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4 @settitle Red Gnus Manual
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176 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
183 \thispagestyle{empty}
185 Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
187 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
188 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
189 are preserved on all copies.
191 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
192 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
193 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
194 permission notice identical to this one.
196 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
197 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
206 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
208 Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
210 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
211 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
212 are preserved on all copies.
215 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
216 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
217 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
218 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
221 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
222 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
223 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
224 permission notice identical to this one.
226 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
227 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
233 @title Red Gnus Manual
235 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
238 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
239 Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
241 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
242 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
243 are preserved on all copies.
245 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
246 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
247 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
248 permission notice identical to this one.
250 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
251 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
260 @top The Red Gnus Newsreader
264 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
265 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
266 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
274 \thispagestyle{empty}
277 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
278 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
280 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
281 being accused of plagiarism:
283 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
284 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
285 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you can
286 even read news with it!
288 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
289 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
290 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
291 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
292 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
299 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
300 * The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
301 * The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
302 * The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
303 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
304 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
305 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
306 * Various:: General purpose settings.
307 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
308 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
309 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
310 * Key Index:: Key Index.
315 @chapter Starting Gnus
320 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
321 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
324 @findex gnus-other-frame
325 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
326 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
327 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
329 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
333 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
334 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
335 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
336 * Slave Gnusii:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
337 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
338 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
339 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
340 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
341 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
342 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
343 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
347 @node Finding the News
348 @section Finding the News
350 @vindex gnus-select-method
352 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
353 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
354 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
355 native method. All groups that are not fetched with this method are
358 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
359 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
362 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
365 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
368 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
371 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
372 certainly be much faster.
374 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
376 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
377 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
378 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
379 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
380 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
381 that fails as well, Gnus will will try to use the machine that is
382 running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long-shot, though.
384 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
385 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
386 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
387 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
389 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
390 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
391 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
392 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
393 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
394 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting.
396 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
398 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
399 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
400 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
401 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
402 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
403 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
405 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
407 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
408 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
409 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
410 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
411 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
412 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
415 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
416 would typically set this variable to
419 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
424 @section The First Time
425 @cindex first time usage
427 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
428 be subscribed by default.
430 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
431 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
432 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
433 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
436 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
437 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is here
438 defined as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
440 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
441 help you with most common problems.
443 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
444 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
448 @node The Server is Down
449 @section The Server is Down
450 @cindex server errors
452 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
453 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
454 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
456 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
457 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
458 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
459 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
460 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
461 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
462 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
464 @findex gnus-no-server
465 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
467 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
468 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
469 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
470 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
471 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
472 1 and 2. (You should preferrably keep no native groups on those two
477 @section Slave Gnusiï
480 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
481 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (eg., if you
482 are using the two different Gnusiï to read from two different servers),
483 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
485 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusiï that use the same
488 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
489 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
490 @dfn{servants}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
491 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
492 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
493 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
494 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
496 Anyways, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
497 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusiï should be started with
498 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
499 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contains information only
500 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
501 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
502 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
503 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
505 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
506 information in the normal (i. e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
509 @node Fetching a Group
510 @section Fetching a Group
512 @findex gnus-fetch-group
513 It it sometime convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
514 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
515 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
516 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
517 It takes the group name as a parameter.
524 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
525 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
526 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
528 This variable should contain a function. Some handy pre-fab values
533 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
534 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
535 Make all new groups zombies. You can browse the zombies later (with
536 @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly, or subscribe to them.
539 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
540 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
541 Subscribe all new groups randomly.
543 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
544 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
545 Subscribe all new groups alphabetically.
547 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
548 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
549 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
550 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
551 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
552 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into it's
553 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
554 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
555 up. Or something like that.
557 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
558 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
559 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
560 you about @strong{all} new groups.
562 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
563 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
568 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
569 A closely related variable is
570 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
571 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
572 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
573 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
576 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above to
577 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
578 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
580 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
581 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
582 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
585 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
588 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
589 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
590 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
591 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
592 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
593 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
594 subscribing these groups.
595 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
596 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
598 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
599 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
600 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
601 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
602 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
603 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
604 and if the the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
605 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
607 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
608 Yet another variable that meddles here is
609 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
610 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
611 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
612 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
613 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
614 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
615 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
616 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
618 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
619 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
620 you could set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
621 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
622 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
623 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
624 is @code{t} by default.
626 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
627 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
628 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
629 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
630 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster &
631 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
632 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
633 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
634 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
635 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
637 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
638 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
639 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
640 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
641 few days. If any do, then it works. If any don't, then it doesn't
642 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
643 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
644 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
645 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
646 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
647 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
649 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
650 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
651 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
652 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
653 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
654 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
657 @node Changing Servers
658 @section Changing Servers
660 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
661 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
662 very flake and you want to use another.
664 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
665 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
669 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
670 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
671 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
672 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
675 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
676 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
677 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
678 functions more than absolutely necessary.
680 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
681 @findex gnus-change-server
682 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
683 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map
684 reads and article marks. The @kbd{M-x gnus-change-server} command will
685 do this for all your native groups. It will prompt for the method you
688 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
689 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
690 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
691 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
692 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
694 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
695 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
696 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
697 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
698 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
699 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
703 @section Startup Files
704 @cindex startup files
707 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
708 information is traditionally stored in this file.
710 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
711 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
712 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
713 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
714 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
715 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
716 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
718 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
719 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
720 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
721 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file.
723 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
724 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
725 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
726 the file and save some space, as well as making exit from Gnus faster.
727 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
728 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right?
730 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
731 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
732 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
733 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
734 will also means that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
735 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
736 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
737 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
740 @vindex gnus-startup-file
741 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
742 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
743 file being whatever that one is with a @samp{.eld} appended.
745 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
746 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
747 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
748 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
749 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
750 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
751 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
752 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
753 control on or off. Version control is off by default when saving the
756 @vindex gnus-init-file
757 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-init-file} file, which is
758 @file{~/.gnus.el} by default. This is a normal Emacs Lisp file and can
759 be used to avoid cluttering your @file{.emacs} file with Gnus stuff.
767 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
768 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
769 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
770 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
771 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
774 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
775 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
778 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
779 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
780 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
782 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
783 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
784 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
785 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
786 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
787 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
790 @node The Active File
791 @section The Active File
793 @cindex ignored groups
795 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
796 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
797 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
799 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
800 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
801 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
802 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
803 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
804 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
805 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
808 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
809 @c if you set it to anything else.
811 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
813 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
814 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
815 reading the active file. This variable is @code{t} by default.
817 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
818 you actually subscribe to.
820 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
821 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
822 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
823 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
825 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
826 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
827 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
828 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
829 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
830 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
832 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
833 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
834 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
835 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
836 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
837 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
839 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
840 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
843 @node Startup Variables
844 @section Startup Variables
849 @vindex gnus-load-hook
850 A hook that is run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
851 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
852 times you start Gnus.
854 @item gnus-startup-hook
855 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
856 A hook that is run after starting up Gnus successfully.
858 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
859 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
860 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
861 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
862 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
863 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
864 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
865 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
867 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
868 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
869 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
870 your boss might not notice that you are reading news instead of doing
873 @item gnus-no-groups-message
874 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
875 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
879 @node The Group Buffer
880 @chapter The Group Buffer
883 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
884 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
885 long as Gnus is active.
888 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
889 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
890 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
891 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
892 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
893 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
894 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
895 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
896 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
897 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
898 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
899 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
900 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
901 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
902 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
903 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
907 @node Group Buffer Format
908 @section Group Buffer Format
909 @cindex group buffer format
912 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
913 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
914 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
918 @node Group Line Specification
919 @subsection Group Line Specification
921 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
922 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
924 Here's a couple of example group lines:
927 25: news.announce.newusers
928 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
933 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
934 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
935 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
936 asterisk at the beginning of the line?)
938 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
939 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
940 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
941 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
942 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
943 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
945 The default value that produced those lines above is
946 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n}.
948 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
949 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
950 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
951 never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
954 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
955 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
956 instead of wasting time reading news.)
958 Here's a list of all available format characters:
963 Only marked articles.
966 Whether the group is subscribed.
969 Level of subscribedness.
972 Number of unread articles.
975 Number of dormant articles.
978 Number of ticked articles.
981 Number of read articles.
984 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
985 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
988 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
991 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1000 Newsgroup description.
1003 @samp{m} if moderated.
1006 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1015 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1019 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1022 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1023 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1024 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1025 The default is @code{1}.
1028 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1029 be a letter. @sc{gnus} will call the function
1030 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1031 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current headers as
1032 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
1033 into the buffer just like information from any other specifier.
1037 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1038 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1039 group, or a bogus (or semi-bogus) native group.
1042 @node Group Modeline Specification
1043 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1045 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1046 The mode line can be changed by setting
1047 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). It
1048 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1052 The native news server.
1054 The native select method.
1058 @node Group Highlighting
1059 @subsection Group Highlighting
1061 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1062 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1063 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1064 that look like @var{(form . face)}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1065 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1067 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1071 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1073 ,(custom-face-lookup "Red" nil nil t nil nil))
1074 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) .
1075 ,(custom-face-lookup "SeaGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
1077 ,(custom-face-lookup "SpringGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
1079 ,(custom-face-lookup "SteelBlue" nil nil t nil nil))
1081 ,(custom-face-lookup "SkyBlue" nil nil t nil nil))
1085 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1092 The number of unread articles in the group.
1096 Whether the group is a mail group.
1098 The level of the group.
1100 The score of the group.
1102 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1104 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1105 topic being inserted.
1108 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1109 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1110 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1112 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1113 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1114 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1115 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1116 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1119 @node Group Maneuvering
1120 @section Group Maneuvering
1121 @cindex group movement
1123 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1124 expected, hopefully.
1130 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1131 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1132 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1139 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1140 Go to the previous group group that has unread articles
1141 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1145 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1146 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1150 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1151 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1155 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1156 Go to the next unread group on the same level (or lower)
1157 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1161 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1162 Go to the previous unread group on the same level (or lower)
1163 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1166 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1172 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1173 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1174 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1179 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1180 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1181 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1185 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1186 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1187 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1190 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1191 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1192 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1193 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1197 @node Selecting a Group
1198 @section Selecting a Group
1199 @cindex group selection
1204 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1205 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1206 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1207 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1208 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1209 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1210 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, Gnus
1211 will fetch @var{N} number of articles. If @var{N} is positive, fetch
1212 the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is negative, fetch the
1213 @var{abs(N)} oldest articles.
1217 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1218 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1219 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1220 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1221 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1225 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1226 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1227 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1228 minimum amount off fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1229 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1230 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1231 enter some humongous group.
1234 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1235 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1236 This is yet one more command that does the same as the one above, but
1237 this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1238 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1242 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
1243 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
1244 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
1245 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
1246 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is when catching up a group from
1251 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
1252 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
1253 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
1257 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1258 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
1259 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1261 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1262 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1263 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1264 If you have switced from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
1265 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
1266 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
1271 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1272 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
1273 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1274 unread articles than this, Gnus will query the user before entering the
1275 group. The user can then specify how many articles should be fetched
1276 from the server. If the user specifies a negative number (@code{-n}),
1277 the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it is positive, the
1278 @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will be fetched.
1280 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
1281 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
1282 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
1283 automatically when entering a group.
1288 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
1289 full summary buffer.
1292 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
1295 Select the most high-scored article in the group when entering the
1299 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
1300 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
1301 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
1305 @node Subscription Commands
1306 @section Subscription Commands
1315 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
1316 Toggle subscription to the current group
1317 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
1323 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
1324 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
1325 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
1326 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
1332 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
1333 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
1339 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
1340 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
1343 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
1344 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
1345 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
1346 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
1347 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
1353 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
1354 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
1358 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
1359 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
1362 @kindex S C-k (Group)
1363 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
1364 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
1365 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
1366 be used with some caution. The only thing where this command comes in
1367 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
1368 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level @code{7} will
1369 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
1370 @file{.newsrc} file.
1374 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1378 @section Group Levels
1381 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
1382 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
1383 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
1384 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
1385 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1387 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
1393 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
1394 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
1395 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
1396 prompted for a level.
1399 @vindex gnus-level-killed
1400 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
1401 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
1402 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
1403 Gnus considers groups on between levels 1 and
1404 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
1405 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
1406 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
1407 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
1408 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (default 9),
1409 completely dead. Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly
1410 the same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what
1411 articles you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and
1412 living groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely
1413 for reasons of efficiency.
1415 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
1416 low levels (eg. 1 or 2).
1418 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
1419 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
1420 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
1422 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
1423 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
1424 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
1425 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
1426 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
1427 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
1428 relevant legal ranges.
1430 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
1431 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
1432 will only move to groups that are of the same level (or lower). In
1433 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
1434 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
1435 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
1438 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
1439 All groups with a level less than or equal to
1440 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
1443 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
1444 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
1445 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
1446 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
1449 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
1450 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
1451 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
1452 use this level as the ``work'' level.
1454 @vindex gnus-activate-level
1455 Gnus will normally just activate groups that are on level
1456 @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to activate
1457 unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable to
1462 @section Group Score
1465 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
1466 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
1467 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
1470 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can assign a score to each
1471 group. You can then sort the group buffer based on this score.
1472 Alternatively, you can sort on score and then level. (Taken together,
1473 the level and the score is called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group
1474 that is on level 4 and has a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group
1475 on level 5 that has a score of 300. (The level is the most significant
1476 part and the score is the least significant part.)
1478 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
1479 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
1480 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
1481 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
1482 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
1483 action after each summary exit, you can add
1484 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
1485 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
1486 slow things down somewhat.
1489 @node Marking Groups
1490 @section Marking Groups
1491 @cindex marking groups
1493 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
1494 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
1495 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
1496 bidding on those groups.
1498 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
1499 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
1500 with the process mark and then execute the command.
1508 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
1509 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
1515 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
1516 Remove the mark from the current group
1517 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
1521 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
1522 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
1526 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
1527 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
1531 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
1532 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
1536 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
1537 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
1538 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
1541 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
1543 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
1544 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
1545 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
1546 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
1547 the command to be executed.
1550 @node Foreign Groups
1551 @section Foreign Groups
1553 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
1554 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
1555 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
1556 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
1563 @findex gnus-group-make-group
1564 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
1565 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
1566 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
1570 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
1571 Rename the current group to something else
1572 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is legal only on some
1573 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
1578 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
1579 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
1580 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
1584 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
1585 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
1586 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
1590 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
1591 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
1592 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
1596 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
1597 Make a directory group. You will be prompted for a directory name
1598 (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
1602 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
1603 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
1607 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
1608 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
1609 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
1610 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
1611 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
1612 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
1613 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
1617 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
1618 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
1619 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
1620 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
1621 @xref{Kibozed Groups}
1625 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
1626 Read an arbitrary directory as if with were a newsgroup with the
1627 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
1631 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
1632 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
1633 Make a group based on some file or other
1634 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1635 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
1636 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
1637 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs}, and
1638 @code{forward}. If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will
1639 guess at the file type.
1642 @kindex G DEL (Group)
1643 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
1644 This function will delete the current group
1645 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
1646 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
1647 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
1648 absolutely sure of what you are doing.
1652 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
1653 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
1654 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}).
1658 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
1659 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
1660 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
1663 @xref{Select Methods} for more information on the various select
1666 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
1667 If the @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
1668 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
1669 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
1670 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers.
1673 @node Group Parameters
1674 @section Group Parameters
1675 @cindex group parameters
1677 Gnus stores all information on a group in a list that is usually known
1678 as the @dfn{group info}. This list has from three to six elements.
1679 Here's an example info.
1682 ("nnml:mail.ding" 3 ((1 . 232) 244 (256 . 270)) ((tick 246 249))
1683 (nnml "private") ((to-address . "ding@@ifi.uio.no")))
1686 The first element is the @dfn{group name}, as Gnus knows the group,
1687 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
1688 normally is a small integer. The third element is a list of ranges of
1689 read articles. The fourth element is a list of lists of article marks
1690 of various kinds. The fifth element is the select method (or virtual
1691 server, if you like). The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group
1692 parameters}, which is what this section is about.
1694 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
1695 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
1696 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
1698 The group parameters store information local to a particular group:
1703 If the group parameter list contains an element that looks like
1704 @code{(to-address . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used by
1705 the backend when doing followups and posts. This is primarily useful in
1706 mail groups that represent closed mailing lists---mailing lists where
1707 it's expected that everybody that writes to the mailing list is
1708 subscribed to it. Since using this parameter ensures that the mail only
1709 goes to the mailing list itself, it means that members won't receive two
1710 copies of your followups.
1712 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
1713 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
1714 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
1715 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
1716 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
1717 list address instead.
1721 If the group parameter list has an element that looks like
1722 @code{(to-list . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used when
1723 doing a @kbd{a} in any group. It is totally ignored when doing a
1724 followup---except that if it is present in a news group, you'll get mail
1725 group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
1727 @item broken-reply-to
1728 @cindex broken-reply-to
1729 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
1730 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
1731 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
1732 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
1733 broken behavior. So there!
1737 If the group parameter list contains an element like @code{(to-group
1738 . "some.group.name")}, all posts will be sent to that group.
1742 If this symbol is present in the group parameter list, new composed
1743 messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group.
1747 If this symbol is present in the group parameter list, all articles that
1748 are read will be marked as expirable. For an alternative approach,
1749 @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
1752 @cindex total-expire
1753 If this symbol is present, all read articles will be put through the
1754 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
1759 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
1760 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
1761 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
1762 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
1763 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
1764 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
1767 @cindex score file group parameter
1768 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
1769 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. This
1770 means that all score commands you issue will end up in that file.
1773 @cindex adapt file group parameter
1774 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
1775 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
1776 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
1779 When unsubscribing to a mailing list you should never send the
1780 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
1781 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
1782 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
1785 This parameter allows you to enter a arbitrary comment on the group.
1787 @item @var{(variable form)}
1788 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
1789 are entering. Say you want to turn threading off in
1790 @samp{news.answers}. You'd then put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in
1791 the group parameters of that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be
1792 made into a local variable in the summary buffer you enter, and the form
1793 @code{nil} will be @code{eval}ed there.
1795 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
1796 If you want to hear a beep when you enter the group
1797 @samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, you could put something like
1798 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group.
1799 @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the @code{(ding)}
1800 form, but who cares?
1804 Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group.
1806 Also @xref{Topic Parameters}.
1809 @node Listing Groups
1810 @section Listing Groups
1811 @cindex group listing
1813 These commands all list various slices of the groups that are available.
1821 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
1822 List all groups that have unread articles
1823 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
1824 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
1825 only lists groups of level five or lower (i.e., just subscribed groups).
1831 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
1832 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
1833 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
1834 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
1835 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
1836 unsubscribed groups).
1840 @findex gnus-group-list-level
1841 List all unread groups on a specific level
1842 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
1843 with no unread articles.
1847 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
1848 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
1849 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
1850 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
1855 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
1856 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
1860 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
1861 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
1862 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
1866 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
1867 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
1871 @findex gnus-group-list-active
1872 List absolutely all groups that are in the active file(s) of the
1873 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
1874 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
1875 to do a @kbd{A m} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
1876 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list group that
1877 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they are killed groups.
1878 Take the output with some grains of salt.
1882 @findex gnus-group-apropos
1883 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
1884 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
1888 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
1889 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
1890 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
1894 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
1895 @cindex visible group parameter
1896 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
1897 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
1898 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
1899 get the same effect.
1901 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
1902 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
1903 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
1904 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
1905 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
1908 @node Sorting Groups
1909 @section Sorting Groups
1910 @cindex sorting groups
1912 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
1913 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
1914 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
1915 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
1916 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
1917 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
1922 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
1923 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
1924 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
1926 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
1927 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
1928 Sort by group level.
1930 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
1931 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
1932 Sort by group score.
1934 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
1935 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
1936 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
1937 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}.
1939 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
1940 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
1941 Sort by number of unread articles.
1943 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
1944 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
1945 Sort by alphabetically on the select method.
1950 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
1951 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
1955 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
1956 some sorting criteria:
1960 @kindex G S a (Group)
1961 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
1962 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
1963 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
1966 @kindex G S u (Group)
1967 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
1968 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
1969 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
1972 @kindex G S l (Group)
1973 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
1974 Sort the group buffer by group level
1975 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
1978 @kindex G S v (Group)
1979 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
1980 Sort the group buffer by group score
1981 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}).
1984 @kindex G S r (Group)
1985 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
1986 Sort the group buffer by group level
1987 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}).
1990 @kindex G S m (Group)
1991 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
1992 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
1993 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
1997 When given a prefix, all these commands will sort in reverse order.
2000 @node Group Maintenance
2001 @section Group Maintenance
2002 @cindex bogus groups
2007 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
2008 Find bogus groups and delete them
2009 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
2013 @findex gnus-find-new-newsgroups
2014 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-find-new-newsgroups}). If
2015 given a prefix, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server for
2019 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
2020 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
2021 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
2022 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
2025 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
2026 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
2027 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
2028 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
2033 @node Browse Foreign Server
2034 @section Browse Foreign Server
2035 @cindex foreign servers
2036 @cindex browsing servers
2041 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
2042 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
2043 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
2044 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
2047 @findex gnus-browse-mode
2048 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
2049 will be use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit
2050 (well, a lot) like a normal group buffer, but with one major difference
2051 - you can't enter any of the groups. If you want to read any of the
2052 news available on that server, you have to subscribe to the groups you
2053 think may be interesting, and then you have to exit this buffer. The
2054 new groups will be added to the group buffer, and then you can read them
2055 as you would any other group.
2057 Future versions of Gnus may possibly permit reading groups straight from
2060 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
2065 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2066 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2070 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2071 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2074 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
2075 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
2076 Enter the current group and display the first article
2077 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
2080 @kindex RET (Browse)
2081 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
2082 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
2086 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
2087 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
2088 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2094 @findex gnus-browse-exit
2095 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
2099 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
2100 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
2101 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
2106 @section Exiting Gnus
2107 @cindex exiting Gnus
2109 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
2114 @findex gnus-group-suspend
2115 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
2116 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
2117 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
2121 @findex gnus-group-exit
2122 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
2126 @findex gnus-group-quit
2127 Quit Gnus without saving any startup files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
2130 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
2131 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
2132 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
2133 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
2134 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
2139 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
2140 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
2141 trying to customize meta-variables.
2146 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, feels her feet go
2147 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
2148 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
2154 @section Group Topics
2157 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
2158 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
2159 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
2160 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
2161 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
2162 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
2164 @findex gnus-topic-mode
2166 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
2167 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
2168 is a toggling command.)
2170 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
2171 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
2172 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
2173 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
2176 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
2177 the hook for the group mode:
2180 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
2184 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
2185 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
2186 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
2187 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
2191 @node Topic Variables
2192 @subsection Topic Variables
2193 @cindex topic variables
2195 Now, if you select a topic, if will fold/unfold that topic, which is
2196 really neat, I think.
2198 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
2199 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
2200 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
2213 Number of groups in the topic.
2215 Number of unread articles in the topic.
2217 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
2220 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
2221 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
2222 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
2223 The default is @code{2}.
2225 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
2226 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
2229 @node Topic Commands
2230 @subsection Topic Commands
2231 @cindex topic commands
2233 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
2234 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
2235 definitions slightly.
2241 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
2242 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
2243 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
2247 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
2248 Move the current group to some other topic
2249 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command understands the
2250 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2254 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
2255 Copy the current group to some other topic
2256 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command understands the
2257 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2261 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
2262 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
2263 This command understands the process/prefix convention
2264 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2268 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
2269 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2270 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
2274 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
2275 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2276 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
2280 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
2281 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
2282 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
2285 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
2286 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
2287 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
2288 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
2292 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
2294 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
2295 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
2296 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
2297 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
2298 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
2299 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
2302 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
2303 @findex gnus-topic-indent
2304 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
2305 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
2306 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
2310 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
2311 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}).
2315 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
2316 Yank the previously killed group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}).
2317 Note that all topics will be yanked before all groups.
2321 @findex gnus-topic-rename
2322 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
2325 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
2326 @findex gnus-topic-delete
2327 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
2331 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
2332 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
2333 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
2337 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
2338 @cindex group parameters
2339 @cindex topic parameters
2341 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
2342 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
2347 @node Topic Topology
2348 @subsection Topic Topology
2349 @cindex topic topology
2352 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
2358 2: alt.religion.emacs
2361 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2363 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2364 13: comp.sources.unix
2367 So, here we have one top-level topic, two topics under that, and one
2368 sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always just one (1)
2369 top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as follows:
2373 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
2374 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
2378 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
2379 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
2380 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
2381 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
2382 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
2383 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
2385 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
2386 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
2387 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
2390 @node Topic Parameters
2391 @subsection Topic Parameters
2393 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
2394 ancestor) topic parameters. All legal group parameters are legal topic
2395 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
2397 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
2398 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
2399 know. Normal inheretance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
2400 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
2406 2: alt.religion.emacs
2410 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2412 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2413 13: comp.sources.unix
2417 Now, the @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter
2418 @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic
2419 parameter @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc}
2420 topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In
2421 addition, @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter
2422 @code{(score-file . "religion.SCORE")}.
2424 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
2425 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
2426 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
2427 score file. If you enter @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll get the
2428 @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
2430 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
2431 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
2432 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
2433 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
2434 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
2435 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
2436 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
2437 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
2440 @node Misc Group Stuff
2441 @section Misc Group Stuff
2444 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
2445 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
2446 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
2453 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
2454 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}). @xref{The
2459 @findex gnus-group-post-news
2460 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). The current
2461 group name will be used as the default.
2465 @findex gnus-group-mail
2466 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
2470 Variables for the group buffer:
2474 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
2475 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
2476 @code{gnus-group-mode-hook} is called after the group buffer has been
2479 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
2480 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
2481 @code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} is called after the group buffer is
2482 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
2485 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2486 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2487 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
2488 whether they are empty or not.
2493 @node Scanning New Messages
2494 @subsection Scanning New Messages
2495 @cindex new messages
2496 @cindex scanning new news
2502 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
2503 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
2504 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
2505 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
2506 command will force a total rereading of the active file(s) from the
2511 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
2512 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
2513 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
2514 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}). The
2515 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} variable controls whether
2516 this command is to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t}
2519 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
2520 @cindex activating groups
2522 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
2523 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
2528 @findex gnus-group-restart
2529 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}).
2533 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
2534 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
2536 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
2537 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
2541 @node Group Information
2542 @subsection Group Information
2543 @cindex group information
2544 @cindex information on groups
2550 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
2553 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
2554 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
2555 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
2556 remote machine. @code{ange-ftp} will be used for fetching the file.
2560 @cindex describing groups
2561 @cindex group description
2562 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
2563 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
2564 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
2568 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
2569 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
2570 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
2575 @findex gnus-version
2576 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
2580 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
2581 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
2584 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
2587 @findex gnus-info-find-node
2588 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
2593 @subsection File Commands
2594 @cindex file commands
2600 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
2601 @vindex gnus-init-file
2602 @cindex reading init file
2603 Read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
2604 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
2608 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
2609 @cindex saving .newsrc
2610 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
2611 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
2612 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
2615 @c @kindex Z (Group)
2616 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
2617 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
2622 @node The Summary Buffer
2623 @chapter The Summary Buffer
2624 @cindex summary buffer
2626 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
2627 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
2630 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
2631 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
2632 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
2633 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
2634 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
2635 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
2636 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
2637 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
2638 * Threading:: How threads are made.
2639 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
2640 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
2641 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
2642 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
2643 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
2644 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
2645 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
2646 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
2647 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
2648 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
2649 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
2650 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
2651 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
2652 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
2653 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
2654 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
2655 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
2659 @node Summary Buffer Format
2660 @section Summary Buffer Format
2661 @cindex summary buffer format
2664 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
2665 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
2666 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
2669 @findex mail-extract-address-components
2670 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
2671 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
2672 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
2673 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
2674 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined function exist:
2675 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
2676 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
2677 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
2678 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
2679 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead.
2681 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
2682 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
2683 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
2684 with those specs that require it. The default is @samp{}.
2687 @node Summary Buffer Lines
2688 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
2690 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
2691 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
2692 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
2693 lines a a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
2694 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
2696 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
2698 The following format specification characters are understood:
2706 Subject if the article is the root or the previous article had a
2707 different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
2708 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @samp{}.)
2710 Full @code{From} header.
2712 The name (from the @code{From} header).
2714 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
2715 spec in that it uses @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is
2716 slower, but may be more thorough.
2718 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
2721 Number of lines in the article.
2723 Number of characters in the article.
2725 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
2727 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
2728 pushes everything after it off the screen).
2730 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{\[}, but can also be @samp{<}
2731 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
2733 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{\]}, but can also be @samp{>}
2734 for adopted articles.
2736 One space for each thread level.
2738 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
2746 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
2747 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
2748 default level. If the difference between
2749 @code{gnus-summary-default-level} and the score is less than
2750 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
2758 The @code{Date} in @code{YY-MMM} format.
2760 The @code{Date} in @code{YYYYMMDDTHHMMSS} format.
2766 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
2767 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
2769 A single character will be displayed if the article has any children.
2773 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
2774 be a letter. @sc{gnus} will call the function
2775 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
2776 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
2777 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
2778 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
2781 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
2782 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
2783 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
2784 that. This means that it is illegal to have these specs after a
2785 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
2786 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
2788 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
2789 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
2791 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
2794 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
2795 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
2797 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
2798 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar. Set
2799 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you like. Here are the
2800 elements you can play with:
2806 Unprefixed group name.
2808 Current article number.
2812 Number of unread articles in this group.
2814 Number of unselected articles in this group.
2816 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
2817 either as @samp{<%U(+%u) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
2818 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
2819 and no unselected ones.
2821 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
2822 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
2824 Subject of the current article.
2828 Name of the current score file.
2830 Number of dormant articles.
2832 Number of ticked articles.
2834 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
2836 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
2840 @node Summary Highlighting
2841 @subsection Summary Highlighting
2845 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
2846 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
2847 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
2848 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
2849 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
2851 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
2852 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
2853 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
2854 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
2856 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
2857 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
2858 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) that is used to
2859 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
2861 @item gnus-summary-highlight
2862 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
2863 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
2864 list where the elements are on the format @code{(FORM . FACE)}. If you
2865 would, for instance, like ticked articles to be italic and high-scored
2866 articles to be bold, you could set this variable to something like
2868 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
2869 ((> score default) . bold))
2871 As you may have guessed, if @var{FORM} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
2872 @var{FACE} will be applied to the line.
2876 @node Summary Maneuvering
2877 @section Summary Maneuvering
2878 @cindex summary movement
2880 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
2881 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
2883 None of these commands select articles.
2888 @kindex M-n (Summary)
2889 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
2890 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
2891 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
2892 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
2896 @kindex M-p (Summary)
2897 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
2898 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
2899 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
2900 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
2905 @kindex G j (Summary)
2906 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
2907 Ask for an article number and then go that article
2908 (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
2911 @kindex G g (Summary)
2912 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
2913 Ask for an article number and then go the summary line of that article
2914 (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
2917 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
2918 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
2919 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
2920 to the group buffer.
2922 Variables related to summary movement:
2926 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
2927 @item gnus-auto-select-next
2928 If you are at the end of the group and issue one of the movement
2929 commands, Gnus will offer to go to the next group. If this variable is
2930 @code{t} and the next group is empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and
2931 return to the group buffer. If this variable is neither @code{t} nor
2932 @code{nil}, Gnus will select the next group, no matter whether it has
2933 any unread articles or not. As a special case, if this variable is
2934 @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
2935 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same will
2936 happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
2937 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
2938 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
2939 @pxref{Group Levels}.
2941 @item gnus-auto-select-same
2942 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
2943 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
2944 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
2945 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
2946 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) This variable is not
2947 particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
2949 @item gnus-summary-check-current
2950 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
2951 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
2952 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
2953 Instead, they will choose the current article.
2955 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
2956 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
2957 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
2958 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
2959 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
2960 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
2961 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
2962 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
2968 @node Choosing Articles
2969 @section Choosing Articles
2970 @cindex selecting articles
2972 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
2973 and they all select and display an article.
2977 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
2978 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
2979 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
2980 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
2985 @kindex G n (Summary)
2986 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
2987 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
2992 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
2993 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
2998 @kindex G N (Summary)
2999 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
3000 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
3005 @kindex G P (Summary)
3006 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
3007 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
3010 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
3011 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
3012 Go to the next article with the same subject
3013 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
3016 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
3017 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
3018 Go to the previous article with the same subject
3019 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
3023 @kindex G f (Summary)
3025 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
3026 Go to the first unread article
3027 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
3031 @kindex G b (Summary)
3033 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
3034 Go to the article with the highest score
3035 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
3040 @kindex G l (Summary)
3041 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
3042 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
3045 @kindex G p (Summary)
3046 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
3047 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
3048 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
3049 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
3050 history as you like.
3053 Some variables that are relevant for moving and selecting articles:
3056 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3057 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3058 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
3059 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
3060 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
3061 the server and display it in the article buffer.
3063 @item gnus-select-article-hook
3064 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
3065 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
3066 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
3068 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
3069 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
3070 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
3071 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
3072 @findex gnus-unread-mark
3073 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
3074 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
3075 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
3076 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
3077 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
3078 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
3079 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
3080 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
3081 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
3086 @node Paging the Article
3087 @section Scrolling the Article
3088 @cindex article scrolling
3093 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3094 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3095 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
3096 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
3097 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3100 @kindex DEL (Summary)
3101 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
3102 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
3105 @kindex RET (Summary)
3106 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
3107 Scroll the current article one line forward
3108 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
3112 @kindex A g (Summary)
3114 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
3115 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
3116 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
3117 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
3118 the way it came from the server.
3123 @kindex A < (Summary)
3124 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
3125 Scroll to the beginning of the article
3126 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
3131 @kindex A > (Summary)
3132 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
3133 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
3136 @kindex A s (Summary)
3137 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
3138 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
3139 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
3144 @node Reply Followup and Post
3145 @section Reply, Followup and Post
3148 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
3149 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
3153 @node Summary Mail Commands
3154 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
3156 @cindex composing mail
3158 Commands for composing a mail message:
3164 @kindex S r (Summary)
3166 @findex gnus-summary-reply
3167 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
3168 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
3173 @kindex S R (Summary)
3174 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
3175 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
3176 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
3177 command uses the process/prefix convention.
3180 @kindex S o m (Summary)
3181 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
3182 Forward the current article to some other person
3183 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}).
3186 @kindex S o p (Summary)
3187 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
3188 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
3189 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
3194 @kindex S m (Summary)
3195 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
3196 Send a mail to some other person
3197 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
3200 @kindex S D b (Summary)
3201 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
3202 @cindex bouncing mail
3203 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
3204 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
3205 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
3206 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
3207 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
3208 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
3209 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
3210 very well fail, though.
3213 @kindex S D r (Summary)
3214 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
3215 Not to be confused with the previous command,
3216 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
3217 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
3218 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
3219 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
3220 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
3221 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
3222 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
3224 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
3225 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
3226 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
3227 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
3228 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
3231 @kindex S O m (Summary)
3232 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
3233 Digest the current series and forward the result using mail
3234 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
3235 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3238 @kindex S O p (Summary)
3239 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
3240 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
3241 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}).
3244 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
3245 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
3246 @cindex crossposting
3247 @cindex excessive crossposting
3248 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
3249 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
3251 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
3252 This command is provided as a way to fight back agains the current
3253 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
3254 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
3255 command understands the process/prefix convention
3256 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
3261 @node Summary Post Commands
3262 @subsection Summary Post Commands
3264 @cindex composing news
3266 Commands for posting an article:
3272 @kindex S p (Summary)
3273 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
3274 Post an article to the current group
3275 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
3280 @kindex S f (Summary)
3281 @findex gnus-summary-followup
3282 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
3286 @kindex S F (Summary)
3288 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
3289 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
3290 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
3291 process/prefix convention.
3294 @kindex S u (Summary)
3295 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
3296 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
3297 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
3301 @node Canceling and Superseding
3302 @section Canceling Articles
3303 @cindex canceling articles
3304 @cindex superseding articles
3306 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
3307 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
3309 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
3311 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
3313 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
3314 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
3315 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
3316 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
3318 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
3319 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
3322 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
3323 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
3324 your original article.
3326 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
3328 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
3329 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
3330 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
3333 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
3334 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
3335 have posted almost the same article twice.
3337 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
3338 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
3339 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
3340 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*post-buf*}). There you will
3341 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
3342 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
3343 header by substituting one of those words for @code{Message-ID}. Then
3344 just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as you would do normally.
3345 The previous article will be canceled/superseded.
3347 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
3350 @node Marking Articles
3351 @section Marking Articles
3352 @cindex article marking
3353 @cindex article ticking
3356 There are several marks you can set on an article.
3358 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
3359 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
3360 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
3362 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
3365 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
3366 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
3367 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
3371 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
3375 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
3376 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
3380 @node Unread Articles
3381 @subsection Unread Articles
3383 The following marks mark articles as unread, in one form or other.
3385 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
3386 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
3389 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
3390 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
3391 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
3392 tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
3393 article forever, you'll have to save it. Ticked articles have a
3394 @samp{!} (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}) in the first column.
3397 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
3398 A @dfn{dormant} article is marked with a @samp{?}
3399 (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}), and will only appear in the summary buffer
3400 if there are followups to it.
3403 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
3404 An @dfn{unread} article is marked with a @samp{SPACE}
3405 (@code{gnus-unread-mark}). These are articles that haven't been read at
3411 @subsection Read Articles
3412 @cindex expirable mark
3414 All the following marks mark articles as read.
3419 @vindex gnus-del-mark
3420 Articles that are marked as read. They have a @samp{r}
3421 (@code{gnus-del-mark}) in the first column. These are articles that the
3422 user has marked as read more or less manually.
3425 @vindex gnus-read-mark
3426 Articles that are actually read are marked with @samp{R}
3427 (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
3430 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
3431 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions are now
3432 @dfn{old} and marked with @samp{O} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
3435 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
3436 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
3439 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
3440 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
3443 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
3444 Marked as read by having a too low score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
3447 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
3448 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
3451 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
3452 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
3455 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
3456 @sc{SOUP}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}
3459 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
3460 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
3464 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
3465 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
3466 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}
3470 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
3471 They are interpreted differently by the adaptive scoring scheme,
3474 One more special mark, though:
3478 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
3479 You can also mark articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as
3480 such automatically). That doesn't make much sense in normal groups,
3481 because a user does not control the expiring of news articles, but in
3482 mail groups, for instance, articles that are marked as @dfn{expirable}
3483 can be deleted by Gnus at any time. Expirable articles are marked with
3484 @samp{E} (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
3489 @subsection Other Marks
3490 @cindex process mark
3493 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
3499 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
3500 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
3501 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
3502 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
3503 encounters the article.
3506 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
3507 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
3508 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
3509 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
3512 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
3513 Articles that are stored in the article cache will be marked with an
3514 @samp{*} in the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}).
3517 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
3518 Articles that are ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
3519 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
3520 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}.
3523 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
3524 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
3525 It the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
3526 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
3527 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
3530 @vindex gnus-process-mark
3531 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}. A
3532 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
3533 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
3534 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
3535 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
3539 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
3540 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
3541 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
3543 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
3544 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
3545 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
3549 @subsection Setting Marks
3550 @cindex setting marks
3552 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
3558 @kindex M t (Summary)
3559 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
3560 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
3565 @kindex M ? (Summary)
3566 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
3567 Mark the current article as dormant
3568 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}).
3572 @kindex M d (Summary)
3574 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
3575 Mark the current article as read
3576 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
3580 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
3581 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
3582 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
3587 @kindex M k (Summary)
3588 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
3589 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
3590 and then select the next unread article
3591 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
3595 @kindex M K (Summary)
3596 @kindex C-k (Summary)
3597 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
3598 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
3599 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
3602 @kindex M C (Summary)
3603 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
3604 Mark all unread articles in the group as read
3605 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
3608 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
3609 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
3610 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
3611 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
3614 @kindex M H (Summary)
3615 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
3616 Catchup the current group to point
3617 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
3620 @kindex C-w (Summary)
3621 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
3622 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
3623 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
3626 @kindex M V k (Summary)
3627 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
3628 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
3629 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
3633 @kindex M c (Summary)
3634 @kindex M-u (Summary)
3635 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
3636 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
3637 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}).
3641 @kindex M e (Summary)
3643 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
3644 Mark the current article as expirable
3645 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
3648 @kindex M b (Summary)
3649 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
3650 Set a bookmark in the current article
3651 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
3654 @kindex M B (Summary)
3655 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
3656 Remove the bookmark from the current article
3657 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
3660 @kindex M V c (Summary)
3661 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
3662 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
3663 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
3666 @kindex M V u (Summary)
3667 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
3668 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
3669 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
3672 @kindex M V m (Summary)
3673 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
3674 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
3675 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
3676 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
3679 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
3680 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
3681 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
3682 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
3683 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
3684 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
3685 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
3686 The default is @code{t}.
3689 @node Setting Process Marks
3690 @subsection Setting Process Marks
3691 @cindex setting process marks
3698 @kindex M P p (Summary)
3699 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
3700 Mark the current article with the process mark
3701 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
3702 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
3706 @kindex M P u (Summary)
3707 @kindex M-# (Summary)
3708 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
3709 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
3712 @kindex M P U (Summary)
3713 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
3714 Remove the process mark from all articles
3715 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
3718 @kindex M P R (Summary)
3719 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
3720 Mark articles by a regular expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
3723 @kindex M P r (Summary)
3724 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
3725 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
3728 @kindex M P t (Summary)
3729 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
3730 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
3731 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
3734 @kindex M P T (Summary)
3735 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
3736 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
3737 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
3740 @kindex M P v (Summary)
3741 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
3742 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
3743 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
3746 @kindex M P s (Summary)
3747 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
3748 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
3751 @kindex M P S (Summary)
3752 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
3753 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
3754 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
3757 @kindex M P a (Summary)
3758 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
3759 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
3762 @kindex M P b (Summary)
3763 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
3764 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
3765 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
3773 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
3774 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
3775 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
3782 @kindex / / (Summary)
3783 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
3784 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
3785 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
3788 @kindex / a (Summary)
3789 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
3790 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
3791 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
3795 @kindex / u (Summary)
3797 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
3798 Limit the summary buffer to articles that are not marked as read
3799 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
3800 buffer to articles that are strictly unread. This means that ticked and
3801 dormant articles will also be excluded.
3804 @kindex / m (Summary)
3805 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
3806 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have not been marked
3807 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
3810 @kindex / n (Summary)
3811 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
3812 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
3813 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
3814 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3817 @kindex / w (Summary)
3818 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
3819 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
3820 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
3824 @kindex / v (Summary)
3825 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
3826 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
3827 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
3831 @kindex M S (Summary)
3832 @kindex / E (Summary)
3833 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
3834 Display all expunged articles
3835 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
3838 @kindex / D (Summary)
3839 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
3840 Display all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
3843 @kindex / d (Summary)
3844 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
3845 Hide all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
3848 @kindex / c (Summary)
3849 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
3850 Hide all dormant articles that have no children
3851 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
3854 @kindex / C (Summary)
3855 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
3856 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
3857 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
3858 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
3866 @cindex article threading
3868 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put replies to
3869 articles directly after the articles they reply to---in a hierarchical
3873 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
3874 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
3878 @node Customizing Threading
3879 @subsection Customizing Threading
3880 @cindex customizing threading
3886 @item gnus-show-threads
3887 @vindex gnus-show-threads
3888 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
3889 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
3890 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
3891 slower and more awkward.
3893 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
3894 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
3895 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
3896 more old headers---headers to articles that are marked as read. If you
3897 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
3898 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
3899 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
3900 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
3901 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
3902 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
3903 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
3904 expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
3906 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
3907 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
3908 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
3909 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
3910 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
3911 articles that belong in the same thread together. This will leave
3912 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
3913 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
3914 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
3915 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
3916 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
3917 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
3918 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
3919 @code{nil} by default.
3921 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
3922 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
3923 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
3924 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
3925 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
3926 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
3927 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subjects lines. If
3928 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
3929 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
3930 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
3931 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
3933 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
3934 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
3935 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects.
3937 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
3938 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
3939 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
3940 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
3941 simplification is used.
3943 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
3944 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
3945 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
3946 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
3948 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
3950 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
3953 (mapconcat 'identity
3955 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
3956 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
3957 "answer" "reference" "announce"
3958 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
3963 (mapconcat 'identity
3964 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
3966 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
3969 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
3972 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
3973 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
3974 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
3975 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
3976 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
3977 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
3978 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process. The
3979 default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
3981 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
3982 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
3983 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
3984 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
3985 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
3986 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
3987 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever includes unrelated
3988 articles, but it's also means that people who have posted with broken
3989 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
3993 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
3994 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
3995 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
3996 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
3998 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
3999 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4000 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
4003 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
4007 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4008 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
4011 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
4012 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
4013 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
4014 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
4015 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
4016 read or killed the root in a previous session.
4018 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
4019 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
4020 There are four possible values:
4022 @cindex adopting articles
4027 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
4028 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
4029 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
4030 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
4033 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
4034 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
4035 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
4036 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
4037 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
4038 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
4039 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
4042 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
4043 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
4044 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
4048 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
4049 display them after one another.
4052 Don't gather loose threads.
4055 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4056 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4057 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
4060 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
4061 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
4062 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
4065 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4066 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4067 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
4068 this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
4069 is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
4072 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
4073 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
4074 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
4075 The default is @code{4}.
4079 @node Thread Commands
4080 @subsection Thread Commands
4081 @cindex thread commands
4087 @kindex T k (Summary)
4088 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
4089 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
4090 Mark all articles in the current sub-thread as read
4091 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
4092 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
4097 @kindex T l (Summary)
4098 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
4099 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
4100 Lower the score of the current thread
4101 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
4104 @kindex T i (Summary)
4105 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
4106 Increase the score of the current thread
4107 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
4110 @kindex T # (Summary)
4111 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4112 Set the process mark on the current thread
4113 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4116 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
4117 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4118 Remove the process mark from the current thread
4119 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4122 @kindex T T (Summary)
4123 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
4124 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
4127 @kindex T s (Summary)
4128 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
4129 Expose the thread hidden under the current article, if any
4130 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
4133 @kindex T h (Summary)
4134 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
4135 Hide the current (sub)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
4138 @kindex T S (Summary)
4139 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
4140 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
4143 @kindex T H (Summary)
4144 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
4145 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
4148 @kindex T t (Summary)
4149 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
4150 Re-thread the thread the current article is part of
4151 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
4152 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
4155 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
4156 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
4157 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
4158 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}.
4162 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
4163 understand the numeric prefix.
4168 @kindex T n (Summary)
4169 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
4170 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
4173 @kindex T p (Summary)
4174 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
4175 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
4178 @kindex T d (Summary)
4179 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
4180 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
4183 @kindex T u (Summary)
4184 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
4185 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
4188 @kindex T o (Summary)
4189 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
4190 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
4193 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
4194 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
4195 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
4196 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
4197 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
4198 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
4199 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If is
4200 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
4201 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
4202 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
4203 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
4204 that have subjects that are fuzzily equal will be included.
4210 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
4211 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
4212 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
4213 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
4214 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
4215 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
4216 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
4217 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
4218 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which is a list of functions.
4219 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
4220 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
4221 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
4222 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
4223 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
4225 Each function takes two threads and return non-@code{nil} if the first
4226 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
4227 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread. If you use
4228 more than one function, the primary sort key should be the last function
4229 in the list. You should probably always include
4230 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
4231 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
4232 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
4233 ascending article order.
4235 If you would like to sort by score, then by subject, and finally by
4236 number, you could do something like:
4239 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
4240 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
4241 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
4242 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
4245 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
4246 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
4247 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
4248 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
4249 which the articles arrived.
4251 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
4255 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
4257 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
4258 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
4261 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
4262 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
4263 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
4264 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
4267 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
4268 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
4269 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
4270 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
4271 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
4272 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
4273 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
4274 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
4275 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
4276 is uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
4277 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
4278 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
4279 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
4281 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
4285 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
4286 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
4287 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
4292 @node Asynchronous Fetching
4293 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
4294 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
4296 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
4297 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
4298 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
4299 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
4300 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
4302 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
4303 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
4305 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
4306 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
4307 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
4308 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
4309 connection is blocked.
4311 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
4312 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
4313 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
4314 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
4316 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
4317 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
4318 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
4319 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
4322 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
4325 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
4326 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
4327 happen automatically.
4329 @vindex nntp-async-number
4330 You can control how many articles that are to be pre-fetched by setting
4331 @code{nntp-async-number}. This is five by default, which means that when
4332 you read an article in the group, @code{nntp} will pre-fetch the next
4333 five articles. If this variable is @code{t}, @code{nntp} will pre-fetch
4334 all the articles that it can without bound. If it is @code{nil}, no
4335 pre-fetching will be made.
4337 @vindex gnus-asynchronous-article-function
4338 You may wish to create some sort of scheme for choosing which articles
4339 that @code{nntp} should consider as candidates for pre-fetching. For
4340 instance, you may wish to pre-fetch all articles with high scores, and
4341 not pre-fetch low-scored articles. You can do that by setting the
4342 @code{gnus-asynchronous-article-function}, which will be called with an
4343 alist where the keys are the article numbers. Your function should
4344 return an alist where the articles you are not interested in have been
4345 removed. You could also do sorting on article score and the like.
4348 @node Article Caching
4349 @section Article Caching
4350 @cindex article caching
4353 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
4354 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
4355 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
4356 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
4357 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
4359 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
4361 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
4362 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
4363 @vindex gnus-use-cache
4364 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
4365 all articles that are ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
4366 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
4367 cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
4368 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
4370 When re-select a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
4371 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
4372 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
4373 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
4374 as dormant, and don't worry.
4376 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
4378 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
4379 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
4380 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
4381 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
4382 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
4383 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
4384 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
4385 articles that are marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
4386 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
4387 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
4389 @findex gnus-jog-cache
4390 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
4391 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
4392 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, and store them in
4393 the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this command if 1)
4394 your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really, really slow
4395 and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk. Seriously.
4397 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
4398 It is likely that you do not want caching on some groups. For instance,
4399 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
4400 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
4401 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space. To limit the caching,
4402 you could set the @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to
4403 @samp{^nnml}, for instance. This variable is @code{nil} by
4406 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
4407 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
4408 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
4409 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
4410 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
4411 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
4412 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
4413 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
4414 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
4418 @node Persistent Articles
4419 @section Persistent Articles
4420 @cindex persistent articles
4422 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
4423 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
4424 useful in my opinion.
4426 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
4427 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
4428 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
4429 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
4430 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
4431 the expiry going on at the news server.
4433 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
4434 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
4435 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
4441 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
4442 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
4445 @kindex M-* (Summary)
4446 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
4447 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
4448 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
4452 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
4454 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
4455 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
4456 interested in persistent articles:
4459 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
4463 @node Article Backlog
4464 @section Article Backlog
4466 @cindex article backlog
4468 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
4469 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
4470 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
4471 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
4472 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
4473 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
4474 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
4475 increase memory usage some.
4477 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
4478 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
4479 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
4480 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
4481 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
4482 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
4483 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
4485 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
4488 @node Saving Articles
4489 @section Saving Articles
4490 @cindex saving articles
4492 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
4493 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
4494 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
4495 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
4496 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
4498 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
4499 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
4500 unwanted headers before saving the article.
4502 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
4503 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
4504 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
4505 deleted before saving.
4511 @kindex O o (Summary)
4513 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
4514 Save the current article using the default article saver
4515 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
4518 @kindex O m (Summary)
4519 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
4520 Save the current article in mail format
4521 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
4524 @kindex O r (Summary)
4525 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
4526 Save the current article in rmail format
4527 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
4530 @kindex O f (Summary)
4531 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
4532 Save the current article in plain file format
4533 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
4536 @kindex O b (Summary)
4537 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
4538 Save the current article body in plain file format
4539 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
4542 @kindex O h (Summary)
4543 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
4544 Save the current article in mh folder format
4545 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
4548 @kindex O v (Summary)
4549 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
4550 Save the current article in a VM folder
4551 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
4554 @kindex O p (Summary)
4555 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
4556 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
4557 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
4560 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
4561 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
4562 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
4563 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
4564 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
4565 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
4566 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
4567 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
4568 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
4569 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
4570 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
4571 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
4575 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
4576 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
4577 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the four ready-made
4578 functions below, or you can create your own.
4582 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
4583 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
4584 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
4585 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
4586 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
4587 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
4588 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
4590 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
4591 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
4592 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
4593 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
4594 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
4595 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
4597 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
4598 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
4599 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
4600 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
4601 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
4602 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
4603 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
4605 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
4606 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
4607 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
4608 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
4609 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
4611 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
4612 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
4613 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
4614 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
4615 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
4618 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
4619 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
4620 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
4621 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
4622 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}. The former creates capitalized names, and
4623 the latter does not.
4625 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
4626 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
4627 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
4628 reader to use this setting.
4631 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
4632 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
4633 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
4634 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
4637 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
4638 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
4639 available functions that generate names:
4643 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
4644 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
4645 Generates file names that look like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
4647 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
4648 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
4649 Generates file names that look like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
4651 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
4652 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
4653 Generates file names that look like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
4655 @item gnus-plain-save-name
4656 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
4657 Generates file names that look like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
4660 @vindex gnus-split-methods
4661 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
4662 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
4663 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
4664 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
4668 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
4669 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
4670 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
4671 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
4674 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
4675 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
4676 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
4677 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
4678 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
4679 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
4680 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
4681 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
4682 called returns a string or a list of strings.
4684 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
4685 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
4686 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
4687 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
4689 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
4690 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
4691 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
4694 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
4695 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
4696 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
4697 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
4698 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
4699 all the files in the toplevel directory
4700 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
4701 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
4702 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
4703 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
4705 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
4706 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
4707 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
4708 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
4709 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
4712 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
4716 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
4717 (setq gnus-default-article-save 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
4720 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
4721 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
4722 the toplevel directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
4723 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
4726 @node Decoding Articles
4727 @section Decoding Articles
4728 @cindex decoding articles
4730 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
4731 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
4734 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
4735 * Shared Articles:: Unshar articles.
4736 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
4737 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
4738 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
4741 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
4742 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
4743 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
4744 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
4745 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
4747 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
4748 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
4749 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
4751 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
4752 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
4753 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
4755 Subjects that are nonstandard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
4756 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
4757 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
4760 @node Uuencoded Articles
4761 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
4763 @cindex uuencoded articles
4768 @kindex X u (Summary)
4769 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
4770 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
4773 @kindex X U (Summary)
4774 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
4775 Uudecodes and saves the current series
4776 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
4779 @kindex X v u (Summary)
4780 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
4781 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
4784 @kindex X v U (Summary)
4785 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
4786 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
4787 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
4790 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
4791 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
4792 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
4793 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
4794 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
4796 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
4797 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
4798 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
4799 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
4802 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
4803 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
4804 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
4805 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
4806 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
4807 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
4811 @node Shared Articles
4812 @subsection Shared Articles
4814 @cindex shared articles
4819 @kindex X s (Summary)
4820 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
4821 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
4824 @kindex X S (Summary)
4825 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
4826 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
4829 @kindex X v s (Summary)
4830 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
4831 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
4834 @kindex X v S (Summary)
4835 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
4836 Unshars, views and saves the current series
4837 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
4841 @node PostScript Files
4842 @subsection PostScript Files
4848 @kindex X p (Summary)
4849 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
4850 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
4853 @kindex X P (Summary)
4854 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
4855 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
4856 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
4859 @kindex X v p (Summary)
4860 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
4861 View the current PostScript series
4862 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
4865 @kindex X v P (Summary)
4866 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
4867 View and save the current PostScript series
4868 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
4872 @node Decoding Variables
4873 @subsection Decoding Variables
4875 Adjective, not verb.
4878 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
4879 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
4880 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
4884 @node Rule Variables
4885 @subsubsection Rule Variables
4886 @cindex rule variables
4888 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
4889 variables are on the form
4892 (list '(regexp1 command2)
4899 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
4900 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
4902 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
4903 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
4906 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
4907 (list '(\"\\\\.au$\" \"sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio\")))
4910 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
4911 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
4912 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
4913 user and default view rules.
4915 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
4916 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
4917 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
4922 @node Other Decode Variables
4923 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
4926 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
4928 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
4929 All functions in this list will be called right each file has been
4930 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
4931 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
4932 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
4936 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
4937 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
4940 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
4941 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
4942 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
4945 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
4946 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
4947 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
4949 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
4950 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
4951 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
4952 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
4953 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
4956 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
4957 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
4958 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
4960 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
4961 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
4962 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
4963 looking for files to display.
4965 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
4966 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
4967 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
4970 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
4971 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
4972 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
4975 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
4976 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
4977 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
4980 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
4981 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
4982 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
4985 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
4986 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
4987 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark articles that were
4988 unsuccessfully decoded as unread.
4990 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
4991 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
4992 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
4993 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
4995 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
4996 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
4998 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
4999 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
5000 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
5001 @code{metamail} for viewing.
5003 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5004 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5005 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
5006 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
5007 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
5008 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC1153---no easy way
5009 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
5010 simply dropped them.
5015 @node Uuencoding and Posting
5016 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
5020 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5021 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5022 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
5023 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
5024 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
5025 for you when you post the article.
5027 @item gnus-uu-post-length
5028 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
5029 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
5030 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
5032 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
5033 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
5034 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
5035 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen are able
5036 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
5037 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
5038 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
5040 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5041 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5042 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
5043 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
5044 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
5045 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
5046 Default is @code{t}.
5052 @subsection Viewing Files
5053 @cindex viewing files
5054 @cindex pseudo-articles
5056 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
5057 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
5058 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
5059 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
5060 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
5061 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
5062 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
5064 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
5065 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
5066 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
5067 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
5069 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
5070 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
5071 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
5073 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
5074 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
5075 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
5076 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
5077 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
5079 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
5080 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
5081 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
5082 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
5083 a list of parameters to that command.
5085 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
5086 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
5087 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
5089 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
5090 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
5091 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
5094 @node Article Treatment
5095 @section Article Treatment
5097 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
5098 object of newsreaders are to actually, like, read what people have
5099 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
5100 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
5101 these articles easier.
5104 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
5105 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
5106 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
5107 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
5108 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
5109 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
5113 @node Article Highlighting
5114 @subsection Article Highlighting
5117 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
5118 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
5123 @kindex W H a (Summary)
5124 @findex gnus-article-highlight
5125 Highlight the current article (@code{gnus-article-highlight}).
5128 @kindex W H h (Summary)
5129 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
5130 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
5131 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
5132 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
5133 variable, which is a list where each element has the form @var{(regexp
5134 name content)}. @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
5135 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name and
5136 @var{content} is the face for highlighting the header value. The first
5137 match made will be used. Note that @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^}
5138 prepended---Gnus will add one.
5141 @kindex W H c (Summary)
5142 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
5143 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
5145 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
5148 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
5150 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
5151 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
5152 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
5154 @item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
5155 @vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
5156 Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
5158 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
5159 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
5160 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
5162 @item gnus-cite-face-list
5163 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
5164 List of faces used for highlighting citations. When there are citations
5165 from multiple articles in the same message, Gnus will try to give each
5166 citation from each article its own face. This should make it easier to
5169 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
5170 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
5171 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
5173 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
5174 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
5175 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
5177 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
5178 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
5179 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
5180 that it's a citation.
5182 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
5183 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
5184 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
5186 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
5187 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
5188 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
5190 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
5191 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
5192 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
5193 cited text belonging to the attribution.
5199 @kindex W H s (Summary)
5200 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
5201 @vindex gnus-signature-face
5202 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
5203 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
5204 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
5205 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
5206 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
5212 @node Article Hiding
5213 @subsection Article Hiding
5214 @cindex article hiding
5216 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
5217 too much cruft in most articles.
5222 @kindex W W a (Summary)
5223 @findex gnus-article-hide
5224 Do maximum hiding on the summary buffer (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}).
5227 @kindex W W h (Summary)
5228 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
5229 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
5233 @kindex W W b (Summary)
5234 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
5235 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
5236 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
5239 @kindex W W s (Summary)
5240 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
5241 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
5245 @kindex W W p (Summary)
5246 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
5247 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}).
5250 @kindex W W P (Summary)
5251 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
5252 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhavnced hessages) gruft
5253 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
5256 @kindex W W c (Summary)
5257 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
5258 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
5259 customizing the hiding:
5263 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
5264 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
5265 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
5266 50), hide the cited text.
5268 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
5269 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
5270 The cited text must be have at least this length (default 10) before it
5273 @item gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
5274 @vindex gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
5275 Gnus adds buttons show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
5276 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
5277 by this format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
5282 Start point of the hidden text.
5284 End point of the hidden text.
5286 Length of the hidden text.
5289 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
5290 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
5291 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave shown.
5296 @kindex W W C (Summary)
5297 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
5298 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
5299 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
5300 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
5301 in @code{gnus-article-display-hook} (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
5305 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
5306 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
5307 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
5309 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
5310 citation customization.
5313 @node Article Washing
5314 @subsection Article Washing
5316 @cindex article washing
5318 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
5319 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
5321 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
5322 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
5328 @kindex W l (Summary)
5329 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
5330 Remove page breaks from the current article
5331 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}).
5334 @kindex W r (Summary)
5335 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
5336 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
5337 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
5340 @kindex W t (Summary)
5341 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
5342 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
5343 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
5346 @kindex W v (Summary)
5347 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
5348 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
5349 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
5352 @kindex W m (Summary)
5353 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
5354 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
5355 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
5358 @kindex W o (Summary)
5359 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
5360 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
5363 @kindex W w (Summary)
5364 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
5365 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}). If you use this
5366 function in @code{gnus-article-display-hook}, it should be run fairly
5367 late and certainly after any highlighting.
5370 @kindex W c (Summary)
5371 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
5372 Remove CR (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
5375 @kindex W L (Summary)
5376 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
5377 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
5378 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
5381 @kindex W q (Summary)
5382 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
5383 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
5386 @kindex W f (Summary)
5388 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
5389 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
5390 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
5391 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
5392 Look for and display any X-Face headers
5393 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
5394 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
5395 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
5396 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
5397 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
5398 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
5399 The default action under Emacs is to fork off an @code{xv} to view the
5400 face; under XEmacs the default action is to display the face before the
5401 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
5402 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
5403 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
5404 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends.) If you
5405 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
5409 @kindex W b (Summary)
5410 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
5411 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
5414 @kindex W B (Summary)
5415 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
5416 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
5417 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
5422 @node Article Buttons
5423 @subsection Article Buttons
5426 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
5427 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
5428 with the minimum of fuzz.
5430 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
5431 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
5432 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
5437 @item gnus-button-alist
5438 @vindex gnus-button-alist
5439 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
5442 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
5448 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
5449 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that match embedded URLs:
5450 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
5453 Gnus has to know which parts of the match is to be highlighted. This is
5454 a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp that is to be
5455 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use @code{0} here.
5458 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
5459 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
5460 avoid false matches.
5463 This function will be called when you click on this button.
5466 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
5467 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
5471 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
5474 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
5477 @item gnus-header-button-alist
5478 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
5479 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
5480 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
5481 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
5484 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
5487 @var{header} is a regular expression.
5489 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
5490 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
5491 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
5492 default values of the variables above.
5494 @item gnus-article-button-face
5495 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
5496 Face used on bottons.
5498 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
5499 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
5500 Face is used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
5506 @subsection Article Date
5508 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
5509 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
5510 when the article was sent.
5515 @kindex W T u (Summary)
5516 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
5517 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
5518 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
5521 @kindex W T l (Summary)
5522 @findex gnus-article-date-local
5523 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
5526 @kindex W T e (Summary)
5527 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
5528 Say how much time has (e)lapsed between the article was posted and now
5529 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}).
5532 @kindex W T o (Summary)
5533 @findex gnus-article-date-original
5534 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
5535 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and is
5536 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
5537 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
5538 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
5543 @node Article Signature
5544 @subsection Article Signature
5546 @cindex article signature
5548 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
5549 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
5550 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
5551 that says what is to be considered a signature is
5552 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
5553 @samp{"^-- $"} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
5554 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
5555 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
5556 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
5559 (setq gnus-signature-separator
5560 '("^-- $" ; The standard
5561 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
5562 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
5563 ; line of dashes. Shame!
5564 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
5565 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
5566 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
5569 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
5572 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
5573 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
5578 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
5581 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
5584 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
5585 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
5587 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
5588 in question is not a signature.
5591 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
5595 @node Summary Sorting
5596 @section Summary Sorting
5597 @cindex summary sorting
5599 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
5600 can't really see why you'd want that.
5605 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
5606 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
5607 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
5610 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
5611 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
5612 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
5615 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
5616 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
5617 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
5620 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
5621 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
5622 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
5625 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
5626 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
5627 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
5630 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
5631 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
5632 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
5633 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
5634 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
5638 @node Finding the Parent
5639 @section Finding the Parent
5640 @cindex parent articles
5641 @cindex referring articles
5643 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
5645 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
5646 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
5647 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
5648 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
5649 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
5650 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
5651 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
5652 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
5654 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
5655 @kindex A R (Summary)
5656 You can have Gnus fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References}
5657 header of the article by pushing @kbd{A R}
5658 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
5660 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
5661 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
5662 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
5663 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
5664 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
5665 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long thingies that look
5666 something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You have to get
5667 it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
5669 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
5670 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
5671 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
5672 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
5673 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the same
5674 as the one that keeps the spool you are reading from updated, but that's
5675 not really necessary.
5677 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
5678 not do a particularly excellent job of it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
5679 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
5680 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
5681 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
5682 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
5685 @node Alternative Approaches
5686 @section Alternative Approaches
5688 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
5689 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
5692 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
5693 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
5698 @subsection Pick and Read
5699 @cindex pick and read
5701 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{nn}) use a two-phased
5702 reading interface. The user first marks the articles she wants to read
5703 from a summary buffer. Then she starts reading the articles with just
5704 an article buffer displayed.
5706 @findex gnus-pick-mode
5707 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
5708 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
5709 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
5710 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
5711 it makes one additional command for switching to the summary buffer
5714 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
5719 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5720 Pick the article on the current line
5721 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}). If given a numerical prefix,
5722 go to the article on that line and pick that article. (The line number
5723 is normally displayed on the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
5726 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
5727 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
5728 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
5729 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
5733 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5734 Unpick the article (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5738 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5739 Unpick all articles (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5743 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5744 Pick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5748 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5749 Unpick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5753 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5754 Pick the region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5758 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
5759 Unpick the region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
5763 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5764 Pick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5768 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5769 Unpick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5773 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5774 Pick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5778 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-buffer
5779 Unpick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-buffer}).
5783 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
5784 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
5785 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
5786 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
5787 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
5788 will still be visible when you are reading.
5792 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
5795 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
5798 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
5799 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
5801 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
5802 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
5803 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
5805 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
5806 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different than the
5807 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
5808 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
5809 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
5810 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
5811 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
5815 @subsection Binary Groups
5816 @cindex binary groups
5818 @findex gnus-binary-mode
5819 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
5820 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
5821 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
5822 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
5823 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
5824 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
5827 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
5828 In fact, the only way to see the actual articles if you have turned this
5829 mode on is the @kbd{g} command (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
5831 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
5832 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
5836 @section Tree Display
5839 @vindex gnus-use-trees
5840 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
5841 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
5842 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
5845 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
5848 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
5849 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
5850 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
5852 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
5853 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
5854 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers. The default
5855 is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}. For a list of legal specs, @pxref{Summary
5858 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
5859 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
5860 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
5861 default is @code{modeline}.
5863 @item gnus-tree-line-format
5864 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
5865 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
5866 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
5867 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
5868 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
5869 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
5875 The name of the poster.
5877 The @code{From} header.
5879 The number of the article.
5881 The opening bracket.
5883 The closing bracket.
5888 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
5890 Variables related to the display are:
5893 @item gnus-tree-brackets
5894 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
5895 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
5896 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @var{((real-open . real-close)
5897 (sparse-open . sparse-close) (dummy-open . dummy-close))}, and the
5898 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}))}.
5900 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
5901 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
5902 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
5903 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
5907 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
5908 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
5909 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
5910 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
5911 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
5912 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}.
5914 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
5915 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
5916 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
5917 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
5918 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
5919 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
5920 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
5924 Here's and example from a horizontal tree buffer:
5927 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
5937 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
5941 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
5942 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
5944 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
5946 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
5952 @node Mail Group Commands
5953 @section Mail Group Commands
5954 @cindex mail group commands
5956 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
5957 illegal in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
5959 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
5960 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5965 @kindex B e (Summary)
5966 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
5967 Expire all expirable articles in the group
5968 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
5971 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
5972 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
5973 Expunge all the expirable articles in the group
5974 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
5975 articles that are eligible for expiry in the current group will
5976 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
5979 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
5980 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
5981 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
5982 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
5983 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
5986 @kindex B m (Summary)
5988 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
5989 Move the article from one mail group to another
5990 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
5993 @kindex B c (Summary)
5995 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
5996 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
5997 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}).
6000 @kindex B C (Summary)
6001 @cindex crosspost mail
6002 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
6003 Crosspost the current article to some other group
6004 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
6005 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
6006 be properly updated.
6009 @kindex B i (Summary)
6010 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
6011 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
6012 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
6013 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
6016 @kindex B r (Summary)
6017 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
6018 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
6022 @kindex B w (Summary)
6024 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
6025 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
6026 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
6027 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
6028 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}).
6031 @kindex B q (Summary)
6032 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
6033 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
6034 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
6035 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
6038 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
6039 @cindex moving articles
6040 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
6041 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
6042 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
6043 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
6044 suggestions you find reasonable.
6047 @node Various Summary Stuff
6048 @section Various Summary Stuff
6051 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
6052 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
6053 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
6057 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
6058 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
6059 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
6061 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
6062 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
6063 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
6064 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
6065 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
6066 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
6069 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
6070 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
6071 Is is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
6072 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
6073 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
6078 @node Summary Group Information
6079 @subsection Summary Group Information
6084 @kindex H f (Summary)
6085 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
6086 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
6087 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
6088 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
6089 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
6090 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
6091 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
6092 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} probably will be used for
6096 @kindex H d (Summary)
6097 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
6098 Give a brief description of the current group
6099 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
6100 rereading the description from the server.
6103 @kindex H h (Summary)
6104 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
6105 Give a very brief description of the most important summary keystrokes
6106 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
6109 @kindex H i (Summary)
6110 @findex gnus-info-find-node
6111 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
6115 @node Searching for Articles
6116 @subsection Searching for Articles
6121 @kindex M-s (Summary)
6122 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
6123 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
6124 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
6127 @kindex M-r (Summary)
6128 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
6129 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
6130 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
6134 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
6135 This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
6136 match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
6137 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}).
6140 @kindex M-& (Summary)
6141 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
6142 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
6143 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
6147 @node Really Various Summary Commands
6148 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
6153 @kindex C-d (Summary)
6154 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
6155 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
6156 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
6157 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
6158 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
6159 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
6160 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages on
6161 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
6165 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
6166 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
6167 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
6168 several documents into one biiig group
6169 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
6170 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
6171 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
6172 command understands the process/prefix convention
6173 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6176 @kindex C-t (Summary)
6177 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
6178 Toggle truncation of summary lines (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}).
6182 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
6183 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
6184 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
6188 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
6189 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
6190 @cindex summary exit
6191 @cindex exiting groups
6193 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
6194 group and return you to the group buffer.
6200 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
6202 @findex gnus-summary-exit
6203 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
6204 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
6205 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
6206 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
6207 called before doing much of the exiting, and calls
6208 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
6209 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exiting
6214 @kindex Z E (Summary)
6216 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
6217 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
6218 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
6222 @kindex Z c (Summary)
6224 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
6225 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
6226 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
6229 @kindex Z C (Summary)
6230 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
6231 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
6232 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
6235 @kindex Z n (Summary)
6236 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
6237 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
6238 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
6241 @kindex Z R (Summary)
6242 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
6243 Exit this group, and then enter it again
6244 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
6245 all articles, both read and unread.
6249 @kindex Z G (Summary)
6250 @kindex M-g (Summary)
6251 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
6252 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
6253 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
6254 articles, both read and unread.
6257 @kindex Z N (Summary)
6258 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
6259 Exit the group and go to the next group
6260 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
6263 @kindex Z P (Summary)
6264 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
6265 Exit the group and go to the previous group
6266 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
6269 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
6270 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current
6273 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
6274 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
6275 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
6276 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
6277 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
6278 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
6279 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
6280 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
6281 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
6282 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
6283 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
6284 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
6286 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
6288 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
6289 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
6290 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
6291 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
6292 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
6293 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
6294 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
6295 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
6296 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
6299 @node Crosspost Handling
6300 @section Crosspost Handling
6304 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
6305 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
6306 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
6307 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
6308 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
6309 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
6312 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
6313 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
6314 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
6315 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
6316 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
6318 @cindex cross-posting
6321 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
6322 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
6323 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
6324 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
6325 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
6326 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
6327 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
6328 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
6329 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
6330 the cross reference mechanism.
6332 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
6333 @cindex overview.fmt
6334 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
6335 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
6336 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
6337 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
6338 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
6339 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
6342 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
6343 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
6344 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
6349 For an alternative approach, @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
6352 @node Duplicate Suppression
6353 @section Duplicate Suppression
6355 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
6356 article more than once by utilizing the crossposing mechanism
6357 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
6358 approach may not work satisfactorily for some users for various
6363 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
6364 is evil and not very common.
6367 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
6368 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
6371 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
6372 different @sc{nntp} servers.
6375 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
6378 I'm sure there are other situations that @code{Xref} handling fails as
6379 well, but these four are the most common situations.
6381 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
6382 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
6383 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
6384 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
6385 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
6386 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
6387 so. It's certainly preferrable to reading the same articles more than
6391 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
6392 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
6393 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
6395 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
6396 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
6397 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
6398 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
6399 However, this means that only duplicate articles that is read in a
6400 single Gnus session are suppressed.
6402 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
6403 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
6404 This variables says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
6405 suppression list. The default is 10000.
6407 @item gnus-duplicate-file
6408 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
6409 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list. The
6410 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
6413 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
6414 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
6415 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
6416 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
6417 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
6418 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
6419 to you to figure out, I think.
6422 @node The Article Buffer
6423 @chapter The Article Buffer
6424 @cindex article buffer
6426 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
6427 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
6428 tell Gnus otherwise.
6431 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
6432 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
6433 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
6434 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer
6435 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
6439 @node Hiding Headers
6440 @section Hiding Headers
6441 @cindex hiding headers
6442 @cindex deleting headers
6444 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
6445 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
6447 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
6448 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
6449 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
6450 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
6451 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
6452 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
6453 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
6454 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
6455 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
6457 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
6461 @item gnus-visible-headers
6462 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
6463 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
6464 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
6465 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
6467 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
6468 the article and the subject, you'd say:
6471 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
6474 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers that are to
6477 @item gnus-ignored-headers
6478 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
6479 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
6480 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
6481 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
6482 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
6484 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
6485 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
6488 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
6491 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers that are to
6494 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
6495 variable will have no effect.
6499 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
6500 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
6501 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
6502 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
6503 the headers are to be displayed.
6505 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
6506 and then the subject, you might say something like:
6509 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
6512 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
6513 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers that
6514 are listed in this variable.
6516 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
6517 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
6518 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
6519 You can hide further boring headers by entering
6520 @code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers} into
6521 @code{gnus-article-display-hook}. What this function does depends on
6522 the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a list, but this
6523 list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is lists various
6524 @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove from sight.
6526 These conditions are:
6529 Remove all empty headers.
6531 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
6534 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
6535 @code{Newsgroups} header.
6537 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
6540 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
6544 To include the four first elements, you could say something like;
6547 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
6548 '(empty newsgroups followup-to reply-to))
6551 This is also the default value for this variable.
6555 @section Using @sc{mime}
6558 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
6559 while people stand around yawning.
6561 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
6562 while all newsreaders die of fear.
6564 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
6565 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
6566 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
6568 @vindex gnus-show-mime
6569 @vindex gnus-show-mime-method
6570 @vindex gnus-strict-mime
6571 @findex metamail-buffer
6572 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by shoving the articles through
6573 @code{gnus-show-mime-method}, which is @code{metamail-buffer} by
6574 default. Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
6575 @sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
6576 non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
6577 @sc{mime} headers in the article.
6579 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the summary
6580 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
6581 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
6582 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
6583 comes streaming out out your speakers, and you can't find the volume
6584 button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you,
6585 and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the
6586 program to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly
6587 decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
6589 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
6592 @node Customizing Articles
6593 @section Customizing Articles
6594 @cindex article customization
6596 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
6597 The @code{gnus-article-display-hook} is called after the article has
6598 been inserted into the article buffer. It is meant to handle all
6599 treatment of the article before it is displayed.
6601 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
6602 By default it contains @code{gnus-article-hide-headers},
6603 @code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}, and
6604 @code{gnus-article-maybe-highlight}, but there are thousands, nay
6605 millions, of functions you can put in this hook. For an overview of
6606 functions @pxref{Article Highlighting}, @pxref{Article Hiding},
6607 @pxref{Article Washing}, @pxref{Article Buttons} and @pxref{Article
6610 You can, of course, write your own functions. The functions are called
6611 from the article buffer, and you can do anything you like, pretty much.
6612 There is no information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can
6613 change everything. However, you shouldn't delete any headers. Instead
6614 make them invisible if you want to make them go away.
6617 @node Article Keymap
6618 @section Article Keymap
6620 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
6621 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
6622 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
6623 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
6626 A few additional keystrokes are available:
6631 @kindex SPACE (Article)
6632 @findex gnus-article-next-page
6633 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
6636 @kindex DEL (Article)
6637 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
6638 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
6641 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
6642 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
6643 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
6644 @kbd{r}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
6645 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
6648 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
6649 @findex gnus-article-mail
6650 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
6651 given a prefix, include the mail.
6655 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
6656 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
6657 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
6661 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
6662 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
6663 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
6666 @kindex TAB (Article)
6667 @findex gnus-article-next-button
6668 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}. This
6669 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
6672 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
6673 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
6674 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}.
6680 @section Misc Article
6684 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
6685 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
6686 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
6687 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
6690 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
6691 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
6692 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
6693 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
6694 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
6695 the contents of the article buffer.
6697 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
6698 @item gnus-article-display-hook
6699 This hook is called as the last thing when displaying an article, and is
6700 intended for modifying the contents of the buffer, doing highlights,
6701 hiding headers, and the like.
6703 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
6704 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
6705 Hook called in article mode buffers.
6707 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
6708 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
6709 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
6710 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. It accepts the same
6711 format specifications as that variable, with one extension:
6715 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
6716 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
6720 @vindex gnus-break-pages
6722 @item gnus-break-pages
6723 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
6724 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
6725 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
6726 paging will not be done.
6728 @item gnus-page-delimiter
6729 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
6730 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
6735 @node Composing Messages
6736 @chapter Composing Messages
6741 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
6742 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
6743 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the article
6744 by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The Message
6745 Manual}. If you are in a foreign news group, and you wish to post the
6746 article using the foreign server, you can give a prefix to @kbd{C-c C-c}
6747 to make Gnus try to post using the foreign server.
6750 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
6751 * Post:: Posting and following up.
6752 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
6753 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
6754 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
6755 @c * Posting Styles:: An easier way to configure some key elements.
6756 @c * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
6757 @c * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
6760 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
6761 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
6767 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
6770 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
6771 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
6772 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
6773 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
6781 Variables for composing news articles:
6784 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
6785 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
6786 Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
6787 sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
6788 user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
6789 dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to sent the
6790 same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
6791 history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
6792 this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want Gnus to keep a history
6795 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
6796 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
6797 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
6798 file. It is 1000 by default.
6803 @node Posting Server
6804 @section Posting Server
6806 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
6807 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
6809 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
6811 @vindex gnus-post-method
6813 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will use the same native
6814 server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
6815 reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
6816 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
6817 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
6820 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
6823 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
6824 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
6825 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
6826 the ``current'' server for posting.
6828 If you give a zero prefix (i. e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
6829 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
6831 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
6832 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
6837 @section Mail and Post
6839 Here's a list of variables that are relevant to both mailing and
6843 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
6844 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
6845 @cindex mailing lists
6847 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists that are
6848 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
6849 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
6850 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
6851 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
6852 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that match the groups that
6853 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
6854 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
6855 still a pain, though.
6859 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
6860 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
6861 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
6864 @findex ispell-message
6866 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
6870 @node Archived Messages
6871 @section Archived Messages
6872 @cindex archived messages
6873 @cindex sent messages
6875 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail you send.
6876 The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to store
6877 the mail. If you want to disable this completely, you should set
6878 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil}.
6880 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
6881 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
6882 use to store sent messages. It is @code{(nnfolder "archive"
6883 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive/"))} by default, but you can use any
6884 mail select method (@code{nnml}, @code{nnmbox}, etc.). However,
6885 @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method for doing this sort of
6886 thing. If you don't like the default directory chosen, you could say
6890 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
6891 '(nnfolder "archive"
6892 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
6893 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
6894 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
6897 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
6899 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
6900 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
6901 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
6903 This variable can be:
6907 Messages will be saved in that group.
6908 @item a list of strings
6909 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
6910 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
6911 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
6913 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
6918 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
6920 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
6923 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
6925 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
6928 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
6930 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
6931 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
6932 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
6933 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
6938 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
6939 '((if (message-news-p)
6944 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
6945 messages in one file per month:
6948 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
6949 '((if (message-news-p)
6951 (concat "mail." (format-time-string
6952 "%Y-%m" (current-time))))))
6955 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
6956 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
6957 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
6958 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
6959 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
6960 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
6961 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
6962 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
6963 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
6964 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
6966 That's the default method of archiving sent mail. Gnus also offers two
6967 other variables for the people who don't like the default method. In
6968 that case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to
6969 @code{nil}; this will disable archiving.
6971 XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
6972 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.
6976 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
6977 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
6978 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
6979 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
6980 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
6983 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
6984 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
6985 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
6990 @c @node Posting Styles
6991 @c @section Posting Styles
6992 @c @cindex posting styles
6995 @c All them variables, they make my head swim.
6997 @c So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
6998 @c on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
6999 @c and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
7002 @c @vindex gnus-posting-styles
7003 @c One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
7004 @c variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
7005 @c came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
7006 @c a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
7011 @c (signature . "Peace and happiness")
7012 @c (organization . "What me?"))
7014 @c (signature . "Death to everybody"))
7015 @c ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
7016 @c (organization . "Emacs is it")))
7019 @c As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
7020 @c @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
7021 @c ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
7022 @c over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
7023 @c applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
7024 @c the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
7025 @c @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
7026 @c signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
7028 @c The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
7029 @c string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
7030 @c If it's a function symbol, that function will be called with no
7031 @c arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
7032 @c referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
7033 @c any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
7036 @c Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
7037 @c attribute consists of a @var{(name . value)} pair. The attribute name
7038 @c can be one of @code{signature}, @code{organization} or @code{from}. The
7039 @c attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
7040 @c a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
7043 @c The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function (the
7044 @c return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used) or a
7045 @c list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be used).
7047 @c So here's a new example:
7050 @c (setq gnus-posting-styles
7052 @c (signature . "~/.signature")
7053 @c (from . "user@@foo (user)")
7054 @c ("X-Home-Page" . (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
7055 @c (organization . "People's Front Against MWM"))
7057 @c (signature . my-funny-signature-randomizer))
7058 @c ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
7059 @c (signature . my-quote-randomizer))
7060 @c (posting-from-work-p
7061 @c (signature . "~/.work-signature")
7062 @c (from . "user@@bar.foo (user)")
7063 @c (organization . "Important Work, Inc"))
7065 @c (signature . "~/.mail-signature"))))
7072 @c If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
7073 @c you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
7074 @c craazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save the
7075 @c message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some other
7076 @c day, and send it when you feel its finished.
7078 @c Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
7079 @c some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
7080 @c automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
7081 @c If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
7082 @c article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
7086 @c @vindex gnus-draft-group-directory
7087 @c The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
7088 @c @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
7089 @c @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{gnus-draft-group-directory}
7090 @c controls both the name of the group and the location---the leaf element
7091 @c in the path will be used as the name of the group. What makes this
7092 @c group special is that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any
7093 @c articles as read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
7095 @c If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
7098 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
7099 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
7100 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
7101 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
7102 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
7103 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
7104 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
7105 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
7106 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
7107 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
7108 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
7109 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
7110 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
7111 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
7113 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
7114 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
7115 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
7117 @c @findex gnus-summary-send-draft
7118 @c @kindex S D c (Summary)
7119 @c When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
7120 @c draft group and push @kbd{S D c} (@code{gnus-summary-send-draft}) to do
7121 @c that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
7123 @c Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
7126 @c @findex gnus-summary-send-all-drafts
7127 @c If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
7128 @c doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{S D a} command
7129 @c (@code{gnus-summary-send-all-drafts}). This command understands the
7130 @c process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7133 @c @node Rejected Articles
7134 @c @section Rejected Articles
7135 @c @cindex rejected articles
7137 @c Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
7138 @c doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
7139 @c @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
7140 @c Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
7142 @c These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
7143 @c (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
7144 @c fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
7145 @c you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
7146 @c articles until some later time when the server feels better.
7148 @c The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
7149 @c (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
7150 @c typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
7153 @node Select Methods
7154 @chapter Select Methods
7155 @cindex foreign groups
7156 @cindex select methods
7158 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group that is not read by the usual (or
7159 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
7160 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
7161 personal mail group.
7163 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
7164 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
7165 list where the first element says what backend to use (eg. @code{nntp},
7166 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
7167 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
7168 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
7170 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
7171 we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
7173 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
7176 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
7177 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
7178 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group, in
7179 all circumstances, @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the
7180 @code{nntp} backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
7182 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
7185 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
7186 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
7187 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
7188 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
7189 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
7193 @node The Server Buffer
7194 @section The Server Buffer
7196 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
7197 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
7198 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
7199 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
7200 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
7201 backend represents a virtual server.
7203 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
7204 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
7205 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
7206 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
7208 These select methods specifications can sometimes become quite
7209 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
7210 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number @code{13}, which
7211 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
7212 Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
7213 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
7214 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
7216 To enter the server buffer, user the @kbd{^}
7217 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
7220 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
7221 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
7222 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
7223 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
7224 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
7225 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
7228 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
7229 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
7232 @node Server Buffer Format
7233 @subsection Server Buffer Format
7234 @cindex server buffer format
7236 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
7237 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
7238 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
7239 variable, with some simple extensions:
7244 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
7247 The name of this server.
7250 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
7253 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
7256 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
7257 The mode line can also be customized by using the
7258 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable. The following specs are
7269 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
7272 @node Server Commands
7273 @subsection Server Commands
7274 @cindex server commands
7280 @findex gnus-server-add-server
7281 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
7285 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
7286 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
7289 @kindex SPACE (Server)
7290 @findex gnus-server-read-server
7291 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
7295 @findex gnus-server-exit
7296 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
7300 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
7301 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
7305 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
7306 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
7310 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
7311 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
7315 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
7316 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
7321 @node Example Methods
7322 @subsection Example Methods
7324 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
7327 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
7330 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
7336 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
7337 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
7340 After these two elements, there may be a arbitrary number of
7341 @var{(variable form)} pairs.
7343 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
7344 port @code{15} from that machine. This is what the select method should
7348 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
7351 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
7352 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example.
7354 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
7355 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
7356 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
7360 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
7363 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
7366 Here's the method for a public spool:
7370 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
7371 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
7375 @node Creating a Virtual Server
7376 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
7378 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
7379 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
7381 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
7382 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
7383 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
7385 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
7387 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
7388 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
7389 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
7390 will contain the following:
7400 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
7401 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
7402 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
7405 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
7406 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
7407 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
7410 @node Servers and Methods
7411 @subsection Servers and Methods
7413 Wherever you would normally use a select method
7414 (eg. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
7415 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
7416 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
7420 @node Unavailable Servers
7421 @subsection Unavailable Servers
7423 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
7424 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
7425 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
7426 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
7427 actually the case or not.
7429 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
7430 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to the server
7431 @samp{nepholococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
7432 away from you, the machine is quite, so it takes 1 minute just to find
7433 out that it refuses connection from you today. If Gnus were to attempt
7434 to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't attempt to do
7435 that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'', it will
7436 regard that server as ``down''.
7438 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
7439 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
7441 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
7442 with the following commands:
7448 @findex gnus-server-open-server
7449 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
7450 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
7454 @findex gnus-server-close-server
7455 Close the connection (if any) to the server
7456 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
7460 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
7461 Mark the current server as unreachable
7462 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
7465 @kindex M-o (Server)
7466 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
7467 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
7468 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
7471 @kindex M-c (Server)
7472 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
7473 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
7474 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
7478 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
7479 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from all servers
7480 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
7486 @section Getting News
7487 @cindex reading news
7488 @cindex news backends
7490 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
7491 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
7492 or it can read from a local spool.
7495 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
7496 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
7501 @subsection @sc{nntp}
7504 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
7505 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
7506 server as the, uhm, address.
7508 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
7509 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
7510 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
7511 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
7513 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
7514 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
7515 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
7517 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
7522 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
7523 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
7524 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
7526 @cindex authentification
7527 @cindex nntp authentification
7528 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
7529 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
7530 @code{nntp-server-opened-hook} is run after a connection has been made.
7531 It can be used to send commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has
7532 been contacted. By default is sends the command @code{MODE READER} to
7533 the server with the @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. Another
7534 popular function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which will prompt you for
7535 an @sc{nntp} password and stuff.
7537 @item nntp-server-action-alist
7538 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
7539 This is an list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
7540 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
7541 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
7544 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
7548 You probably don't want to do that, though.
7550 The default value is
7553 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
7554 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook nntp-send-mode-reader)))
7557 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
7558 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
7560 @item nntp-maximum-request
7561 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
7562 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
7563 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
7564 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
7565 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
7566 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
7567 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
7569 @item nntp-connection-timeout
7570 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
7571 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
7572 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
7573 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
7574 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
7575 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
7576 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
7577 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
7578 no timeouts are done.
7580 @item nntp-command-timeout
7581 @vindex nntp-command-timeout
7582 @cindex PPP connections
7583 @cindex dynamic IP addresses
7584 If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
7585 address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
7586 changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
7587 waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
7588 unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
7589 then, if it sits waiting longer than that number of seconds for a reply
7590 from the server, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
7591 the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
7592 likely number is 30 seconds.
7594 @item nntp-retry-on-break
7595 @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
7596 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
7597 hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
7600 @item nntp-server-hook
7601 @vindex nntp-server-hook
7602 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
7605 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
7606 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
7607 @item nntp-open-server-function
7608 @vindex nntp-open-server-function
7609 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Two pre-made
7610 functions are @code{nntp-open-network-stream}, which is the default, and
7611 simply connects to some port or other on the remote system. The other
7612 is @code{nntp-open-rlogin}, which does an rlogin on the remote system,
7613 and then does a telnet to the @sc{nntp} server available there.
7615 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
7616 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
7617 If you use @code{nntp-open-rlogin} as the
7618 @code{nntp-open-server-function}, this list will be used as the
7619 parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
7621 @item nntp-end-of-line
7622 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
7623 String to use as end-of-line markers when talking to the @sc{nntp}
7624 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
7625 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
7627 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
7628 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
7629 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
7633 @vindex nntp-address
7634 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
7636 @item nntp-port-number
7637 @vindex nntp-port-number
7638 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
7641 @item nntp-buggy-select
7642 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
7643 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
7645 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
7646 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
7647 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
7648 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks whether @sc{nov}
7649 can be used automatically.
7651 @item nntp-xover-commands
7652 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
7655 List of strings that are used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
7656 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
7660 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
7661 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
7662 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
7663 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
7664 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
7665 lines that you do not want, and will not use. This variable says how
7666 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
7667 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
7668 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
7669 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
7670 @code{nntp} will never split requests.
7672 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
7673 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
7674 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
7676 @item nntp-async-number
7677 @vindex nntp-async-number
7678 How many articles should be pre-fetched when in asynchronous mode. If
7679 this variable is @code{t}, @code{nntp} will pre-fetch all the articles
7680 that it can without bound. If it is @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be
7683 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
7684 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
7685 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
7686 server closes connection.
7692 @subsection News Spool
7696 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
7697 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups like
7698 @samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}.
7700 Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @samp{} (or
7701 anything else) as the address.
7703 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
7704 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
7705 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
7706 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
7710 @item nnspool-inews-program
7711 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
7712 Program used to post an article.
7714 @item nnspool-inews-switches
7715 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
7716 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
7718 @item nnspool-spool-directory
7719 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
7720 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
7721 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
7723 @item nnspool-nov-directory
7724 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
7725 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
7726 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
7728 @item nnspool-lib-dir
7729 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
7730 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
7732 @item nnspool-active-file
7733 @vindex nnspool-active-file
7734 The path of the active file.
7736 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
7737 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
7738 The path of the group descriptions file.
7740 @item nnspool-history-file
7741 @vindex nnspool-history-file
7742 The path of the news history file.
7744 @item nnspool-active-times-file
7745 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
7746 The path of the active date file.
7748 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
7749 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
7750 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
7753 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
7754 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
7756 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
7757 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
7758 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
7764 @section Getting Mail
7765 @cindex reading mail
7768 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
7772 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
7773 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
7774 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
7775 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
7776 * Mail and Procmail:: Reading mail groups that procmail create.
7777 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
7778 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
7779 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
7780 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
7781 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
7785 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
7786 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
7788 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
7789 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
7790 and things will happen automatically.
7792 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a one file per
7793 mail backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
7796 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
7797 '((nnml "private")))
7800 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
7801 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
7802 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
7803 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
7804 like any other group.
7806 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
7809 (setq nnmail-split-methods
7810 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
7811 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
7815 This will result in three new mail groups being created:
7816 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
7817 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
7820 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
7821 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though,
7822 especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
7825 @node Splitting Mail
7826 @subsection Splitting Mail
7827 @cindex splitting mail
7828 @cindex mail splitting
7830 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
7831 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
7832 to be split into groups.
7835 (setq nnmail-split-methods
7836 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
7837 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
7841 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
7842 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
7843 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
7844 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
7845 determine if it belongs in this mail group.
7847 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
7848 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
7849 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
7850 mail belongs in that group.
7852 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
7853 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any
7854 mails that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps.
7856 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
7857 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
7858 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
7859 message. The function should return a list of groups names that it
7860 thinks should carry this mail message.
7862 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent
7863 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
7864 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
7865 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
7867 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
7868 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
7869 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
7870 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
7871 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
7873 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
7876 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
7877 the crossposted articles. However, not all files systems support hard
7878 links. If that's the case for you, set
7879 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
7880 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
7882 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
7883 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
7884 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
7885 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
7886 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
7887 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
7888 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
7889 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
7893 @node Mail Backend Variables
7894 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
7896 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
7900 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
7901 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
7902 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
7903 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
7905 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
7906 @item nnmail-spool-file
7910 @vindex nnmail-pop-password
7911 @vindex nnmail-pop-password-required
7912 The backends will look for new mail in this file. If this variable is
7913 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
7914 themselves. If you are using a POP mail server and your name is
7915 @samp{larsi}, you should set this variable to @samp{po:larsi}. If
7916 your name is not @samp{larsi}, you should probably modify that
7917 slightly, but you may have guessed that already, you smart & handsome
7918 devil! You can also set this variable to @code{pop}, and Gnus will try
7919 to figure out the POP mail string by itself. In any case, Gnus will
7920 call @code{movemail} which will contact the POP server named in the
7921 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable. If the POP server needs a
7922 password, you can either set @code{nnmail-pop-password-required} to
7923 @code{t} and be prompted for the password, or set
7924 @code{nnmail-pop-password} to the password itself.
7926 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
7927 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
7928 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
7929 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
7930 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
7931 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
7933 @vindex nnmail-use-procmail
7934 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
7935 @item nnmail-use-procmail
7936 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will look in
7937 @code{nnmail-procmail-directory} for incoming mail. All the files in
7938 that directory that have names ending in @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix}
7939 will be considered incoming mailboxes, and will be searched for new
7942 @vindex nnmail-crash-box
7943 @item nnmail-crash-box
7944 When the mail backends read a spool file, it is first moved to this
7945 file, which is @file{~/.gnus-crash-box} by default. If this file
7946 already exists, it will always be read (and incorporated) before any
7949 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
7950 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
7951 This is run in a buffer that holds all the new incoming mail, and can be
7952 used for, well, anything, really.
7954 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
7955 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
7956 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
7957 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
7958 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
7959 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
7960 starting to handle the new mail) and
7961 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
7962 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
7963 default file modes the new mail files get:
7966 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
7967 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
7969 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
7970 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
7973 @item nnmail-tmp-directory
7974 @vindex nnmail-tmp-directory
7975 This variable says where to move the incoming mail to while processing
7976 it. This is usually done in the same directory that the mail backend
7977 inhabits (i.e., @file{~/Mail/}), but if this variable is non-@code{nil},
7978 it will be used instead.
7980 @item nnmail-movemail-program
7981 @vindex nnmail-movemail-program
7982 This program is executed to move mail from the user's inbox to her home
7983 directory. The default is @samp{movemail}.
7985 @item nnmail-delete-incoming
7986 @vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
7987 @cindex incoming mail files
7988 @cindex deleting incoming files
7989 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will delete the temporary incoming
7990 file after splitting mail into the proper groups. This is @code{t} by
7991 default for reasons of security.
7993 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
7994 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
7995 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
7996 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories like
7997 @file{mail.misc/}. If it is @code{nil}, the same group will end up in
8000 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
8001 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
8003 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
8008 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
8009 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
8010 @cindex mail splitting
8011 @cindex fancy mail splitting
8013 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
8014 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
8015 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
8016 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
8017 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
8018 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
8020 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
8023 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
8024 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
8025 ;; from real errors.
8026 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
8028 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
8029 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
8030 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
8031 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
8032 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
8033 ;; Other mailing lists...
8034 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
8035 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
8037 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen"))
8038 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
8042 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
8043 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
8044 the four possible split syntaxes:
8049 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name.
8051 @item (FIELD VALUE SPLIT)
8052 If the split is a list, and the first element is a string, then that
8053 means that if header FIELD (a regexp) contains VALUE (also a regexp),
8054 then store the message as specified by SPLIT.
8057 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
8058 bar), then process each SPLIT until one of them matches. A SPLIT is
8059 said to match if it will cause the mail message to be stored in one or
8063 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then process
8064 all SPLITs in the list.
8067 In these splits, FIELD must match a complete field name. VALUE must
8068 match a complete word according to the fundamental mode syntax table.
8069 You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial field names or
8072 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
8073 FIELD and VALUE can also be lisp symbols, in that case they are expanded
8074 as specified by the variable @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is
8075 an alist of cons cells, where the car of the cells contains the key, and
8076 the cdr contains a string.
8078 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
8079 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
8080 when all this splitting is performed.
8083 @node Mail and Procmail
8084 @subsection Mail and Procmail
8089 Many people use @code{procmail} (or some other mail filter program or
8090 external delivery agent---@code{slocal}, @code{elm}, etc) to split
8091 incoming mail into groups. If you do that, you should set
8092 @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{procmail} to ensure that the mail
8093 backends never ever try to fetch mail by themselves.
8095 This also means that you probably don't want to set
8096 @code{nnmail-split-methods} either, which has some, perhaps, unexpected
8099 When a mail backend is queried for what groups it carries, it replies
8100 with the contents of that variable, along with any groups it has figured
8101 out that it carries by other means. None of the backends (except
8102 @code{nnmh}) actually go out to the disk and check what groups actually
8103 exist. (It's not trivial to distinguish between what the user thinks is
8104 a basis for a newsgroup and what is just a plain old file or directory.)
8106 This means that you have to tell Gnus (and the backends) what groups
8109 Let's take the @code{nnmh} backend as an example.
8111 The folders are located in @code{nnmh-directory}, say, @file{~/Mail/}.
8112 There are three folders, @file{foo}, @file{bar} and @file{mail.baz}.
8114 Go to the group buffer and type @kbd{G m}. When prompted, answer
8115 @samp{foo} for the name and @samp{nnmh} for the method. Repeat
8116 twice for the two other groups, @samp{bar} and @samp{mail.baz}. Be sure
8117 to include all your mail groups.
8119 That's it. You are now set to read your mail. An active file for this
8120 method will be created automatically.
8122 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
8123 @vindex nnmail-procmail-directory
8124 If you use @code{nnfolder} or any other backend that store more than a
8125 single article in each file, you should never have procmail add mails to
8126 the file that Gnus sees. Instead, procmail should put all incoming mail
8127 in @code{nnmail-procmail-directory}. To arrive at the file name to put
8128 the incoming mail in, append @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix} to the group
8129 name. The mail backends will read the mail from these files.
8131 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
8132 When Gnus reads a file called @file{mail.misc.spool}, this mail will be
8133 put in the @code{mail.misc}, as one would expect. However, if you want
8134 Gnus to split the mail the normal way, you could set
8135 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to @code{t}.
8137 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
8138 If you use @code{procmail} to split things directory into an @code{nnmh}
8139 directory (which you shouldn't do), you should set
8140 @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} to non-@code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
8141 ever expiring the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is quite,
8145 @node Incorporating Old Mail
8146 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
8148 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
8149 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
8150 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
8153 Doing so can be quite easy.
8155 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
8156 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
8157 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
8158 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
8159 your @code{nnml} groups.
8165 Go to the group buffer.
8168 Type `G f' and give the path of the mbox file when prompted to create an
8169 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
8172 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
8175 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group (@pxref{Setting
8179 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
8180 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
8183 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
8184 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
8185 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
8186 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
8187 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
8189 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
8190 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
8191 using the new mail backend.
8195 @subsection Expiring Mail
8196 @cindex article expiry
8198 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
8199 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
8200 different approach to mail reading.
8202 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
8203 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
8204 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
8205 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
8206 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
8207 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
8210 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
8211 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
8212 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
8213 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
8214 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
8215 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
8216 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
8217 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
8219 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
8220 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
8221 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
8222 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
8223 articles that are marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
8224 column in the summary buffer.
8226 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
8227 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
8230 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
8231 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
8234 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
8235 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
8237 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
8238 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
8239 expirable article has to live. The default is seven days.
8241 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
8242 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
8243 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
8244 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
8247 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
8249 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
8251 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
8253 ((string= group "mail.junk")
8255 ((string= group "important")
8261 The group names that this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
8262 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
8264 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
8265 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can be either a number (not
8266 necessarily an integer) or the symbols @code{immediate} or
8269 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
8270 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8272 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
8273 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
8274 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
8275 easier for procmail users.
8277 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
8278 By the way, that line up there about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
8279 articles is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
8280 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
8281 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
8282 caution. Even more dangerous is the
8283 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
8284 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
8285 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
8286 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
8287 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
8288 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
8289 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
8294 @subsection Duplicates
8296 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
8297 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
8298 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
8299 @cindex duplicate mails
8300 If you are a member of a couple of mailing list, you will sometime
8301 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
8302 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
8303 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s -
8304 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
8305 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
8306 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
8307 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
8308 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
8309 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
8310 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
8311 will generate a brand new @code{Message-ID} for the mail and insert a
8312 warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks that this is a
8313 duplicate of a different message.
8315 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
8316 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
8317 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
8318 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
8320 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
8323 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
8324 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
8328 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
8329 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
8330 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
8331 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
8332 (any mail "mail.misc")
8339 (setq nnmail-split-methods
8340 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
8345 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
8346 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
8347 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
8348 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
8349 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
8352 @node Not Reading Mail
8353 @subsection Not Reading Mail
8355 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
8356 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
8357 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
8359 If you set @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{nil}, none of the backends
8360 will ever attempt to read incoming mail, which should help.
8362 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
8363 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
8364 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
8365 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
8366 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
8367 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
8368 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
8369 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
8370 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
8371 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
8372 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
8374 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
8375 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
8379 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
8380 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
8382 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
8383 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
8384 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
8387 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
8388 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
8389 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
8390 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
8391 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
8396 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
8398 @cindex unix mail box
8400 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
8401 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
8402 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
8403 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
8404 which group it belongs in.
8406 Virtual server settings:
8409 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
8410 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
8411 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
8413 @item nnmbox-active-file
8414 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
8415 The name of the active file for the mail box.
8417 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
8418 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
8419 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
8425 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
8429 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
8430 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
8431 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
8432 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail
8433 article to say which group it belongs in.
8435 Virtual server settings:
8438 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
8439 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
8440 The name of the rmail mbox file.
8442 @item nnbabyl-active-file
8443 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
8444 The name of the active file for the rmail box.
8446 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
8447 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
8448 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
8453 @subsubsection Mail Spool
8455 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
8457 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
8458 format. It should be used with some caution.
8460 @vindex nnml-directory
8461 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files;
8462 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the correct
8463 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
8464 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
8466 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
8469 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
8470 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
8471 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
8472 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
8473 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
8474 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
8475 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
8476 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
8478 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
8479 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
8480 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes is the fastest
8481 backend when it comes to reading mail.
8483 Virtual server settings:
8486 @item nnml-directory
8487 @vindex nnml-directory
8488 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
8490 @item nnml-active-file
8491 @vindex nnml-active-file
8492 The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
8494 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
8495 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
8496 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
8499 @item nnml-get-new-mail
8500 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
8501 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
8503 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
8504 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
8505 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
8507 @item nnml-nov-file-name
8508 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
8509 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
8511 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
8512 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
8513 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
8517 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
8518 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
8519 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
8520 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
8521 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
8522 might take a while to complete.
8526 @subsubsection MH Spool
8528 @cindex mh-e mail spool
8530 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
8531 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
8532 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
8533 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
8535 Virtual server settings:
8538 @item nnmh-directory
8539 @vindex nnmh-directory
8540 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
8542 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
8543 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
8544 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
8547 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
8548 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
8549 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
8550 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
8551 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
8552 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
8553 to set this variable to @code{t}.
8558 @subsubsection Mail Folders
8560 @cindex mbox folders
8561 @cindex mail folders
8563 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
8564 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
8565 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
8568 Virtual server settings:
8571 @item nnfolder-directory
8572 @vindex nnfolder-directory
8573 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
8575 @item nnfolder-active-file
8576 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
8577 The name of the active file.
8579 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
8580 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
8581 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
8583 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
8584 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
8585 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
8588 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
8589 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
8590 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
8591 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
8592 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
8593 @code{nnfolder-directory}.
8597 @section Other Sources
8599 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
8600 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
8604 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
8605 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
8606 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
8607 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{SOUP} packets ``offline''.
8611 @node Directory Groups
8612 @subsection Directory Groups
8614 @cindex directory groups
8616 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
8617 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
8620 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp}, that most
8621 wonderful of all wonderful Emacs packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I
8622 didn't think much about it---a backend to read directories. Big deal.
8624 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
8625 enter @file{"/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/"} as the the
8626 directory name, ange-ftp will actually allow you to read this directory
8627 over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
8629 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
8631 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
8632 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
8633 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
8634 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
8637 @node Anything Groups
8638 @subsection Anything Groups
8641 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
8642 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
8643 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
8646 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
8647 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
8648 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
8649 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're
8650 forgetting. @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it
8651 snoops each file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e.,
8652 the first few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head.
8653 If this is just some arbitrary file without a head (eg. a C source
8654 file), @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It
8655 will use file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
8658 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
8659 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
8660 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
8661 in the article buffer, just as usual.
8663 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
8664 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
8665 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
8666 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
8668 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
8669 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
8670 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
8671 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
8672 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
8673 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
8674 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
8675 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
8680 @item nneething-map-file-directory
8681 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
8682 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
8683 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
8685 @item nneething-exclude-files
8686 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
8687 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
8688 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
8690 @item nneething-map-file
8691 @vindex nneething-map-file
8692 Name of the map files.
8696 @node Document Groups
8697 @subsection Document Groups
8699 @cindex documentation group
8702 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
8703 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
8710 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
8715 The standard Unix mbox file.
8717 @cindex MMDF mail box
8719 The MMDF mail box format.
8722 Several news articles appended into a file.
8725 @cindex rnews batch files
8726 The rnews batch transport format.
8727 @cindex forwarded messages
8736 @cindex RFC 1153 digest
8737 @cindex RFC 341 digest
8738 MIME (RFC 1341) digest format.
8740 @item standard-digest
8741 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
8744 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
8747 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
8748 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
8749 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
8752 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
8753 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
8754 group. And that's it.
8756 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
8757 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
8758 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
8759 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
8760 @code{nndoc}, set the process mark on all the articles in the buffer
8761 (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r}) using
8762 @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL} file is
8763 now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can delete
8764 that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
8766 Virtual server variables:
8769 @item nndoc-article-type
8770 @vindex nndoc-article-type
8771 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
8772 @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{news}, @code{rnews},
8773 @code{mime-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, or @code{guess}.
8775 @item nndoc-post-type
8776 @vindex nndoc-post-type
8777 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
8778 a mail group. There are two legal values: @code{mail} (the default)
8783 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
8787 @node Document Server Internals
8788 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
8790 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
8791 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
8792 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
8793 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
8795 First, here's an example document type definition:
8799 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
8800 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
8803 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
8804 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
8805 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
8806 types can be defined with very few settings:
8810 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
8811 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
8815 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
8816 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
8818 @item head-begin-function
8819 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
8822 @item nndoc-head-begin
8823 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
8826 @item nndoc-head-end
8827 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
8828 @samp{"^$"}---the empty line.
8830 @item body-begin-function
8831 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
8835 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
8838 @item body-end-function
8839 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
8843 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
8845 @item nndoc-file-end
8846 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
8847 regexp will be totally ignored.
8851 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
8852 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
8853 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
8854 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
8855 something that's palatable for Gnus:
8858 @item prepare-body-function
8859 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
8860 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
8861 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
8863 @item article-transform-function
8864 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
8865 meant to be used how more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
8866 body of the article.
8868 @item generate-head-function
8869 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
8870 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
8871 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
8872 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
8876 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
8881 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
8882 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
8883 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
8884 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
8886 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
8887 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
8888 (subtype digest guess))
8891 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
8892 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
8893 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
8894 the head from the body may contain a single spcae; and that the body is
8895 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
8897 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
8898 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
8899 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
8900 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
8901 traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for each
8902 type. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
8903 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
8904 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
8905 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
8906 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
8907 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest legal number.
8915 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
8916 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
8917 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
8919 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
8920 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
8921 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
8924 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something a that's a bit
8925 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
8926 that interested in doing things properly.
8928 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
8929 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
8935 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
8936 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie, or you can use Gnus to create the
8937 packet with the @kbd{O s} command.
8940 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
8943 You put the packet in your home directory.
8946 You fire up Gnus using the @code{nnsoup} backend as the native server.
8949 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
8953 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
8957 You transfer this packet to the server.
8960 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
8963 You then repeat until you die.
8967 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
8968 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
8971 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
8972 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
8973 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
8978 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
8982 @kindex G s b (Group)
8983 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
8984 Pack all unread articles in the current group
8985 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
8986 process/prefix convention.
8989 @kindex G s w (Group)
8990 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
8991 Save all data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
8994 @kindex G s s (Group)
8995 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
8996 Send all replies from the replies packet
8997 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
9000 @kindex G s p (Group)
9001 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
9002 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
9005 @kindex G s r (Group)
9006 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
9007 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
9010 @kindex O s (Summary)
9011 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
9012 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
9013 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
9019 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
9024 @item gnus-soup-directory
9025 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
9026 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
9027 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
9029 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
9030 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
9031 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
9032 reply packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/}.
9034 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
9035 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
9036 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
9039 @item gnus-soup-packer
9040 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
9041 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
9042 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
9044 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
9045 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
9046 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
9047 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
9049 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
9050 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
9051 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
9053 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
9054 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
9055 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
9056 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
9062 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
9065 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
9066 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
9067 you can read them at leisure.
9069 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
9073 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
9074 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
9075 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
9076 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
9078 @item nnsoup-directory
9079 @vindex nnsoup-directory
9080 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
9081 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
9083 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
9084 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
9085 All replies will stored in this directory before being packed into a
9086 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
9088 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
9089 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
9090 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
9091 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
9092 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
9094 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
9095 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
9096 The index type of the replies packet. The is @samp{?n}, which means
9097 ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
9099 @item nnsoup-active-file
9100 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
9101 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
9102 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
9103 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
9104 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
9107 @vindex nnsoup-packer
9108 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
9109 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
9111 @item nnsoup-unpacker
9112 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
9113 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
9114 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
9116 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
9117 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
9118 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
9121 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
9122 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
9123 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
9130 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
9132 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
9133 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
9134 more for that to happen.
9136 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
9137 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
9138 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
9141 In specific, this is what it does:
9144 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
9145 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
9148 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
9149 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
9150 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
9153 @node Combined Groups
9154 @section Combined Groups
9156 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
9160 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
9161 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
9165 @node Virtual Groups
9166 @subsection Virtual Groups
9168 @cindex virtual groups
9170 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
9173 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small group, you can
9174 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
9175 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
9177 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
9178 regexp to match component groups.
9180 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
9181 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
9182 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
9183 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
9186 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
9187 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
9190 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
9193 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
9194 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
9196 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
9197 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
9198 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
9199 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
9202 "^nntp+some.server.jp:soc.motss$\\|^nntp+some.server.no:soc.motss$"
9205 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
9206 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
9207 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
9208 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
9209 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}.
9211 One limitation, however---all groups that are included in a virtual
9212 group has to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
9213 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
9215 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
9216 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
9217 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
9218 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
9219 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
9220 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
9221 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
9222 effect if you have two virtual groups that contain the same component
9223 group. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
9224 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
9225 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
9228 @node Kibozed Groups
9229 @subsection Kibozed Groups
9233 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
9234 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
9235 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
9236 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
9239 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
9242 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
9243 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
9244 @code{nnkiboze} group. There most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
9245 and @code{nnvirtual} ends.
9247 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
9248 must have a score file to say what articles that are to be included in
9249 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
9251 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
9252 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
9253 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
9254 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
9255 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
9256 all the articles in all the components groups and run them through the
9257 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
9258 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
9260 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
9261 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
9262 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
9263 Stranger things have happened.
9265 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
9266 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
9268 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
9269 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
9270 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
9271 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
9272 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
9273 on what groups that have been searched through to find component
9276 Articles that are marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have their
9277 @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
9284 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
9285 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
9286 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
9289 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
9290 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
9291 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
9292 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
9293 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
9295 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
9296 before generating the summary buffer.
9298 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
9299 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
9300 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
9302 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
9303 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
9304 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
9305 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
9308 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
9309 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
9310 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
9311 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
9312 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
9313 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus @emph{knows} what you read.
9314 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
9315 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
9316 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
9317 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
9318 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
9319 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
9320 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
9321 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
9322 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
9326 @node Summary Score Commands
9327 @section Summary Score Commands
9328 @cindex score commands
9330 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
9331 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
9332 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
9333 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
9334 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
9336 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
9337 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
9338 some other score file (eg. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
9339 score file the current one.
9341 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
9346 @kindex V s (Summary)
9347 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
9348 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
9351 @kindex V S (Summary)
9352 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
9353 Display the score of the current article
9354 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
9357 @kindex V t (Summary)
9358 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
9359 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
9360 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
9363 @cindex V R (Summary)
9364 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
9365 Run the current summary through the scoring process
9366 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
9367 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
9368 effect you're having.
9371 @kindex V a (Summary)
9372 @findex gnus-summary-score-entry
9373 Add a new score entry, and allow specifying all elements
9374 (@code{gnus-summary-score-entry}).
9377 @kindex V c (Summary)
9378 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
9379 Make a different score file the current
9380 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
9383 @kindex V e (Summary)
9384 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
9385 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
9386 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
9390 @kindex V f (Summary)
9391 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
9392 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
9393 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
9396 @kindex V F (Summary)
9397 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
9398 Flush the score cahe (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
9399 after editing score files.
9402 @kindex V C (Summary)
9403 @findex gnus-score-customize
9404 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
9405 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
9408 @kindex I C-i (Summary)
9409 @findex gnus-summary-raise-score
9410 Increase the score of the current article
9411 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-score}).
9414 @kindex L C-l (Summary)
9415 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
9416 Lower the score of the current article
9417 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-score}).
9420 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
9425 @kindex V m (Summary)
9426 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
9427 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
9428 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
9431 @kindex V x (Summary)
9432 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
9433 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
9434 expunge all articles below this score
9435 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
9438 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
9439 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
9444 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
9445 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
9447 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
9452 Score on the author name.
9455 Score on the subject line.
9458 Score on the Xref line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
9461 Score on thread---the References line.
9467 Score on the number of lines.
9470 Score on the Message-ID.
9483 The third key is the match type. Which match types are legal depends on
9484 what headers you are scoring on.
9528 Greater than number.
9533 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
9534 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
9535 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
9539 Temporary score entry.
9542 Permanent score entry.
9545 Immediately scoring.
9550 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
9551 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
9552 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
9553 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
9555 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
9556 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
9557 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
9558 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
9559 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
9561 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
9562 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
9563 pretend they are keymaps or not.
9566 @node Group Score Commands
9567 @section Group Score Commands
9568 @cindex group score commands
9570 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
9576 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
9577 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
9578 all the time. This command will flush the cache
9579 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
9584 @node Score Variables
9585 @section Score Variables
9586 @cindex score variables
9590 @item gnus-use-scoring
9591 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
9592 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
9593 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
9595 @item gnus-kill-killed
9596 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
9597 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
9598 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
9599 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
9600 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
9601 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
9602 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
9604 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
9605 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
9606 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
9607 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
9608 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
9610 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
9611 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
9612 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
9613 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
9615 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
9616 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
9618 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
9619 score files. However, if this might make you Emacs grow big and
9620 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files that are
9621 unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
9622 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
9623 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
9624 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
9627 @item gnus-save-score
9628 @vindex gnus-save-score
9629 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
9630 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
9631 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
9633 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
9634 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
9635 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
9636 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
9637 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
9638 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
9639 manually entered data.
9641 @item gnus-summary-default-score
9642 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
9643 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
9645 @item gnus-score-over-mark
9646 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
9647 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
9648 default. Default is @samp{+}.
9650 @item gnus-score-below-mark
9651 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
9652 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
9653 default. Default is @samp{-}.
9655 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
9656 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
9657 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
9658 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
9660 Predefined functions available are:
9663 @item gnus-score-find-single
9664 @findex gnus-score-find-single
9665 Only apply the group's own score file.
9667 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
9668 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
9669 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
9670 default. For instance, if the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus},
9671 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
9672 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
9673 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
9674 then a regexp match is done.
9676 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
9677 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
9679 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
9680 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
9681 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
9682 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE} or @file{all.emacs.SCORE},
9683 but you can have @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and
9684 @file{comp.emacs.SCORE}.
9687 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
9688 functions will be called, and all the returned lists of score files will
9689 be applied. These functions can also return lists of score alists
9690 directly. In that case, the functions that return these non-file score
9691 alists should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file
9692 functions, to ensure that the last score file returned is the local
9695 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
9696 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
9697 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
9698 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
9699 are expired. It's 7 by default.
9701 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
9702 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
9703 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
9704 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
9705 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
9706 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
9707 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
9710 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
9711 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
9712 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
9717 @node Score File Format
9718 @section Score File Format
9719 @cindex score file format
9721 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
9722 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
9723 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
9725 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
9729 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
9731 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
9733 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
9735 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
9740 (mark-and-expunge -10)
9744 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
9745 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
9746 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
9747 (gnus-summary-make-false-root 'empty))
9751 This example demonstrates absolutely everything about a score file.
9753 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
9754 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
9755 has to be legal syntactically, if not semantically.
9757 Six keys are supported by this alist:
9762 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
9763 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
9764 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
9765 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
9766 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
9767 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
9768 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
9769 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
9770 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
9771 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
9772 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
9773 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
9774 to articles that matches these score entries.
9776 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
9777 score entry has one to four elements.
9781 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
9782 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
9786 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
9787 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
9788 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
9789 is successful. If this element is not present, the
9790 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
9791 instead. This is 1000 by default.
9794 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
9795 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
9796 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
9797 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
9798 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 ce.
9801 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
9802 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
9803 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
9804 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
9807 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
9808 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
9809 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
9810 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
9811 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
9812 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
9813 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
9814 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
9815 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
9816 instead, if you feel like.
9819 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
9820 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
9823 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
9824 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
9825 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
9826 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
9827 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
9828 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
9829 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
9831 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
9832 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
9833 ISO8601 compact format first, which looks like @samp{YYYYMMDDTHHMMSS}.
9834 If you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
9835 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
9836 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
9837 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
9838 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
9841 @item Head, Body, All
9842 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
9846 This match key will add a score entry on all articles that followup to
9847 some author. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header uses.
9850 This match key will add a score entry on all articles that are part of
9851 a thread. Uses the same match types as the @code{References} header
9857 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
9858 lower than this number will be marked as read.
9861 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
9862 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
9864 @item mark-and-expunge
9865 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
9866 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
9869 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
9870 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
9871 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
9872 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
9873 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
9876 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
9877 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
9881 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. This files will
9882 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
9886 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
9887 ignored when handling global score files.
9890 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
9891 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}).
9894 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
9895 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
9896 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
9897 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
9899 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
9903 (mark-and-expunge -100)
9906 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
9907 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
9908 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
9909 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
9910 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
9912 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
9913 exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
9914 ordinary scoring rules.
9917 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
9918 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
9919 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
9920 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
9921 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
9922 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
9923 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
9924 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
9925 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
9926 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
9927 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
9931 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
9932 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
9933 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
9934 file for a number of groups.
9937 @cindex local variables
9938 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
9939 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
9940 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
9941 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
9946 @node Score File Editing
9947 @section Score File Editing
9949 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
9950 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
9951 with a mode for that.
9953 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
9954 additional commands:
9959 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
9960 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
9961 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
9962 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
9965 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
9966 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
9967 Insert the current date in numerical format
9968 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
9972 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
9973 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
9974 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
9975 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
9976 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
9981 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
9983 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
9984 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
9986 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
9987 e} to begin editing score files.
9990 @node Adaptive Scoring
9991 @section Adaptive Scoring
9992 @cindex adaptive scoring
9994 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
9995 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
9996 stupidity, to be precise.
9998 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
9999 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
10000 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
10001 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
10002 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
10003 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
10004 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
10005 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
10006 variable to @code{(word line)}.
10008 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
10009 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
10010 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
10011 might look something like this:
10014 (defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
10015 '((gnus-unread-mark)
10016 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
10017 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
10018 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
10019 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
10020 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
10021 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
10022 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
10023 (gnus-ancient-mark)
10024 (gnus-low-score-mark)
10025 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
10028 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
10029 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
10030 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
10031 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
10032 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
10033 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
10036 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
10037 will be applied to each article.
10039 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
10040 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
10041 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
10042 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
10044 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
10045 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
10046 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
10047 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
10049 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
10050 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
10051 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
10052 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
10053 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
10054 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
10056 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
10057 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
10058 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
10059 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
10060 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
10061 aspirins afterwards.)
10063 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
10064 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
10065 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
10067 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
10068 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
10069 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
10071 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
10072 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
10073 let you use different rules in different groups.
10075 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
10076 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
10077 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
10080 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
10081 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
10082 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
10083 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
10084 the length of the match is less than
10085 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
10086 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
10089 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
10090 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
10091 headers. If you adapt on words, the
10092 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
10093 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
10096 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
10097 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
10098 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
10099 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
10100 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
10103 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
10104 word that appears in subjects of articles that are marked with
10105 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
10106 score with 30 points.
10108 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
10109 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list will be
10112 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
10113 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
10114 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
10117 @node Home Score File
10118 @section Home Score File
10120 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
10121 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
10122 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
10123 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
10125 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
10126 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
10127 could perhaps use the same home score file.
10129 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
10130 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
10135 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
10139 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
10140 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
10144 A list. The elements in this list can be:
10148 @var{(regexp . file-name)}. If the @var{regexp} matches the group name,
10149 the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
10152 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
10153 the home score file.
10156 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
10159 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
10164 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
10167 (setq gnus-home-score-file
10168 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
10171 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
10172 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
10175 (setq gnus-home-score-file
10176 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
10179 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
10181 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
10182 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
10183 their own home score files:
10186 (setq gnus-home-score-file
10187 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
10188 '("\\.emacs" . "emacs.SCORE")
10189 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
10190 ("^comp" . "comp.SCORE"))
10193 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
10194 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
10195 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
10196 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
10197 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
10199 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
10200 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
10201 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
10202 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
10203 presedence over this variable.
10206 @node Followups To Yourself
10207 @section Followups To Yourself
10209 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
10210 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
10211 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
10212 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
10213 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
10214 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
10218 @item gnus-score-followup-article
10219 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
10220 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
10223 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
10224 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
10225 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
10229 @vindex message-sent-hook
10230 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
10231 @code{message-sent-hook}.
10234 @section Scoring Tips
10235 @cindex scoring tips
10241 @cindex scoring crossposts
10242 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
10243 the @code{Xref} header.
10245 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
10248 @item Multiple crossposts
10249 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
10250 more than, say, 3 groups:
10252 ("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
10255 @item Matching on the body
10256 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
10257 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
10258 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
10259 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
10260 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
10261 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
10262 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
10265 @item Marking as read
10266 You will probably want to mark articles that has a score below a certain
10267 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
10268 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
10272 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
10274 @item Negated character classes
10275 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
10276 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
10277 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
10281 @node Reverse Scoring
10282 @section Reverse Scoring
10283 @cindex reverse scoring
10285 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
10286 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
10287 like this in your score file:
10291 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
10296 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
10297 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
10300 @node Global Score Files
10301 @section Global Score Files
10302 @cindex global score files
10304 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
10305 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
10306 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
10308 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
10309 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
10310 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
10312 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
10313 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
10314 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
10315 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
10316 files are applicable to which group.
10318 Say you want to use all score files in the
10319 @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory and the single score
10320 file @file{/ftp@@ftp.ifi.uio.no:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE}:
10323 (setq gnus-global-score-files
10324 '("/ftp@@ftp.ifi.uio.no:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
10325 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
10328 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
10329 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
10330 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
10331 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
10332 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
10334 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
10335 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
10337 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
10338 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
10339 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
10340 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
10341 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
10342 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
10344 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
10350 Articles that are heavily crossposted are probably junk.
10352 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
10354 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
10356 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
10357 lowered out of existence.
10359 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
10360 articles completely.
10363 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
10364 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
10365 old articles for a long time.
10368 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
10369 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
10370 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
10371 holding our breath yet?
10375 @section Kill Files
10378 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
10379 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
10380 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
10382 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
10383 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
10384 files into score files.
10386 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
10387 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
10388 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
10389 that isn't a very good idea.
10391 XCNormal kill files look like this:
10394 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
10395 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
10399 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove them from
10400 the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
10402 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
10403 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
10406 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
10411 @kindex M-k (Summary)
10412 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
10413 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
10416 @kindex M-K (Summary)
10417 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
10418 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
10421 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
10426 @kindex M-k (Group)
10427 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
10428 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
10431 @kindex M-K (Group)
10432 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
10433 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
10436 Kill file variables:
10439 @item gnus-kill-file-name
10440 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
10441 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
10442 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
10443 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
10444 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
10445 course) is called just @file{KILL}.
10447 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
10448 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
10449 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
10450 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
10453 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
10454 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
10455 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
10456 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
10457 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
10458 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
10459 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
10460 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
10461 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
10463 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
10464 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
10465 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
10474 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
10475 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
10476 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
10478 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
10479 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
10480 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
10481 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
10482 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
10483 Once it has found for you some people you agree with it tells you, in
10484 the form of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use
10485 this prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
10489 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
10490 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
10491 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
10492 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
10496 @node Using GroupLens
10497 @subsection Using GroupLens
10499 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
10500 Bit Bureau (BBB). At the moment the only better bit in town is at
10501 @samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html}.
10503 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
10507 @item gnus-use-grouplens
10508 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
10509 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
10510 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
10512 @item grouplens-pseudonym
10513 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
10514 This variable should be set to the pseudonum you got when registering
10515 with the Better Bit Bureau.
10517 @item grouplens-newsgroups
10518 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
10519 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
10523 Thats the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
10524 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
10525 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
10526 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
10527 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
10528 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
10531 @node Rating Articles
10532 @subsection Rating Articles
10534 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
10535 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
10536 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
10537 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
10540 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
10545 @kindex r (GroupLens)
10546 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
10547 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
10550 @kindex k (GroupLens)
10551 @findex grouplens-score-thread
10552 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
10553 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
10554 threads in rec.humor.
10558 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
10559 the score of the article you're reading.
10564 @kindex n (GroupLens)
10565 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
10566 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
10569 @kindex , (GroupLens)
10570 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
10571 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
10575 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
10576 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
10579 @node Displaying Predictions
10580 @subsection Displaying Predictions
10582 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
10583 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
10584 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
10585 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
10586 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
10588 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
10589 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
10590 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
10591 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
10592 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
10593 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
10594 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
10595 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
10596 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
10597 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
10598 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
10599 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
10600 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
10602 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
10603 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
10604 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
10605 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
10607 The following are legal values for that variable.
10610 @item prediction-spot
10611 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
10614 @item confidence-interval
10615 A numeric confidence interval.
10617 @item prediction-bar
10618 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
10620 @item confidence-bar
10621 Numerical confidence.
10623 @item confidence-spot
10624 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
10626 @item prediction-num
10627 Plain-old numeric value.
10629 @item confidence-plus-minus
10630 Prediction +/i confidence.
10635 @node GroupLens Variables
10636 @subsection GroupLens Variables
10640 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
10641 The summary line format used in summary buffers that are GroupLens
10642 enhanced. It accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format
10643 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). The default is
10644 @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
10646 @item grouplens-bbb-host
10647 Host running the bbbd server. The default is
10648 @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu}.
10650 @item grouplens-bbb-port
10651 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
10653 @item grouplens-score-offset
10654 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
10655 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
10658 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
10659 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
10660 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
10665 @node Advanced Scoring
10666 @section Advanced Scoring
10668 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
10669 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
10670 about a particular subject? Or what about if you really don't want to
10671 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
10672 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
10674 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
10678 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
10679 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
10680 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
10684 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
10685 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
10687 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
10688 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
10689 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
10690 non-@code{nil} value.
10692 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
10693 operator, and various match operators.
10700 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
10701 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
10702 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
10707 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
10708 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
10709 then this operator will return @code{false}.
10714 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
10715 inverse of the value of its argument.
10719 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
10720 apply to the ancenstors of the current article being scored. For
10721 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
10722 current article. @code{2-} will make score fules apply to the
10723 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
10724 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) say how far back into
10725 the ancestry you want to go.
10727 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
10728 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
10729 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
10730 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
10731 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
10734 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
10735 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
10737 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
10738 when he's talking about Gnus:
10742 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
10743 ("subject" "Gnus"))
10749 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
10753 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
10760 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
10761 really don't want to read what he's written:
10765 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
10766 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
10770 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
10771 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
10772 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
10779 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
10780 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
10781 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
10782 ("body" "white.*socks"))
10786 The possibilities are endless.
10789 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
10790 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
10792 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
10793 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
10794 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
10795 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
10796 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
10797 (@samp{body}, @code{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
10798 @samp{subject}) first.
10800 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
10801 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
10812 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
10813 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
10819 ("subject" "Gnus")))
10826 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
10827 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
10832 @section Score Decays
10833 @cindex score decays
10836 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
10837 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
10838 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
10839 use them in any sensible way.
10841 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
10842 @findex gnus-decay-score
10843 @vindex gnus-score-decay-function
10844 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
10845 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
10846 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
10847 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
10848 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-score-decay-function}
10849 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
10850 definition of that function:
10853 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
10856 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
10858 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
10860 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
10863 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
10864 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
10865 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
10866 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
10870 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
10873 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
10876 Scores with magnutudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
10880 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
10881 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
10882 the new score, which should be an integer.
10884 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
10885 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
10892 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
10893 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
10894 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
10895 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
10896 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
10897 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
10898 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
10899 * Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
10900 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
10901 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
10902 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
10903 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
10904 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
10908 @node Process/Prefix
10909 @section Process/Prefix
10910 @cindex process/prefix convention
10912 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
10913 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
10915 This is a method for figuring out what articles that the user wants the
10916 command to be performed on.
10920 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
10921 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
10922 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
10923 with the current one.
10925 @vindex transient-mark-mode
10926 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
10927 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
10929 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
10930 process mark, perform the operation on the articles that are marked with
10933 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
10934 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
10936 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
10939 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
10940 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
10941 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
10942 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
10943 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
10944 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
10945 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
10946 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
10950 @section Interactive
10951 @cindex interaction
10955 @item gnus-novice-user
10956 @vindex gnus-novice-user
10957 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
10958 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
10959 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
10960 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
10963 @item gnus-expert-user
10964 @vindex gnus-expert-user
10965 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will never ever be asked any
10966 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
10967 matter how strange.
10969 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
10970 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
10971 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
10972 is @code{t} by default.
10974 @item gnus-interactive-exit
10975 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
10976 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
10981 @node Formatting Variables
10982 @section Formatting Variables
10983 @cindex formatting variables
10985 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables that
10986 are called things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
10987 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
10988 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
10989 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
10992 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
10993 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
10994 lots of percentages everywhere.
10997 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
10998 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
10999 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
11000 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
11003 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
11004 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
11005 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
11006 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
11007 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
11008 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
11009 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
11010 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
11012 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
11013 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
11015 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
11016 @findex gnus-update-format
11017 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
11018 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
11019 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
11020 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
11024 @node Formatting Basics
11025 @subsection Formatting Basics
11027 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
11028 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
11029 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
11031 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
11032 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
11033 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
11034 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
11035 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
11038 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
11039 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
11040 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
11041 less than 4 characters wide.
11044 @node Advanced Formatting
11045 @subsection Advanced Formatting
11047 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
11048 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
11049 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
11050 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
11052 These are the legal modifiers:
11057 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
11061 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
11066 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
11069 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
11074 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
11077 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
11080 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
11083 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
11087 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
11088 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
11089 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
11090 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
11091 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
11092 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
11093 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
11095 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
11096 last operation, padding.
11098 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
11099 quite slow. This can be helped enourmously by running @kbd{M-x
11100 gnus-compile} when you are setisfied with the look of your lines.
11101 @xref{Compilation}.
11104 @node User-Defined Specs
11105 @subsection User-Defined Specs
11107 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
11108 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
11109 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
11110 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
11111 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
11112 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
11113 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
11114 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
11115 should protect against that.
11117 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
11118 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
11119 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
11120 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
11124 @node Formatting Fonts
11125 @subsection Formatting Fonts
11127 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
11128 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
11129 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
11130 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
11133 Text inside the @samp{%[} and @samp{%]} specifiers will have their
11134 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
11135 default. If you say @samp{%1[} instead, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1}
11136 instead, and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes
11137 for the @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
11138 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
11140 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
11143 ;; Create three face types.
11144 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
11145 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
11147 ;; We want the article count to be in
11148 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
11149 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
11150 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
11152 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
11153 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
11155 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
11156 (setq gnus-group-line-format
11157 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
11160 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
11161 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
11163 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
11164 mode-line variables.
11167 @node Windows Configuration
11168 @section Windows Configuration
11169 @cindex windows configuration
11171 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
11173 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
11174 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
11175 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
11176 @code{t} by default.
11178 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
11179 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
11180 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
11183 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
11184 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
11185 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
11189 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
11190 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
11191 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
11192 possible names is listed below.
11194 The @dfn{value} (i. e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
11195 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
11198 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
11202 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
11203 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
11204 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
11205 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
11206 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
11207 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
11208 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
11209 size spec per split.
11211 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
11214 Here's a more complicated example:
11217 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
11218 (summary 0.25 point)
11219 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
11223 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
11224 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
11225 occupy, not a percentage.
11227 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
11228 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
11229 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
11230 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
11231 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
11234 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
11237 (article (horizontal 1.0
11242 (summary 0.25 point)
11247 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
11248 @code{horizontal} thingie?
11250 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
11251 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
11252 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
11253 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
11254 the screen is to be given to this strip.
11256 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
11257 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
11258 lines from the splits.
11260 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a legal split
11264 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
11265 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
11266 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
11267 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
11268 buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] ")"
11269 size = number | frame-params
11270 buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
11273 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
11274 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
11275 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
11276 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
11278 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
11279 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
11280 @cindex window height
11281 @cindex window width
11282 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
11283 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
11284 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
11285 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
11286 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
11287 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
11289 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
11290 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
11291 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
11292 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
11294 @findex gnus-configure-frame
11295 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
11296 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
11297 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
11298 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
11299 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
11300 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
11301 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
11302 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
11303 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
11304 configuration list.
11307 (gnus-configure-frame
11311 (article 0.3 point))
11319 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
11320 @code{frame} split:
11323 (gnus-configure-frame
11326 (summary 0.25 point)
11328 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
11329 (user-position . t)
11330 (left . -1) (top . 1))
11335 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
11336 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
11337 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
11338 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
11339 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
11340 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
11343 Here's a list of all possible keys for
11344 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration}:
11346 @code{group}, @code{summary}, @code{article}, @code{server},
11347 @code{browse}, @code{message}, @code{pick}, @code{info},
11348 @code{summary-faq}, @code{edit-group}, @code{edit-server},
11349 @code{edit-score}, @code{post}, @code{reply}, @code{forward},
11350 @code{reply-yank}, @code{mail-bounce}, @code{draft},
11351 @code{pipe}, @code{bug}, @code{compose-bounce}.
11353 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
11354 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
11355 it is desireable to distinguish between the two, something like this
11359 (message (horizontal 1.0
11360 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
11362 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
11367 @findex gnus-add-configuration
11368 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
11369 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
11370 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
11371 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
11374 (gnus-add-configuration
11375 '(article (vertical 1.0
11377 (summary .25 point)
11381 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
11382 @file{.gnus} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
11383 Gnus has been loaded.
11387 @section Compilation
11388 @cindex compilation
11389 @cindex byte-compilation
11391 @findex gnus-compile
11393 Remember all those line format specification variables?
11394 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
11395 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
11396 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
11397 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
11398 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
11401 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
11402 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
11403 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
11404 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
11405 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
11406 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
11407 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
11411 @section Mode Lines
11414 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
11415 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
11416 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
11417 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
11418 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
11419 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
11420 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
11423 @cindex display-time
11425 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
11426 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
11427 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
11428 to display (eg. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
11429 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
11430 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
11431 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
11432 additional elements on the mode line (eg. a clock), you should modify
11435 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
11437 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
11438 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
11440 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
11441 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
11442 (length display-time-string)))))
11445 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
11446 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either.
11449 @node Highlighting and Menus
11450 @section Highlighting and Menus
11452 @cindex highlighting
11455 @vindex gnus-visual
11456 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the prettifying Gnus
11457 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
11458 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
11461 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
11462 following elements are legal, and are all included by default:
11465 @item group-highlight
11466 Do highlights in the group buffer.
11467 @item summary-highlight
11468 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
11469 @item article-highlight
11470 Do highlights in the article buffer.
11472 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
11474 Create menus in the group buffer.
11476 Create menus in the summary buffers.
11478 Create menus in the article buffer.
11480 Create menus in the browse buffer.
11482 Create menus in the server buffer.
11484 Create menus in the score buffers.
11486 Create menus in all buffers.
11489 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
11490 buffers, you could say something like:
11493 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
11496 If you want only highlighting and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
11499 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
11502 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
11503 in all Gnus buffers.
11505 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
11508 @item gnus-mouse-face
11509 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
11510 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
11511 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
11513 @item gnus-display-type
11514 @vindex gnus-display-type
11515 This variable is symbol indicating the display type Emacs is running
11516 under. The symbol should be one of @code{color}, @code{grayscale} or
11517 @code{mono}. If Gnus guesses this display attribute wrongly, either set
11518 this variable in your @file{~/.emacs} or set the resource
11519 @code{Emacs.displayType} in your @file{~/.Xdefaults}.
11521 @item gnus-background-mode
11522 @vindex gnus-background-mode
11523 This is a symbol indicating the Emacs background brightness. The symbol
11524 should be one of @code{light} or @code{dark}. If Gnus guesses this
11525 frame attribute wrongly, either set this variable in your @file{~/.emacs} or
11526 set the resource @code{Emacs.backgroundMode} in your @file{~/.Xdefaults}.
11527 `gnus-display-type'.
11530 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
11534 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
11535 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
11536 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
11538 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
11539 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
11540 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
11542 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
11543 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
11544 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
11546 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
11547 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
11548 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
11550 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
11551 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
11552 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
11554 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
11555 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
11556 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
11567 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
11568 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
11569 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
11570 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
11571 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
11575 @vindex gnus-carpal
11576 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
11577 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
11578 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
11583 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
11584 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
11585 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
11587 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
11588 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
11589 Face used on buttons.
11591 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
11592 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
11593 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
11595 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
11596 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
11597 Buttons in the group buffer.
11599 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
11600 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
11601 Buttons in the summary buffer.
11603 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
11604 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
11605 Buttons in the server buffer.
11607 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
11608 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
11609 Buttons in the browse buffer.
11612 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
11613 is either a cons cell where the car contains a text to be displayed and
11614 the cdr contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
11622 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
11623 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
11624 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
11625 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
11626 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
11628 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
11629 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
11630 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
11632 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
11633 been idle for thirty minutes:
11636 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
11639 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
11643 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
11646 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter works together
11647 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
11648 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
11650 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
11651 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
11652 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
11653 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
11655 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
11656 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
11657 @var{idle} minutes.
11659 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
11660 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
11663 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
11664 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
11665 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
11667 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
11668 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
11669 seconds. This is @code{60} by default. If you change that variable,
11670 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
11672 @vindex gnus-use-demon
11673 To set the whole thing in motion, though, you have to set
11674 @code{gnus-use-demon} to @code{t}.
11676 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
11677 your @file{.gnus} file:
11679 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
11681 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
11684 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
11685 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
11686 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
11687 Some ready-made functions to do this has been created:
11688 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection}, and
11689 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
11690 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
11692 @findex gnus-demon-init
11693 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
11694 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
11695 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
11696 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
11697 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
11699 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you overdo it. Adding
11700 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
11701 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
11710 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
11711 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
11713 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
11714 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
11715 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
11716 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
11719 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
11720 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
11721 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
11722 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
11724 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
11725 this will make spam disappear.
11727 There are some variables to customize, of course:
11730 @item gnus-use-nocem
11731 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
11732 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
11735 @item gnus-nocem-groups
11736 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
11737 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
11738 default is @code{("alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
11740 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
11741 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
11742 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
11743 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
11744 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;" "jem@@xpat.com;" "red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us
11745 (Richard E. Depew)")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
11747 Known despammers that you can put in this list include:
11750 @item clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;
11751 @cindex Chris Lewis
11752 Chris Lewis---Major Canadian despammer who has probably canceled more
11753 usenet abuse than anybody else.
11756 @cindex CancelMoose[tm]
11757 The CancelMoose[tm] on autopilot. The CancelMoose[tm] is reputed to be
11758 Norwegian, and was the person(s) who invented NoCeM.
11760 @item jem@@xpat.com;
11762 Jem---Korean despammer who is getting very busy these days.
11764 @item red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us (Richard E. Depew)
11765 Richard E. Depew---lone American despammer. He mostly cancels binary
11766 postings to non-binary groups and removes spews (regurgitated articles).
11769 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
11770 ones you want to listen to.
11772 @item gnus-nocem-directory
11773 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
11774 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
11775 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
11777 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
11778 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
11779 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
11780 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
11781 might then see old spam.
11789 So... You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
11790 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
11791 over your shoulder as you read news.
11794 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
11795 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
11796 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
11797 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
11798 * Picon Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
11803 @subsection Picon Basics
11805 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site
11806 (@samp{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}):
11809 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
11810 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
11811 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
11812 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
11813 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
11814 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
11815 @code{GIF} formats.
11818 Please see the above mentioned web site for instructions on obtaining
11819 and installing the picons databases, or the following ftp site:
11820 @samp{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
11822 @vindex gnus-picons-database
11823 Gnus expects picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
11824 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
11827 @node Picon Requirements
11828 @subsection Picon Requirements
11830 To use have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
11831 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
11834 Additionally, you must have @code{xpm} support compiled into XEmacs.
11836 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
11837 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you must have
11838 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
11839 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
11843 @subsection Easy Picons
11845 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
11846 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
11849 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
11850 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
11851 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-prepare-hook 'gnus-group-display-picons t)
11852 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-picons-article-display-x-face)
11857 @subsection Hard Picons
11859 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
11860 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
11861 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
11862 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
11863 feature, you need to first decide where to display them.
11867 @item gnus-picons-display-where
11868 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
11869 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
11870 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
11871 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
11872 @samp{"*scratch*"} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
11873 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
11874 routines---@xref{Windows Configuration}.
11878 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
11879 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
11881 Now that you've made that decision, you need to add the following
11882 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get
11883 displayed at the right time.
11885 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
11886 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
11888 @item gnus-article-display-picons
11889 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
11890 Looks up and display the picons for the author and the author's domain
11891 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer. Should be added to
11892 the @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
11894 @item gnus-group-display-picons
11895 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
11896 Displays picons representing the current group. This function should
11897 be added to the @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook} or to the
11898 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} if @code{gnus-picons-display-where}
11899 is set to @code{article}.
11901 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
11902 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
11903 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present. This function
11904 should be added to @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
11908 Note: You must append them to the hook, so make sure to specify 't'
11909 to the append flag of @code{add-hook}:
11912 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
11916 @node Picon Configuration
11917 @subsection Picon Configuration
11919 The following variables offer further control over how things are
11920 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
11921 don't need to worry about.
11924 @item gnus-picons-database
11925 @vindex gnus-picons-database
11926 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
11927 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
11928 subdirectories. Defaults to @file{/usr/local/faces}.
11930 @item gnus-picons-news-directory
11931 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directory
11932 Sub-directory of the faces database containing the icons for
11935 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
11936 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
11937 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
11938 faces. Defaults to @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc/MISC")}.
11940 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
11941 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
11942 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
11943 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
11944 want to add @samp{unknown} to this list.
11946 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
11947 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
11948 The command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
11949 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
11950 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
11951 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
11953 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
11954 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
11955 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
11956 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
11958 @item gnus-picons-buffer
11959 @vindex gnus-picons-buffer
11960 The name of the buffer that @code{picons} points to. Defaults to
11961 @samp{*Icon Buffer*}.
11967 @section Moderation
11970 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
11971 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
11972 @samp{larsi@@ifi.uio.no} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
11975 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
11979 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
11982 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
11984 If you are the moderation of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
11989 You split your incoming mail by matching on
11990 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
11991 articles in some mail group---@samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}, for instance.
11994 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
11995 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
11998 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
11999 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
12003 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
12006 (setq gnus-moderatated-groups
12007 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
12011 @node Various Various
12012 @section Various Various
12019 @vindex gnus-verbose
12020 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
12021 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
12022 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
12023 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
12024 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
12026 @item gnus-verbose-backends
12027 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
12028 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
12029 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
12031 @item nnheader-max-head-length
12032 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
12033 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
12034 as little as possible. This variable (default @code{4096}) specifies
12035 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
12036 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
12037 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
12038 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
12039 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
12042 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
12043 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
12045 @cindex illegal characters in file names
12046 @cindex characters in file names
12047 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
12048 For instance, if @samp{:} is illegal as a file character in file names
12049 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
12052 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
12056 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
12057 Windows (phooey) systems.
12059 @item gnus-hidden-properties
12060 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
12061 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
12062 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
12063 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
12065 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
12066 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
12067 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
12068 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
12069 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
12071 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
12072 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
12073 String used to separate to shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
12082 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
12083 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
12085 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
12087 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
12092 Not because of victories @*
12095 but for the common sunshine,@*
12097 the largess of the spring.
12100 but for the day's work done@*
12101 as well as I was able;@*
12102 not for a seat upon the dais@*
12103 but at the common table.@*
12108 @chapter Appendices
12111 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
12112 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
12113 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
12114 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
12115 * A Programmers Guide to Gnus:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
12116 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
12117 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
12125 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
12126 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
12128 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage, you
12129 can point your (feh!) web browser to
12130 @file{http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
12131 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is known
12132 as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
12134 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
12135 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)}, is, of course, short for
12136 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
12137 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
12138 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
12139 appropriate name, don't you think?)
12141 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
12142 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
12143 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
12144 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
12146 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
12147 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution.
12149 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'') was
12150 released under the name ``Gnus 5.2''.
12152 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun.
12155 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
12156 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
12157 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
12158 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
12159 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
12160 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
12161 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
12168 What's the point of Gnus?
12170 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
12171 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
12172 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
12173 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
12174 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
12175 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
12176 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
12177 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
12178 keep track of millions of people who post?
12180 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
12181 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
12182 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
12183 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
12184 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
12185 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
12186 everywhere I could imagine useful. By doing so, I'm inviting every one
12187 of you to explore and invent.
12189 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x hail-emacs}.
12192 @node Compatibility
12193 @subsection Compatibility
12195 @cindex compatibility
12196 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
12197 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
12198 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
12203 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
12207 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
12210 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @pxref{Decoding
12213 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
12214 buffers. All variables that are relevant while reading a group are
12215 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
12216 important variables have their values copied into their global
12217 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
12218 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
12220 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
12221 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
12222 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
12223 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
12224 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
12228 @cindex highlighting
12229 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
12230 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
12231 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
12232 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
12233 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
12234 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
12237 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
12238 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
12239 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
12240 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
12242 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
12243 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
12244 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
12245 to stop doing it the old way.
12247 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
12249 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
12251 @cindex reporting bugs
12253 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
12254 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
12255 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
12259 @subsection Conformity
12261 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
12262 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
12269 There are no known breaches of this standard.
12273 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
12275 @item Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval
12276 @cindex Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval
12277 Gnus has been through the Seal process and failed. I think it'll pass
12278 the next inspection.
12280 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
12281 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
12282 We do have some breaches to this one.
12287 Gnus does no MIME handling, and this standard-to-be seems to think that
12288 MIME is the bees' knees, so we have major breakage here.
12291 This is considered to be a ``vanity header'', while I consider it to be
12292 consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted articles
12293 coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use either of
12294 those for posting articles. I would not have known that if it wasn't
12295 for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
12298 Gnus does line breaking on this header. I infer from RFC1036 that being
12299 conservative in what you output is not creating 5000-character lines, so
12300 it seems like a good idea to me. However, this standard-to-be says that
12301 whitespace in the @code{References} header is to be preserved, so... It
12302 doesn't matter one way or the other to Gnus, so if somebody tells me
12303 what The Way is, I'll change it. Or not.
12308 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliantly with regards to the texts
12309 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
12314 @subsection Emacsen
12320 Gnus should work on :
12325 Emacs 19.30 and up.
12328 XEmacs 19.13 and up.
12331 Mule versions based on Emacs 19.30 and up.
12335 Gnus will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than that. Not
12336 reliably, at least.
12338 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various platforms:
12343 The mouse-face on Gnus lines under Emacs and Mule is delimited to
12344 certain parts of the lines while they cover the entire line under
12348 The same with current-article marking---XEmacs puts an underline under
12349 the entire summary line while Emacs and Mule are nicer and kinder.
12352 XEmacs features more graphics---a logo and a toolbar.
12355 Citation highlighting us better under Emacs and Mule than under XEmacs.
12358 Emacs 19.26-19.28 have tangible hidden headers, which can be a bit
12365 @subsection Contributors
12366 @cindex contributors
12368 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
12369 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
12370 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
12371 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
12372 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
12373 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
12374 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
12375 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
12376 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
12377 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
12379 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
12384 @item Masanobu @sc{Umeda}
12385 The writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
12387 @item Per Abrahamsen
12388 Custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as well as numerous
12391 @item Luis Fernandes
12392 Design and graphics.
12395 @file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on @dfn{picons}
12399 @file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section (@pxref{GroupLens}).
12401 @item Sudish Joseph
12402 Innumerable bug fixes.
12405 @file{gnus-topic.el}.
12407 @item Steven L. Baur
12408 Lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
12410 @item Vladimir Alexiev
12411 The refcard and reference booklets.
12413 @item Felix Lee & JWZ
12414 I stole some pieces from the XGnus distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
12417 @file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
12419 @item Peter Mutsaers
12420 Orphan article scoring code.
12425 @item Hallvard B Furuseth
12426 Various bits and pieces, especially dealing with .newsrc files.
12428 @item Brian Edmonds
12429 @file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
12431 @item Ricardo Nassif and Mark Borges
12434 @item Kevin Davidson
12435 Came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
12439 Peter Arius, Stainless Steel Rat, Ulrik Dickow, Jack Vinson, Daniel
12440 Quinlan, Frank D. Cringle, Geoffrey T. Dairiki, Fabrice Popineau and
12441 Andrew Eskilsson have all contributed code and suggestions.
12445 @subsection New Features
12446 @cindex new features
12451 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
12452 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
12455 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
12456 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
12459 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
12462 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
12463 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
12464 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
12467 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
12468 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
12469 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
12470 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
12473 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
12474 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
12477 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
12478 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
12479 (@pxref{The Active File}).
12482 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
12483 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
12486 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
12487 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
12488 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
12491 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
12492 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
12493 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
12496 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
12497 the @file{.emacs} file.
12500 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
12501 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
12504 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
12505 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
12508 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
12509 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
12512 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
12513 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
12516 Gnus can fetch articles asynchronously on a second connection to the
12517 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
12520 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
12523 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
12524 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
12527 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
12528 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
12531 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
12532 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
12535 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
12538 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
12539 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
12542 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
12546 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
12550 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
12551 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
12554 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
12558 Gnus can use NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
12562 This is, of course, just a @emph{short} overview of the @emph{most}
12563 important new features. No, really. There are tons more. Yes, we have
12564 feeping creaturism in full effect, but nothing too gratuitous, I would
12568 @node Newest Features
12569 @subsection Newest Features
12572 Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
12575 Be afraid. Be very afraid.
12579 Native @sc{mime} support is something that should be done.
12581 A better and simpler method for specifying mail composing methods.
12583 Allow posting through mail-to-news gateways.
12585 Really do unbinhexing.
12588 And much, much, much more. There is more to come than has already been
12589 implemented. (But that's always true, isn't it?)
12591 @code{<URL:http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/sgnus/todo>} is where the actual
12592 up-to-the-second todo list is located, so if you're really curious, you
12593 could point your Web browser over that-a-way.
12597 @section Terminology
12599 @cindex terminology
12604 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
12605 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
12606 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
12607 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
12608 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
12612 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
12613 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
12614 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
12615 not posting, and replying is not following up.
12619 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
12623 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
12628 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
12629 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
12630 is all done by the backends.
12634 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
12635 default, way of getting news.
12639 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
12640 These are groups that use different backends for getting news.
12644 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
12645 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
12649 A nessage that has been posted as news.
12652 @cindex mail message
12653 A message that has been mailed.
12657 A mail message or news article
12661 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
12666 The rest of an article. Everything that is not in the head is in the
12671 A line from the head of an article.
12675 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
12676 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
12680 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
12681 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
12682 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
12683 normal @sc{head} format.
12687 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
12688 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
12689 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
12690 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
12691 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
12692 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
12694 @item killed groups
12695 @cindex killed groups
12696 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
12697 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
12699 @item zombie groups
12700 @cindex zombie groups
12701 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
12704 @cindex active file
12705 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
12706 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
12707 is rather large, as you might surmise.
12710 @cindex bogus groups
12711 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
12712 server (i. e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
12713 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
12717 A machine than one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
12719 @item select method
12720 @cindex select method
12721 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
12724 @item virtual server
12725 @cindex virtual server
12726 A named select method. Since a select methods defines all there is to
12727 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the who things as a
12728 whole is a virtual server.
12733 @node Customization
12734 @section Customization
12735 @cindex general customization
12737 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
12738 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
12739 for some quite common situations.
12742 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
12743 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
12744 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
12745 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
12749 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
12750 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
12752 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
12753 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
12754 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
12758 @item gnus-read-active-file
12759 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
12760 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
12761 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-news} and
12762 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
12763 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
12765 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
12766 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
12767 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
12768 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
12772 @node Slow Terminal Connection
12773 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
12775 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that
12776 runs Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce the
12777 amount of data that is sent over the wires as much as possible.
12781 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
12782 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
12783 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
12784 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
12785 horizontal and vertical recentering.
12787 @item gnus-visible-headers
12788 Cut down on the headers that are included in the articles to the
12789 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
12790 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
12791 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
12793 @item gnus-article-display-hook
12794 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
12796 (setq gnus-article-display-hook
12797 '(gnus-article-hide-headers gnus-article-hide-signature
12798 gnus-article-hide-citation))
12801 @item gnus-use-full-window
12802 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
12803 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
12804 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
12805 want to read them anyway.
12807 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
12808 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
12811 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
12812 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
12813 lines, which might save some time.
12817 @node Little Disk Space
12818 @subsection Little Disk Space
12821 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
12822 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
12826 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
12827 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
12828 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
12829 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
12832 @item gnus-save-killed-list
12833 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
12834 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
12835 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
12836 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
12842 @subsection Slow Machine
12843 @cindex slow machine
12845 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
12846 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
12848 Set@code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
12849 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
12851 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
12852 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
12853 summary buffer faster.
12855 Set @code{gnus-article-display-hook} to @code{nil} to make article
12856 processing a bit faster.
12859 @node Troubleshooting
12860 @section Troubleshooting
12861 @cindex troubleshooting
12863 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
12871 Make sure your computer is switched on.
12874 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
12875 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
12879 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
12880 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
12881 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
12882 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
12885 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
12889 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
12890 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
12891 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
12892 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
12893 something like that.
12896 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
12899 @cindex reporting bugs
12901 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
12903 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
12904 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
12905 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
12906 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
12908 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
12909 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
12910 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
12911 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
12914 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
12915 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you send back
12916 just ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
12917 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
12918 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
12919 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
12921 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
12922 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
12923 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
12926 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
12927 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
12929 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
12930 @cindex ding mailing list
12931 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@ifi.uio.no}.
12932 Write to @samp{ding-request@@ifi.uio.no} to subscribe.
12935 @node A Programmers Guide to Gnus
12936 @section A Programmer's Guide to Gnus
12938 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
12939 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
12940 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
12941 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
12944 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
12945 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
12946 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
12947 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
12948 and general method of operations.
12951 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
12952 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
12953 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
12954 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
12955 * Group Info:: The group info format.
12956 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
12957 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
12961 @node Backend Interface
12962 @subsection Backend Interface
12964 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
12965 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
12966 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
12967 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
12968 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
12969 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
12971 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
12972 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
12973 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
12974 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
12975 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
12976 been opened, the function should fail.
12978 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
12979 name. Take this example:
12983 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
12984 (nntp-port-number 4324))
12987 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
12988 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
12990 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
12991 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
12992 server environments that it pulls down/pushes up when needed.
12994 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
12995 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
12996 always check whether are present before attempting to call.
12998 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
12999 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
13000 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
13001 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
13002 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
13003 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
13006 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
13007 some might be said to not be. The latter are backends that generally
13008 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
13009 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
13012 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
13015 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
13018 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
13019 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
13020 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
13021 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
13025 @node Required Backend Functions
13026 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
13030 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
13032 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
13033 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
13034 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
13035 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
13037 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
13038 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
13039 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
13040 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
13042 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try to fetch "extra
13043 headers, in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
13044 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
13045 article number in @code{articles}, and fill in the gaps as well. The
13046 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
13047 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
13048 number, do maximum fetches.
13050 Here's an example HEAD:
13053 221 1056 Article retrieved.
13054 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
13055 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
13056 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
13057 Subject: Re: Something very droll
13058 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
13059 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
13061 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
13062 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
13063 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
13067 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
13068 these in the data buffer.
13070 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
13074 head = error / valid-head
13075 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
13076 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
13077 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
13078 header = <text> eol
13081 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
13082 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
13086 nov-buffer = *nov-line
13087 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
13088 field = <text except TAB>
13091 For a closer explanation what should be in those fields,
13095 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
13097 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
13098 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that defines this virtual server.
13100 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
13101 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
13102 server. In fact, it should do so.
13104 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
13105 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
13108 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
13110 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
13111 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
13114 There should be no data returned.
13117 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
13119 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
13120 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
13121 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
13122 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
13124 There should be no data returned.
13127 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
13129 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
13130 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
13131 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
13132 attempt to reconnect to a server that is has lost connection to.
13134 There should be no data returned.
13137 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
13139 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
13141 There should be no data returned.
13144 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
13146 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
13147 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
13148 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
13149 it would be nice if that were possible.
13151 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
13152 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
13153 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
13154 another, and Gnus mainly request articles to be inserted directly into
13155 its article buffer.
13157 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
13158 the car is the group name the article was fetched from, and the cdr is
13159 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
13160 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
13161 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
13162 on successful article retrievement.
13165 @item (nnchoke-open-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
13167 Make @var{group} the current group.
13169 There should be no data returned by this function.
13172 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
13174 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
13175 making @var{group} the current group.
13177 If @var{FAST}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
13180 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
13183 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
13186 The first number is the status, which should be @code{211}. Next is the
13187 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
13188 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
13189 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
13190 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
13191 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
13192 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
13193 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
13196 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
13197 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
13198 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
13202 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
13204 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
13205 a no-op on most backends.
13207 There should be no data returned.
13210 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
13212 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
13215 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
13218 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
13219 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
13222 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
13223 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
13226 active-file = *active-line
13227 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
13229 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
13232 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
13233 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
13234 (@samp{=other-group} or none of the above (@samp{y}).
13237 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
13239 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
13240 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
13241 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
13242 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
13243 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
13244 clear if the posting could not be completed.
13246 There should be no result data from this function.
13251 @node Optional Backend Functions
13252 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
13256 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
13258 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
13259 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
13260 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
13262 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
13263 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
13264 former is in the same format as the data from
13265 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
13266 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
13269 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
13273 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
13275 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
13276 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
13277 information (as is the case with virtual an imap groups). This function
13278 may alter the info in any manner it sees fit, and should return the
13279 (altered) group info. This function may alter the group info
13280 destructively, so no copying is needed before boogeying.
13282 There should be no result data from this function.
13285 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
13287 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
13288 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
13289 user is following up is news or mail. This function should return
13290 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
13291 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
13292 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
13293 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
13294 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
13296 There should be no result data from this function.
13299 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
13301 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
13302 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
13303 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
13304 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
13305 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
13307 The only use for this that I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
13308 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
13309 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
13312 There should be no result data from this function.
13315 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
13317 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
13318 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
13319 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
13320 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
13321 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
13322 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
13323 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
13325 There should be no result data from this function.
13328 @item (nnchoke-request-asynchronous GROUP &optional SERVER ARTICLES)
13330 This is a request to fetch articles asynchronously later.
13331 @var{articles} is an alist of @var{(article-number line-number)}. One
13332 would generally expect that if one later fetches article number 4, for
13333 instance, some sort of asynchronous fetching of the articles after 4
13334 (which might be 5, 6, 7 or 11, 3, 909 depending on the order in that
13335 alist) would be fetched asynchronously, but that is left up to the
13336 backend. Gnus doesn't care.
13338 There should be no result data from this function.
13341 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
13343 The result data from this function should be a description of
13347 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
13349 description = <text>
13352 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
13354 The result data from this function should be the description of all
13355 groups available on the server.
13358 description-buffer = *description-line
13362 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
13364 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
13365 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
13366 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
13369 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
13371 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
13373 There should be no return data.
13376 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
13378 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
13379 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
13380 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
13381 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
13382 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
13385 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
13388 There should be no result data returned.
13391 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
13394 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
13395 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
13397 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
13398 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
13399 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
13400 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
13401 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
13402 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
13404 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
13405 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
13408 The function should return a cons where the car is the group name and
13409 the cdr is the article number that the article was entered as.
13411 There should be no data returned.
13414 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
13416 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
13417 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
13418 this function in short order.
13420 The function should return a cons where the car is the group name and
13421 the cdr is the article number that the article was entered as.
13423 There should be no data returned.
13426 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
13428 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
13429 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
13431 There should be no data returned.
13434 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
13436 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
13437 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
13438 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
13440 There should be no data returned.
13443 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
13445 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
13446 articles that are in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
13448 There should be no data returned.
13453 @node Writing New Backends
13454 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
13456 The various backends share many similarities. @code{nnml} is just like
13457 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
13458 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
13459 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
13460 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
13463 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
13464 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
13465 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
13467 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
13468 package called @code{nnoo}.
13470 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
13471 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
13478 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
13479 parameters. For instance:
13482 (nnoo-declare nndir
13486 @code{nndir} has here declared that it intends to inherit functions from
13487 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
13490 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
13491 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
13492 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
13494 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
13495 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
13496 a function in those backends.
13499 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
13500 "Where nndir will look for groups."
13501 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
13504 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
13505 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
13506 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
13508 @item nnoo-define-basics
13509 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
13513 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
13517 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
13518 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
13519 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
13521 @item nnoo-map-functions
13522 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
13523 functions from the parent backends.
13526 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
13527 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
13528 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
13531 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
13532 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
13533 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
13534 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
13537 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
13538 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
13539 haven't already been defined.
13545 nnmh-request-newgroups)
13549 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
13550 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
13551 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
13556 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
13559 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
13560 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
13564 (require 'nnheader)
13568 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
13570 (nnoo-declare nndir
13573 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
13574 "Where nndir will look for groups."
13575 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
13577 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
13578 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
13581 (defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
13582 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
13583 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
13585 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
13586 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
13588 ;;; Interface functions.
13590 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
13592 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
13593 (setq nndir-directory
13594 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
13596 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
13597 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
13598 (push `(nndir-current-group
13599 ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
13601 (push `(nndir-top-directory
13602 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
13604 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
13606 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
13607 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
13608 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
13609 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
13610 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
13614 nnmh-status-message
13616 nnmh-request-newgroups))
13622 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
13623 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
13625 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
13626 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
13627 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
13628 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
13630 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
13631 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
13636 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
13639 The abilities can be:
13643 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
13645 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
13647 This backend supports both mail and news.
13649 This is neither a post or mail backend---it's something completely
13652 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
13653 articles and groups.
13655 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
13656 true for almost all backends.
13657 @item prompt-address
13658 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
13659 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
13660 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
13665 @node Score File Syntax
13666 @subsection Score File Syntax
13668 Score files are meant to be easily parsable, but yet extremely
13669 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
13670 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
13672 Here's a typical score file:
13676 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
13683 BNF definition of a score file:
13686 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
13687 element = rule / atom
13688 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
13689 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
13690 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
13691 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
13693 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
13694 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
13695 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
13696 date-header = "date"
13697 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
13698 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
13699 score = "nil" / <integer>
13700 date = "nil" / <natural number>
13701 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
13702 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
13703 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
13704 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
13705 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
13706 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
13707 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
13708 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
13709 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
13710 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
13711 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
13712 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
13713 exclude-files / read-only / touched
13714 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
13715 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
13716 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
13717 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
13718 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
13719 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
13720 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
13721 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
13722 adapt = "adapt" [ space "nil" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
13723 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
13724 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
13725 eval = "eval" space <form>
13726 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
13729 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
13732 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
13733 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
13734 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
13735 one looong line, then that's ok.
13737 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
13742 @subsection Headers
13744 Gnus uses internally a format for storing article headers that
13745 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
13746 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
13747 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
13749 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
13750 RFC1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (eg.,
13751 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
13752 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
13753 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
13754 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
13755 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
13757 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
13758 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
13759 @code{xref}. There are macros for accessing and setting these
13760 slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
13761 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
13763 The @code{xref} slot is really a @code{misc} slot. Any extra info will
13770 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
13771 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
13773 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
13774 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
13775 that you want to callify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
13776 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
13778 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
13782 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
13785 is transformed into
13788 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
13791 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
13792 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
13795 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
13798 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
13799 is slightly tricky:
13802 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
13808 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
13811 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
13817 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
13824 and is equal to the previous range.
13826 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
13827 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
13828 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
13832 range = simple-range / normal-range
13833 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
13834 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
13835 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
13836 number *[ " " contents ]
13839 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
13840 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
13841 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
13842 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
13843 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
13848 @subsection Group Info
13850 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
13851 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
13852 describes the group.
13854 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
13855 second is a more complex one:
13858 ("no.group" 5 (1 . 54324))
13860 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
13861 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
13863 (auto-expire (to-address "ding@@ifi.uio.no")))
13866 The first element is the group name as Gnus knows the group; the second
13867 is the group level; the third is the read articles in range format; the
13868 fourth is a list of article marks lists; the fifth is the select method;
13869 and the sixth contains the group parameters.
13871 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
13874 info = "(" group space level space read
13875 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
13876 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
13877 group = quote <string> quote
13878 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
13880 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
13881 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
13882 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
13883 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
13886 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
13887 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
13891 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
13892 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
13896 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
13897 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
13898 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
13900 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
13901 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
13902 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
13903 Gnus, that's very useful.
13905 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
13906 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
13907 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
13908 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
13909 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
13910 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
13911 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
13912 following function:
13915 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
13919 (,function ,@@args))
13923 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
13924 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
13925 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
13928 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
13929 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
13930 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
13933 @node Various File Formats
13934 @subsection Various File Formats
13937 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
13938 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
13942 @node Active File Format
13943 @subsubsection Active File Format
13945 The active file lists all groups that are available on the server in
13946 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
13949 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
13952 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
13953 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
13954 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
13955 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
13956 no.general 1000 900 y
13959 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
13962 active = *group-line
13963 group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
13964 group = <non-white-space string>
13966 high-number = <non-negative integer>
13967 low-number = <positive integer>
13968 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
13972 @node Newsgroups File Format
13973 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
13975 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
13976 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
13977 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
13980 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
13981 Here's the definition:
13985 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
13986 group = <non-white-space string>
13988 description = <string>
13992 @node Emacs for Heathens
13993 @section Emacs for Heathens
13995 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
13996 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
13997 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
13998 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
13999 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
14000 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
14001 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
14005 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
14006 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
14011 @subsection Keystrokes
14015 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
14018 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
14021 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
14022 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
14023 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
14024 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
14025 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
14026 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
14028 The shift key is normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
14029 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
14030 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
14031 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
14032 keyboards. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
14033 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
14034 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
14036 Now, us Emacs people doesn't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
14037 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
14038 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
14039 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
14040 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
14041 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
14042 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
14044 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
14045 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
14046 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
14047 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
14048 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
14054 @subsection Emacs Lisp
14056 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
14057 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
14058 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
14059 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
14061 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
14062 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
14063 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
14064 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
14065 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
14066 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
14067 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
14070 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
14071 write the following:
14074 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
14077 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
14078 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
14079 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
14082 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
14083 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
14084 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
14085 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
14086 previous ``form'', which here is a simple @code{setq} statement.
14088 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
14089 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
14090 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
14094 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
14098 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
14101 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
14102 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
14105 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
14108 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
14109 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
14112 @include gnus-faq.texi