marks for completion.
26351 @node Store arbitrary data
26352 @subsection Store arbitrary data
26354 The registry has a simple API that uses a Message-ID as the key to
26355 store arbitrary data (as long as it can be converted to a list for
26358 @defun gnus-registry-store-extra-entry (id key value)
26359 Store @code{value} in the extra data key @code{key} for message
26363 @defun gnus-registry-delete-extra-entry (id key)
26364 Delete the extra data key @code{key} for message @code{id}.
26367 @defun gnus-registry-fetch-extra (id key)
26368 Get the extra data key @code{key} for message @code{id}.
26371 @defvar gnus-registry-extra-entries-precious
26372 If any extra entries are precious, their presence will make the
26373 registry keep the whole entry forever, even if there are no groups for
26374 the Message-ID and if the size limit of the registry is reached. By
26375 default this is just @code{(marks)} so the custom registry marks are
26380 @section Interaction with other modes
26385 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provides some useful functions for dired
26386 buffers. It is enabled with
26388 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
26393 @findex gnus-dired-attach
26394 @cindex attachments, selection via dired
26395 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
26396 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
26399 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
26400 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
26401 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
26405 @findex gnus-dired-print
26406 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
26407 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
26410 @node Various Various
26411 @section Various Various
26417 @item gnus-home-directory
26418 @vindex gnus-home-directory
26419 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
26420 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
26422 @item gnus-directory
26423 @vindex gnus-directory
26424 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
26425 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
26426 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
26428 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
26429 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
26430 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
26431 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
26433 @item gnus-default-directory
26434 @vindex gnus-default-directory
26435 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
26436 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
26437 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
26438 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
26439 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
26440 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
26443 @vindex gnus-verbose
26444 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
26445 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
26446 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
26447 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
26448 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
26450 @item gnus-verbose-backends
26451 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
26452 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
26453 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
26455 @item gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
26456 @vindex gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
26457 This variable controls whether to add timestamps to messages that are
26458 controlled by @code{gnus-verbose} and @code{gnus-verbose-backends} and
26459 are issued. The default value is @code{nil} which means never to add
26460 timestamp. If it is @code{log}, add timestamps to only the messages
26461 that go into the @samp{*Messages*} buffer (in XEmacs, it is the
26462 @w{@samp{ *Message-Log*}} buffer). If it is neither @code{nil} nor
26463 @code{log}, add timestamps not only to log messages but also to the ones
26464 displayed in the echo area.
26466 @item nnheader-max-head-length
26467 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
26468 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
26469 as little as possible. This variable (default 8192) specifies
26470 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
26471 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
26472 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
26473 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
26474 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
26475 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
26477 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
26478 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
26479 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
26480 read when doing the operation described above.
26482 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26483 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26485 @cindex invalid characters in file names
26486 @cindex characters in file names
26487 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
26488 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
26489 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
26493 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26498 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
26499 Windows (phooey) systems.
26501 @item gnus-hidden-properties
26502 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
26503 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
26504 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
26505 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
26507 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
26508 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
26509 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
26510 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
26511 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
26513 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
26514 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
26515 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
26517 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
26518 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
26520 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
26521 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
26522 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
26523 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
26526 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
26528 @item gnus-safe-html-newsgroups
26529 @vindex gnus-safe-html-newsgroups
26530 Groups in which links in html articles are considered all safe. The
26531 value may be a regexp matching those groups, a list of group names, or
26532 @code{nil}. This overrides @code{mm-w3m-safe-url-regexp}. The default
26533 value is @code{"\\`nnrss[+:]"}. This is effective only when emacs-w3m
26534 renders html articles, i.e., in the case @code{mm-text-html-renderer} is
26535 set to @code{w3m}. @xref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization,
26536 emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}.
26543 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
26544 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
26546 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
26548 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
26554 Not because of victories @*
26557 but for the common sunshine,@*
26559 the largess of the spring.
26563 but for the day's work done@*
26564 as well as I was able;@*
26565 not for a seat upon the dais@*
26566 but at the common table.@*
26571 @chapter Appendices
26574 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
26575 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
26576 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
26577 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
26578 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
26579 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
26580 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
26581 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
26582 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
26589 @cindex installing under XEmacs
26591 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
26592 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
26593 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
26594 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
26595 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{W3},
26596 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
26603 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
26604 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
26606 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
26607 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
26608 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
26609 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
26610 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
26612 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
26613 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
26614 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
26615 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
26616 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
26617 appropriate name, don't you think?)
26619 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
26620 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
26621 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
26622 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
26625 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
26626 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
26627 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
26628 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
26629 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
26630 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
26631 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
26632 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
26633 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
26637 @node Gnus Versions
26638 @subsection Gnus Versions
26640 @cindex September Gnus
26642 @cindex Quassia Gnus
26643 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
26646 @cindex Gnus versions
26648 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
26649 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
26650 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
26652 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
26653 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
26655 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
26656 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
26658 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
26659 It was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
26661 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
26662 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
26665 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun and was released as
26666 Gnus 5.10 on May 1st 2003 (24 releases).
26668 On the January 4th 2004, No Gnus was begun.
26670 On April 19, 2010 Gnus development was moved to Git. See
26671 http://git.gnus.org for details (http://www.gnus.org will be updated
26672 with the information when possible).
26674 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
26675 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
26676 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'' -- don't panic.
26677 Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever
26678 you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach.
26679 Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
26682 @node Other Gnus Versions
26683 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
26686 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
26687 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
26688 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
26689 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
26691 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
26692 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
26693 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
26694 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
26701 What's the point of Gnus?
26703 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
26704 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
26705 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
26706 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
26707 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
26708 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
26709 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
26710 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
26711 keep track of millions of people who post?
26713 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
26714 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
26715 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
26716 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
26717 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
26718 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
26719 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
26720 every one of you to explore and invent.
26722 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
26723 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
26726 @node Compatibility
26727 @subsection Compatibility
26729 @cindex compatibility
26730 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
26731 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
26732 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
26737 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
26741 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
26744 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
26747 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
26748 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
26749 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
26750 important variables have their values copied into their global
26751 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
26752 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
26754 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
26755 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
26756 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
26757 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
26758 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
26762 @cindex highlighting
26763 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
26764 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
26765 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
26766 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
26767 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
26768 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
26771 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
26772 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
26773 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
26774 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
26776 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
26777 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
26778 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
26779 to stop doing it the old way.
26781 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
26783 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
26785 @cindex reporting bugs
26787 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
26788 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
26789 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
26791 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
26792 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
26793 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
26794 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
26799 @subsection Conformity
26801 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
26802 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
26810 There are no known breaches of this standard.
26814 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
26816 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
26817 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
26818 We do have some breaches to this one.
26824 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
26825 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
26826 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
26827 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
26828 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
26833 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
26834 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
26835 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
26836 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
26838 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
26839 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
26840 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
26842 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
26843 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
26845 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
26848 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
26849 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
26850 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
26851 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
26852 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
26855 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
26856 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
26857 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RFC 1991/2440 format.
26858 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
26860 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
26861 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
26863 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
26864 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
26865 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
26866 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
26867 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
26868 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
26869 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
26870 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
26874 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
26875 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
26880 @subsection Emacsen
26886 This version of Gnus should work on:
26894 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
26898 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
26899 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
26900 Emacs versions. Particularly, Gnus 5.10.8 should also work on Emacs
26901 20.7 and XEmacs 21.1.
26903 @c No-merge comment: The paragraph added in v5-10 here must not be
26906 @node Gnus Development
26907 @subsection Gnus Development
26909 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
26910 discussion on the development mailing list @samp{ding@@gnus.org}, where people
26911 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
26912 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
26913 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
26914 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
26915 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
26916 have names like ``Oort Gnus'' and ``No Gnus''. @xref{Gnus Versions}.
26918 After futzing around for 10-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
26919 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
26920 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.10.1'' instead. Normal people are
26921 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
26922 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup. This newgroup is mirrored to the
26923 mailing list @samp{info-gnus-english@@gnu.org} which is carried on Gmane
26924 as @samp{gmane.emacs.gnus.user}. These releases are finally integrated
26928 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
26929 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae,
26930 in particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming}. This is to prevent
26931 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
26932 @xref{Mail Source Customization}.
26934 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
26935 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
26936 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
26937 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
26938 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
26939 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
26940 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
26941 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
26942 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
26943 can't be assumed to do so.
26945 So if you have problems with or questions about the alpha versions,
26946 direct those to the ding mailing list @samp{ding@@gnus.org}. This list
26947 is also available on Gmane as @samp{gmane.emacs.gnus.general}.
26950 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
26951 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae,
26952 in particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming}. This is to prevent
26953 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
26954 @xref{Mail Source Customization}.
26957 @subsection Contributors
26958 @cindex contributors
26960 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
26961 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
26962 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
26963 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
26964 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
26965 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
26966 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
26967 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
26968 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
26969 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
26971 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
26977 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
26980 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
26981 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
26982 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
26983 functionality and stuff.
26986 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
26987 well as numerous other things).
26990 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
26993 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
26996 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
26999 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
27002 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
27003 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
27006 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
27009 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
27012 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
27015 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
27018 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
27021 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
27024 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
27025 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
27028 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
27031 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
27034 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
27037 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
27041 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
27044 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
27047 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
27050 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
27051 well as autoconf support.
27055 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
27056 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
27058 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
27073 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
27075 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
27079 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
27089 Alexei V. Barantsev,
27104 Massimo Campostrini,
27109 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
27110 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
27114 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
27117 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
27123 Michael Welsh Duggan,
27128 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
27132 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
27140 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
27142 Michelangelo Grigni,
27146 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
27148 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
27150 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
27158 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
27159 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
27160 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
27162 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
27172 Peter Skov Knudsen,
27173 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
27175 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
27176 Thor Kristoffersen,
27179 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
27197 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
27198 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
27205 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
27210 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
27214 John McClary Prevost,
27220 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
27225 Christian von Roques,
27228 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
27235 Philippe Schnoebelen,
27237 Randal L. Schwartz,
27251 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
27256 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
27276 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
27277 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
27278 (550kB and counting).
27280 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
27283 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
27284 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
27288 @subsection New Features
27289 @cindex new features
27292 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
27293 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
27294 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
27295 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
27296 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
27297 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
27298 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
27301 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
27302 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
27303 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
27306 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
27308 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
27313 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
27314 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
27317 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
27318 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
27321 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
27324 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
27325 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
27326 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
27329 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
27330 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
27331 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
27332 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
27335 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
27336 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27339 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
27340 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
27341 (@pxref{The Active File}).
27344 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
27345 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
27348 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
27349 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
27350 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
27353 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
27354 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
27355 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
27358 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
27359 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
27362 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
27363 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
27366 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
27367 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27370 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
27371 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
27374 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
27375 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
27378 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
27381 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
27382 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
27385 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
27386 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
27389 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
27390 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
27393 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
27396 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
27397 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
27400 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
27404 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
27408 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
27409 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
27412 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
27418 @node September Gnus
27419 @subsubsection September Gnus
27423 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
27427 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
27432 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
27433 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
27437 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
27438 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
27442 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
27446 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
27447 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
27450 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
27454 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
27457 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
27460 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
27463 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
27467 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
27468 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
27471 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
27475 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
27479 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
27483 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
27487 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
27490 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
27491 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
27494 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
27498 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
27499 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
27502 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
27505 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
27506 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
27507 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
27510 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets.
27513 The Gnus cache is much faster.
27516 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
27520 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
27521 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
27524 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
27525 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
27528 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
27529 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
27532 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
27533 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
27534 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
27537 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
27538 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
27541 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
27544 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
27547 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
27550 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
27553 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
27554 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
27557 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
27561 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
27564 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
27569 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
27572 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
27576 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27579 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
27583 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
27586 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
27589 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
27590 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
27593 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
27594 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
27598 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
27599 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
27602 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
27606 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
27607 buffer to allow easier treatment.
27610 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
27613 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
27617 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
27621 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
27622 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
27625 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
27629 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
27630 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
27633 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
27634 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
27637 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
27641 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
27644 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
27647 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
27653 @subsubsection Red Gnus
27655 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
27659 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
27666 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
27669 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
27670 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
27673 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
27674 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
27678 Article washing status can be displayed in the
27679 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
27682 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
27685 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
27686 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
27689 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
27693 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
27694 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
27698 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
27699 Server Internals}).
27702 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
27706 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
27709 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
27710 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
27713 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
27714 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
27715 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
27718 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
27719 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
27722 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
27723 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
27726 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
27730 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
27731 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
27734 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
27735 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
27738 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
27742 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
27745 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
27749 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
27750 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
27753 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
27754 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
27757 A new command for reading collections of documents
27758 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
27759 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
27762 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
27766 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
27767 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
27770 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
27771 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
27772 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
27775 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
27776 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
27780 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
27784 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
27788 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
27793 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
27797 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
27801 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
27802 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
27805 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
27811 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
27813 New features in Gnus 5.6:
27818 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
27819 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
27820 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
27823 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
27824 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
27825 group, which is created automatically.
27828 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
27832 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
27835 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
27836 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
27839 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
27843 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
27846 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
27847 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
27850 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
27853 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
27857 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
27858 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
27861 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
27862 control over simplification.
27865 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
27868 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
27872 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
27875 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
27878 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
27879 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
27880 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
27883 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
27884 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
27887 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
27891 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
27892 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
27895 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
27896 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
27899 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
27903 A history of where mails have been split is available.
27906 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
27909 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
27910 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
27913 A new function for citing in Message has been
27914 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
27917 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
27920 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
27924 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
27925 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
27928 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
27929 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
27932 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
27935 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
27939 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
27940 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
27942 New features in Gnus 5.8:
27947 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
27948 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
27950 If you used procmail like in
27953 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
27954 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
27955 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
27956 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
27959 this now has changed to
27963 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
27967 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
27970 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
27971 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
27974 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
27975 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
27978 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
27979 called to position point.
27982 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
27983 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
27986 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
27987 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
27990 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
27991 subtly different manner.
27994 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
27995 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
27996 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
27999 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
28004 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
28007 New features in Gnus 5.10:
28011 @item Installation changes
28012 @c ***********************
28016 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
28018 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
28019 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
28020 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
28021 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
28022 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
28023 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
28024 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
28025 isn't save in general.
28028 Lisp files are now installed in @file{.../site-lisp/gnus/} by default.
28029 It defaulted to @file{.../site-lisp/} formerly. In addition to this,
28030 the new installer issues a warning if other Gnus installations which
28031 will shadow the latest one are detected. You can then remove those
28032 shadows manually or remove them using @code{make
28033 remove-installed-shadows}.
28036 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
28038 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
28039 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
28040 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, if you want
28041 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
28042 the second parameter.
28044 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
28045 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
28046 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
28047 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
28048 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
28049 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
28050 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
28051 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
28052 cycle used under Unix systems.
28054 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} and @file{xemacs.mak}
28055 superfluous, so they have been removed.
28058 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
28060 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
28061 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
28064 @c FIXME: `gnus-load' is mentioned in README, which is not included in
28065 @c the repository. We should find a better place for this item.
28067 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
28069 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
28070 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
28071 lisp directory into load-path.
28073 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
28074 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
28078 @item New packages and libraries within Gnus
28079 @c *****************************************
28084 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
28085 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
28088 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
28090 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
28091 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
28092 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
28093 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
28096 Improved anti-spam features.
28098 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
28099 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
28100 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
28101 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
28102 are also new. @ref{Thwarting Email Spam} and @ref{Spam Package}.
28103 @c FIXME: @xref{Spam Package}?. Should this be under Misc?
28106 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
28108 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
28109 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
28110 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
28111 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
28112 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
28116 @item Changes in group mode
28117 @c ************************
28122 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
28126 Retrieval of charters and control messages
28128 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
28129 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
28132 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
28134 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
28135 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
28136 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
28137 variable in @file{~/.gnus.el} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
28138 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
28141 (setq gnus-parameters
28143 (gnus-show-threads nil)
28144 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
28145 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
28146 (to-group . "\\1"))))
28150 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
28152 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
28153 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
28154 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
28155 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
28156 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
28157 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
28158 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
28159 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
28160 when getting new mail, remove the function.
28163 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
28165 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
28166 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
28167 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
28170 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
28171 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
28173 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
28174 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
28175 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
28177 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
28181 Old intermediate incoming mail files (@file{Incoming*}) are deleted
28182 after a couple of days, not immediately. @xref{Mail Source
28183 Customization}. (New in Gnus 5.10.10 / Emacs 22.2)
28187 @item Changes in summary and article mode
28188 @c **************************************
28193 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
28194 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
28195 region if the region is active.
28198 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
28199 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
28204 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
28205 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
28206 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
28207 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
28210 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
28215 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
28216 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
28218 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
28219 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
28223 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
28224 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
28227 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
28230 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
28231 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
28234 Warn about email replies to news
28236 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
28237 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
28241 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
28242 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
28246 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
28247 opposed to old but unread messages).
28250 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
28251 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
28254 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
28255 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
28258 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
28259 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
28262 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
28264 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
28265 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
28266 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
28267 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
28270 The new command @kbd{W Y f}
28271 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}) allows deuglifying broken
28272 Outlook (Express) articles.
28275 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
28277 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
28278 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
28279 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
28280 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
28282 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
28283 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
28284 message cited below.
28287 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now displayed graphically in
28290 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.gnus.el} to
28294 Face headers handling. @xref{Face}.
28297 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
28298 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
28301 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
28304 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
28306 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
28307 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
28308 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
28309 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
28310 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
28314 Deleting of attachments.
28316 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
28317 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
28318 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
28319 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
28320 that support editing.
28323 @code{gnus-default-charset}
28325 The default value is determined from the
28326 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
28327 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
28328 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
28331 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
28333 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
28334 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
28335 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
28338 Extended format specs.
28340 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
28341 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
28342 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
28343 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
28344 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
28345 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
28348 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
28349 @c FIXME: Was this a user-visible change?
28351 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
28352 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
28353 out other articles.
28356 Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
28358 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
28359 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
28360 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
28361 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
28364 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
28368 @item Changes in Message mode and related Gnus features
28369 @c ****************************************************
28376 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
28377 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
28378 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
28381 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
28382 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
28385 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
28386 Gcc articles as read.
28389 Externalizing of attachments
28391 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
28392 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
28393 local files as external parts.
28396 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
28397 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
28400 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
28402 Earlier it was generated when the user configurable email address was
28403 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
28404 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
28405 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
28406 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
28407 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
28408 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
28409 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
28410 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
28413 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
28415 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
28416 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
28417 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
28418 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
28419 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
28420 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
28423 References and X-Draft-From headers are no longer generated when you
28424 start composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
28428 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers. @xref{X-Face}.
28431 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
28433 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
28434 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
28435 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
28436 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
28437 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
28438 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
28439 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
28440 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
28441 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
28442 was inserted directly.
28445 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
28447 @c FIXME should that not be 'message-user-agent?
28448 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
28449 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
28450 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
28451 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
28454 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
28456 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
28458 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
28459 'bbdb-complete-name)
28463 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
28465 Add a new format of match like
28467 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
28468 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
28470 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
28472 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
28473 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
28477 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
28479 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
28480 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
28481 need add those two headers too.
28484 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
28485 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
28486 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
28490 The option @code{mm-fill-flowed} can be used to disable treatment of
28491 ``format=flowed'' messages. Also, flowed text is disabled when sending
28492 inline PGP signed messages. @xref{Flowed text, , Flowed text,
28493 emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
28494 @c This entry is also present in the node "No Gnus".
28497 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
28499 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
28502 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
28504 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
28508 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
28510 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
28511 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
28512 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
28513 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
28514 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
28515 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
28516 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
28517 The behavior can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
28520 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
28521 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
28523 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
28524 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
28525 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
28526 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
28529 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
28532 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
28533 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
28536 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to the symbol
28539 The behavior for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
28540 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
28541 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
28542 invalidate the digital signature.
28545 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
28546 decompressed when activated.
28547 @c FIXME: Does this affect article or message mode?
28550 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
28552 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
28553 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
28554 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
28555 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
28556 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
28559 @item You can now drag and drop attachments to the Message buffer.
28560 See @code{mml-dnd-protocol-alist} and @code{mml-dnd-attach-options}.
28561 @xref{MIME, ,MIME, message, Message Manual}.
28562 @c New in 5.10.9 / 5.11 (Emacs 22.1)
28564 @item @code{auto-fill-mode} is enabled by default in Message mode.
28565 See @code{message-fill-column}. @xref{Various Message Variables, ,
28566 Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
28567 @c New in Gnus 5.10.12 / 5.11 (Emacs 22.3)
28571 @item Changes in back ends
28572 @c ***********************
28576 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
28579 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
28582 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
28584 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
28587 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
28589 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
28590 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
28591 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
28592 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
28593 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
28594 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
28595 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
28596 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
28597 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
28598 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
28599 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
28609 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
28610 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
28613 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
28614 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
28615 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
28616 message, Message Manual}).
28619 The tool bars have been updated to use GNOME icons in Group, Summary and
28620 Message mode. You can also customize the tool bars: @kbd{M-x
28621 customize-apropos RET -tool-bar$} should get you started. This is a new
28622 feature in Gnus 5.10.10. (Only for Emacs, not in XEmacs.)
28624 @item The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly
28625 in the group buffer, see the variable @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}.
28626 Its default value depends on your Emacs version. This is a new feature
28631 @item Miscellaneous changes
28632 @c ************************
28639 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
28640 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
28641 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
28642 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
28643 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
28644 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
28645 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
28646 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
28647 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
28648 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
28649 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
28650 behavior of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
28651 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
28652 is not needed any more.
28655 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
28657 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
28658 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
28659 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
28664 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
28665 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
28666 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
28670 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
28673 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
28675 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
28682 @subsubsection No Gnus
28685 New features in No Gnus:
28686 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
28688 @include gnus-news.texi
28694 @section The Manual
28698 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
28699 either @code{texi2dvi}
28701 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
28702 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
28704 to get what you hold in your hands now.
28706 The following conventions have been used:
28711 This is a @samp{string}
28714 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
28717 This is a @file{file}
28720 This is a @code{symbol}
28724 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
28728 (setq flargnoze "yes")
28731 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
28734 (setq flumphel 'yes)
28737 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
28738 ever get them confused.
28742 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
28743 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
28744 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
28745 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
28746 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
28747 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
28748 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
28754 @node On Writing Manuals
28755 @section On Writing Manuals
28757 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
28758 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
28759 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
28760 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
28761 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
28762 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code go hand
28765 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
28766 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
28767 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
28770 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
28771 reference manual as source material. It would look quite different.
28776 @section Terminology
28778 @cindex terminology
28783 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
28784 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
28785 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
28786 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
28787 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
28791 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
28792 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
28793 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
28794 not posting, and replying is not following up.
28798 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
28802 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
28807 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
28808 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
28809 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
28810 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
28811 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
28812 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
28813 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
28814 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
28815 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
28818 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
28819 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
28820 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
28821 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
28822 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
28823 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
28825 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
28826 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
28827 access the articles.
28829 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
28830 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
28831 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
28836 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
28837 default, way of getting news.
28841 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
28842 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
28847 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
28848 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
28852 A message that has been posted as news.
28855 @cindex mail message
28856 A message that has been mailed.
28860 A mail message or news article
28864 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
28869 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
28874 A line from the head of an article.
28878 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
28879 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
28881 @item @acronym{NOV}
28882 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
28883 @acronym{NOV} stands for News OverView, which is a type of news server
28884 header which provide datas containing the condensed header information
28885 of articles. They are produced by the server itself; in the @code{nntp}
28886 back end Gnus uses the ones that the @acronym{NNTP} server makes, but
28887 Gnus makes them by itself for some backends (in particular, @code{nnml}).
28889 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
28890 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
28891 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
28892 normal @sc{head} format.
28894 The @acronym{NOV} data consist of one or more text lines (@pxref{Text
28895 Lines, ,Motion by Text Lines, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual})
28896 where each line has the header information of one article. The header
28897 information is a tab-separated series of the header's contents including
28898 an article number, a subject, an author, a date, a message-id,
28901 Those data enable Gnus to generate summary lines quickly. However, if
28902 the server does not support @acronym{NOV} or you disable it purposely or
28903 for some reason, Gnus will try to generate the header information by
28904 parsing each article's headers one by one. It will take time.
28905 Therefore, it is not usually a good idea to set nn*-nov-is-evil
28906 (@pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}) to a non-@code{nil} value unless you
28907 know that the server makes wrong @acronym{NOV} data.
28911 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
28912 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
28913 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
28914 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
28915 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
28916 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
28918 @item killed groups
28919 @cindex killed groups
28920 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
28921 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
28923 @item zombie groups
28924 @cindex zombie groups
28925 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
28928 @cindex active file
28929 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
28930 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
28931 is rather large, as you might surmise.
28934 @cindex bogus groups
28935 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
28936 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
28937 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
28940 @cindex activating groups
28941 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
28942 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
28943 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
28947 News servers store their articles locally in one fashion or other.
28948 One old-fashioned storage method is to have just one file per
28949 article. That's called a ``traditional spool''.
28953 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
28955 @item select method
28956 @cindex select method
28957 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
28960 @item virtual server
28961 @cindex virtual server
28962 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
28963 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
28964 whole is a virtual server.
28968 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
28969 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
28972 @item ephemeral groups
28973 @cindex ephemeral groups
28974 @cindex temporary groups
28975 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
28976 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
28977 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
28980 @cindex solid groups
28981 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
28982 group buffer are solid groups.
28984 @item sparse articles
28985 @cindex sparse articles
28986 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
28987 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
28991 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
28992 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
28996 @cindex thread root
28997 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
28998 articles in the thread.
29002 An article that has responses.
29006 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
29010 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
29011 specified by RFC 1153.
29014 @cindex splitting, terminology
29015 @cindex mail sorting
29016 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
29017 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
29018 incorrectly called mail filtering.
29024 @node Customization
29025 @section Customization
29026 @cindex general customization
29028 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
29029 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
29030 for some quite common situations.
29033 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
29034 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
29035 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
29036 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
29040 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
29041 @subsection Slow/Expensive Connection
29043 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
29044 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
29045 Gnus has to get from the server.
29049 @item gnus-read-active-file
29050 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
29051 entire active file from the server. This file is often very large. You
29052 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
29053 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
29054 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
29056 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
29057 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
29058 Usually this one must @emph{always} be @code{nil} (which is the
29059 default). If, for example, you wish to not use @acronym{NOV}
29060 (@pxref{Terminology}) with the @code{nntp} back end (@pxref{Crosspost
29061 Handling}), set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to a non-@code{nil} value
29062 instead of setting this. But you normally do not need to set
29063 @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} since Gnus by itself will detect whether the
29064 @acronym{NNTP} server supports @acronym{NOV}. Anyway, grabbing article
29065 headers from the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast if you tell
29066 Gnus not to use @acronym{NOV}.
29068 As the variables for the other back ends, there are
29069 @code{nndiary-nov-is-evil}, @code{nndir-nov-is-evil},
29070 @code{nnfolder-nov-is-evil}, @code{nnimap-nov-is-evil},
29071 @code{nnml-nov-is-evil}, and @code{nnspool-nov-is-evil}. Note that a
29072 non-@code{nil} value for @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} overrides all those
29077 @node Slow Terminal Connection
29078 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
29080 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
29081 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
29082 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
29086 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
29087 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
29088 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
29089 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
29090 horizontal and vertical recentering.
29092 @item gnus-visible-headers
29093 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
29094 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
29095 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
29096 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
29098 Use the following to enable all the available hiding features:
29100 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
29101 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
29102 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
29105 @item gnus-use-full-window
29106 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
29107 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
29108 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
29109 want to read them anyway.
29111 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
29112 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
29116 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
29117 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
29118 lines, which might save some time.
29122 @node Little Disk Space
29123 @subsection Little Disk Space
29126 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
29127 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
29131 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
29132 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
29133 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
29134 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
29137 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
29138 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
29139 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
29140 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
29143 @item gnus-save-killed-list
29144 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
29145 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
29146 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
29147 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
29153 @subsection Slow Machine
29154 @cindex slow machine
29156 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
29157 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
29159 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
29160 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
29162 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
29163 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
29164 summary buffer faster. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
29168 @node Troubleshooting
29169 @section Troubleshooting
29170 @cindex troubleshooting
29172 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
29180 Make sure your computer is switched on.
29183 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
29184 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
29188 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
29190 @samp{No Gnus v0.10} @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change this line!
29192 you have the right files loaded. Otherwise you have some old @file{.el}
29193 files lying around. Delete these.
29196 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
29197 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
29200 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
29201 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
29202 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
29203 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
29204 something like that.
29207 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
29210 @cindex reporting bugs
29212 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
29214 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
29215 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
29216 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
29217 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
29219 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
29220 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
29221 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
29222 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
29225 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
29226 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
29227 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
29228 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
29229 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
29230 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
29232 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
29233 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
29234 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
29238 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
29239 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
29242 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
29243 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
29244 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
29245 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
29246 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
29247 you discover some weird behavior when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
29248 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
29249 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
29250 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
29251 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
29252 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
29253 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
29254 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
29255 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
29260 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
29261 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
29262 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
29263 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
29264 helps isolating the real problem areas).
29266 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
29267 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
29268 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
29269 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
29270 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
29271 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
29272 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
29273 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
29274 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
29275 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
29276 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
29277 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
29278 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
29281 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
29282 @cindex ding mailing list
29283 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
29284 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
29285 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
29286 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
29290 @node Gnus Reference Guide
29291 @section Gnus Reference Guide
29293 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
29294 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
29295 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
29296 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
29299 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
29300 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
29301 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
29302 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
29303 and general methods of operation.
29306 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
29307 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
29308 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
29309 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
29310 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
29311 * Group Info:: The group info format.
29312 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
29313 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
29314 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
29318 @node Gnus Utility Functions
29319 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
29320 @cindex Gnus utility functions
29321 @cindex utility functions
29323 @cindex internal variables
29325 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
29326 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
29327 Below is a list of the most common ones.
29331 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
29332 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
29333 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
29335 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
29336 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
29337 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
29339 @item gnus-group-real-name
29340 @findex gnus-group-real-name
29341 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
29344 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
29345 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
29346 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
29347 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
29349 @item gnus-get-info
29350 @findex gnus-get-info
29351 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
29353 @item gnus-group-unread
29354 @findex gnus-group-unread
29355 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
29359 @findex gnus-active
29360 The active entry for @var{group}.
29362 @item gnus-set-active
29363 @findex gnus-set-active
29364 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
29366 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
29367 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
29368 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
29371 @item gnus-continuum-version
29372 @findex gnus-continuum-version
29373 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
29374 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
29377 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
29378 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
29379 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
29381 @item gnus-news-group-p
29382 @findex gnus-news-group-p
29383 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
29385 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
29386 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
29387 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
29389 @item gnus-server-to-method
29390 @findex gnus-server-to-method
29391 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
29393 @item gnus-server-equal
29394 @findex gnus-server-equal
29395 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
29397 @item gnus-group-native-p
29398 @findex gnus-group-native-p
29399 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
29401 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
29402 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
29403 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
29405 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
29406 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
29407 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
29409 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
29410 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
29411 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
29412 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
29414 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
29415 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
29416 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
29418 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
29419 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
29420 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
29422 @item gnus-check-backend-function
29423 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
29424 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
29425 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
29428 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
29432 @item gnus-read-method
29433 @findex gnus-read-method
29434 Prompts the user for a select method.
29439 @node Back End Interface
29440 @subsection Back End Interface
29442 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
29443 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
29444 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
29445 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
29446 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
29447 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
29449 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
29450 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
29451 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
29452 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
29453 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
29454 been opened, the function should fail.
29456 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
29457 name. Take this example:
29461 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
29462 (nntp-port-number 4324))
29465 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
29466 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
29468 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
29469 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
29470 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
29472 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
29473 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
29474 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
29476 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
29477 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
29478 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
29479 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
29480 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
29481 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
29484 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
29485 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
29486 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
29487 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
29490 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
29491 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
29492 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
29493 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
29494 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
29495 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
29496 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
29497 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
29498 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
29499 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
29501 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
29502 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
29503 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
29504 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
29505 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
29506 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
29507 of numbers as long as possible.
29509 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
29510 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
29511 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
29513 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
29516 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
29519 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
29520 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
29521 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
29522 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
29523 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
29524 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
29528 @node Required Back End Functions
29529 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
29533 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
29535 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
29536 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
29537 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
29538 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
29540 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
29541 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
29542 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
29543 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
29545 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
29546 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
29547 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
29548 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
29549 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
29550 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
29551 number, do maximum fetches.
29553 Here's an example HEAD:
29556 221 1056 Article retrieved.
29557 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
29558 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
29559 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
29560 Subject: Re: Something very droll
29561 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
29562 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
29564 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
29565 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
29566 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
29570 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
29571 these in the data buffer.
29573 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
29577 head = error / valid-head
29578 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
29579 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
29580 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
29581 header = <text> eol
29585 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
29587 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
29588 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
29592 nov-buffer = *nov-line
29593 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
29594 field = <text except TAB>
29597 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
29601 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
29603 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
29604 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
29606 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
29607 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
29608 server. In fact, it should do so.
29610 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
29611 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
29614 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
29616 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
29617 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
29620 There should be no data returned.
29623 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
29625 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
29626 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
29627 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
29628 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
29630 There should be no data returned.
29633 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
29635 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
29636 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
29637 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
29638 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
29640 There should be no data returned.
29643 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
29645 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
29647 There should be no data returned.
29650 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
29652 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
29653 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
29654 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
29655 it would be nice if that were possible.
29657 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
29658 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
29659 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
29660 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
29661 into its article buffer.
29663 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
29664 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
29665 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
29666 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
29667 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
29668 on successful article retrieval.
29671 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST INFO)
29673 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
29674 making @var{group} the current group.
29676 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
29679 If @var{info}, it allows the backend to update the group info
29682 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
29685 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
29688 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
29689 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
29690 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
29691 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
29692 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
29693 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
29694 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
29695 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
29696 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
29700 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
29701 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
29702 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
29706 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
29708 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
29709 a no-op on most back ends.
29711 There should be no data returned.
29714 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
29716 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
29719 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
29722 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
29723 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
29726 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
29727 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
29728 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
29729 and the highest as 0.
29732 active-file = *active-line
29733 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
29735 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
29738 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
29739 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
29740 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
29743 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
29745 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
29746 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
29747 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
29748 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
29749 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
29750 clear if the posting could not be completed.
29752 There should be no result data from this function.
29757 @node Optional Back End Functions
29758 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
29762 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
29764 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
29765 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
29766 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
29768 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
29769 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
29770 former is in the same format as the data from
29771 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
29772 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
29775 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
29779 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
29781 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
29782 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
29783 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
29784 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
29785 should return a non-@code{nil} value (exceptionally,
29786 @code{nntp-request-update-info} always returns @code{nil} not to waste
29787 the network resources).
29789 There should be no result data from this function.
29792 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
29794 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
29795 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
29796 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
29797 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
29798 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
29799 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
29800 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
29801 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
29803 There should be no result data from this function.
29806 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
29808 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
29809 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
29810 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
29811 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
29812 propagate the mark information to the server.
29814 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
29817 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
29820 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
29821 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
29822 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
29823 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
29824 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
29825 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
29826 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
29827 possible, not limit itself to these.
29829 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
29830 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
29831 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
29832 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
29834 An example action list:
29837 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
29838 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
29839 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
29842 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
29843 mark on (currently not used for anything).
29845 There should be no result data from this function.
29847 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
29849 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
29850 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
29851 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
29852 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
29853 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
29855 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
29856 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
29857 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
29860 There should be no result data from this function.
29863 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
29865 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
29866 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
29867 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
29868 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
29869 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
29870 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
29871 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
29872 local if that's practical.
29874 There should be no result data from this function.
29877 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
29879 The result data from this function should be a description of
29883 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
29885 description = <text>
29888 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
29890 The result data from this function should be the description of all
29891 groups available on the server.
29894 description-buffer = *description-line
29898 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
29900 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
29901 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
29902 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
29903 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
29904 in the active buffer format.
29906 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
29907 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
29908 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
29909 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
29910 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
29911 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
29912 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
29915 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
29917 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
29919 There should be no return data.
29922 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
29924 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
29925 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
29926 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
29927 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
29928 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
29931 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
29934 There should be no result data returned.
29937 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
29939 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
29940 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
29942 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
29943 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
29944 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
29945 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
29946 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
29947 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
29949 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
29950 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
29953 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
29954 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
29956 There should be no data returned.
29959 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
29961 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
29962 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
29963 this function in short order.
29965 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
29966 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
29968 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
29969 article for that group.
29971 There should be no data returned.
29974 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
29976 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
29977 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
29979 There should be no data returned.
29982 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
29984 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
29985 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
29986 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
29988 There should be no data returned.
29991 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
29993 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
29994 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
29996 There should be no data returned.
30001 @node Error Messaging
30002 @subsubsection Error Messaging
30004 @findex nnheader-report
30005 @findex nnheader-get-report
30006 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
30007 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
30008 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
30009 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
30010 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
30011 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
30014 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
30016 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
30019 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
30020 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
30021 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
30022 takes one argument---the server symbol.
30024 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
30025 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
30026 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
30029 @node Writing New Back Ends
30030 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
30032 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
30033 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
30034 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
30035 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
30036 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
30039 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
30040 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
30041 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
30043 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
30044 package called @code{nnoo}.
30046 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
30047 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
30053 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
30054 parameters. For instance:
30057 (nnoo-declare nndir
30061 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
30062 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
30065 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
30066 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
30067 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
30069 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
30070 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
30071 a function in those back ends.
30074 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
30075 "Where nndir will look for groups."
30076 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
30079 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
30080 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
30081 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
30083 @item nnoo-define-basics
30084 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
30088 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
30092 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
30093 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
30094 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
30096 @item nnoo-map-functions
30097 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
30098 functions from the parent back ends.
30101 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
30102 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
30103 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
30106 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
30107 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
30108 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
30109 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
30112 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
30113 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
30114 haven't already been defined.
30120 nnmh-request-newgroups)
30124 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
30125 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
30126 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
30131 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
30134 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
30135 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,1996 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
30139 (require 'nnheader)
30143 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
30145 (nnoo-declare nndir
30148 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
30149 "Where nndir will look for groups."
30150 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
30152 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
30153 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
30156 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
30158 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
30159 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
30160 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
30162 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
30163 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
30165 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
30167 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
30169 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
30170 (setq nndir-directory
30171 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
30173 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
30174 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
30175 (push `(nndir-current-group
30176 ,(file-name-nondirectory
30177 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
30179 (push `(nndir-top-directory
30180 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
30182 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
30184 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
30185 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
30186 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
30187 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
30188 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
30192 nnmh-status-message
30194 nnmh-request-newgroups))
30200 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
30201 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
30203 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
30204 @findex gnus-declare-backend
30205 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
30206 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
30207 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
30209 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
30210 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
30215 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
30218 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
30220 The abilities can be:
30224 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
30226 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
30228 This back end supports both mail and news.
30230 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
30233 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
30234 articles and groups.
30236 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
30237 true for almost all back ends.
30238 @item prompt-address
30239 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
30240 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
30241 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
30245 @node Mail-like Back Ends
30246 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
30248 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
30249 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
30250 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
30251 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
30254 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
30255 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
30256 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
30259 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
30260 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
30263 This function takes four parameters.
30267 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
30270 @item exit-function
30271 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
30273 @item temp-directory
30274 Where the temporary files should be stored.
30277 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
30278 performed for one group only.
30281 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
30282 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
30283 find the article number assigned to this article.
30285 The function also uses the following variables:
30286 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
30287 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
30288 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
30289 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
30293 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
30294 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
30298 @node Score File Syntax
30299 @subsection Score File Syntax
30301 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
30302 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
30303 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
30305 Here's a typical score file:
30309 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
30316 BNF definition of a score file:
30319 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
30320 element = rule / atom
30321 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
30322 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
30323 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
30324 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
30326 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
30327 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
30328 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
30329 date-header = "date"
30330 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30331 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30332 score = "nil" / <integer>
30333 date = "nil" / <natural number>
30334 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
30335 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
30336 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
30337 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
30338 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30339 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30340 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
30341 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30342 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
30343 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
30344 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
30345 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
30346 exclude-files / read-only / touched
30347 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
30348 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
30349 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
30350 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
30351 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
30352 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
30353 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
30354 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
30355 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
30356 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
30357 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
30358 eval = "eval" space <form>
30359 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
30362 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
30365 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
30366 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
30367 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
30368 one looong line, then that's ok.
30370 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
30371 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
30375 @subsection Headers
30377 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
30378 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
30379 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
30380 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
30382 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
30383 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
30384 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
30385 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
30386 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
30387 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
30388 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
30390 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
30391 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
30392 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
30393 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
30394 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
30396 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
30397 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
30403 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
30404 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
30406 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
30407 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
30408 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
30409 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
30411 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
30415 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
30418 is transformed into
30421 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
30424 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
30425 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
30428 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
30431 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
30432 is slightly tricky:
30435 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
30441 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
30444 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
30450 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
30457 and is equal to the previous range.
30459 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
30460 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
30461 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
30465 range = simple-range / normal-range
30466 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
30467 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
30468 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
30469 number *[ " " contents ]
30472 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
30473 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
30474 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
30475 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
30476 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
30481 @subsection Group Info
30483 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
30484 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
30485 describes the group.
30487 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
30488 second is a more complex one:
30491 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
30493 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
30494 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
30496 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
30499 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
30500 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
30501 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
30502 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
30503 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
30504 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
30505 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
30506 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
30507 this section is about.
30509 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
30510 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
30511 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
30513 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
30516 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
30517 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
30518 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30519 group = quote <string> quote
30520 ralevel = rank / level
30521 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
30522 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
30523 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
30525 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
30526 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
30527 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
30528 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
30531 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
30532 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
30535 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
30536 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
30539 @item gnus-info-group
30540 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
30541 @findex gnus-info-group
30542 @findex gnus-info-set-group
30543 Get/set the group name.
30545 @item gnus-info-rank
30546 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
30547 @findex gnus-info-rank
30548 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
30549 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
30551 @item gnus-info-level
30552 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
30553 @findex gnus-info-level
30554 @findex gnus-info-set-level
30555 Get/set the group level.
30557 @item gnus-info-score
30558 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
30559 @findex gnus-info-score
30560 @findex gnus-info-set-score
30561 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
30563 @item gnus-info-read
30564 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
30565 @findex gnus-info-read
30566 @findex gnus-info-set-read
30567 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
30569 @item gnus-info-marks
30570 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
30571 @findex gnus-info-marks
30572 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
30573 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
30575 @item gnus-info-method
30576 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
30577 @findex gnus-info-method
30578 @findex gnus-info-set-method
30579 Get/set the group select method.
30581 @item gnus-info-params
30582 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
30583 @findex gnus-info-params
30584 @findex gnus-info-set-params
30585 Get/set the group parameters.
30588 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
30589 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
30591 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
30592 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
30593 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
30594 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
30597 @node Extended Interactive
30598 @subsection Extended Interactive
30599 @cindex interactive
30600 @findex gnus-interactive
30602 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
30603 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
30604 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
30607 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
30608 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
30613 The best thing to do would have been to implement
30614 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
30615 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
30616 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
30617 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
30618 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
30619 @code{interactive}.
30621 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
30626 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
30627 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
30631 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
30632 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
30633 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
30636 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
30640 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
30644 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
30650 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
30651 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
30655 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
30656 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
30657 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
30659 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
30660 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
30661 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
30662 Gnus, that's very useful.
30664 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
30665 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
30666 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
30667 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
30668 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
30669 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
30670 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
30671 following function:
30674 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
30678 (,function ,@@args))
30682 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
30683 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
30684 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
30687 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
30688 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
30689 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
30691 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
30692 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
30693 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
30696 @node Various File Formats
30697 @subsection Various File Formats
30700 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
30701 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
30705 @node Active File Format
30706 @subsubsection Active File Format
30708 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
30709 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
30712 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
30715 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
30716 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
30717 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
30718 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
30719 no.general 1000 900 y
30722 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
30725 active = *group-line
30726 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
30727 group = <non-white-space string>
30729 high-number = <non-negative integer>
30730 low-number = <positive integer>
30731 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
30734 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
30735 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
30738 @node Newsgroups File Format
30739 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
30741 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
30742 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
30743 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
30746 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
30747 Here's the definition:
30751 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
30752 group = <non-white-space string>
30754 description = <string>
30759 @node Emacs for Heathens
30760 @section Emacs for Heathens
30762 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
30763 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
30764 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
30765 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
30766 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
30767 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
30768 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
30772 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
30773 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
30778 @subsection Keystrokes
30782 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
30785 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
30788 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
30789 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
30790 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
30791 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
30792 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
30793 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
30795 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
30796 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
30797 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
30798 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
30799 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
30800 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
30801 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
30803 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
30804 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
30805 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
30806 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
30807 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
30808 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
30809 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
30811 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
30812 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
30813 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
30814 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
30815 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
30821 @subsection Emacs Lisp
30823 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
30824 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
30825 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
30826 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
30828 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
30829 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
30830 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
30831 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
30832 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
30833 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
30834 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{~/.gnus.el}
30835 file to customize Gnus. (You can also use the @file{~/.emacs} file, but
30836 in order to set things of Gnus up, it is much better to use the
30837 @file{~/.gnus.el} file, @xref{Startup Files}.)
30839 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
30840 write the following:
30843 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
30846 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
30847 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
30848 you can go and fill your @file{~/.gnus.el} file with lots of these to
30849 change how Gnus works.
30851 If you have put that thing in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, it will be
30852 read and @code{eval}ed (which is Lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
30853 start Gnus. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
30854 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
30855 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
30857 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
30858 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
30859 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
30863 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
30867 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
30870 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
30871 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
30874 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
30877 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
30878 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
30881 @include gnus-faq.texi
30883 @node GNU Free Documentation License
30884 @chapter GNU Free Documentation License
30885 @include doclicense.texi
30903 @c Local Variables:
30905 @c coding: iso-8859-1